Basic parts of a gauge-1 switch: Switches are necessary any time one wants to send a train in an alternate direction. They’re what makes it possible to store one train on a siding and run another around it, or any other basic operation. They’re essential if you want your trains to do more than just […]
Here are some personal recollections of 12 notable model railroaders who died in 2022. Don Ball For many years, Don Ball was a regular contributor to Model Railroader. I worked with him on several stories, including his big feature in Model Railroad Planning 2011 about building his Stockton & Copperopolis HO layout. I visited Don […]
PHOENIX — Extreme weather and natural disasters took a broad toll on railroads in 2021, and BNSF Railway was certainly not exempt. “All of us in the industry,” said Craig Rasmussen, BNSF’s assistant vice president, engineering services and structures, “have realized that Mother Nature is not a nice lady. Sometimes she is really tough to […]
What has been railroading’s top story in 2021? Today, we begin the process of answering that question, as determined in balloting by the Trains editorial staff, Classic Trains editor Brian Schmidt (who spent most of the year on our staff), and key News Wire contributors. Balloting concluded on Dec. 10. We’ll be recapping stories each […]
IRVINE, Calif. — The structure used to be a grain elevator served by Santa Fe locals. After the concrete silos outlived their original function, the complex next to the tracks at Irvine’s Sand Canyon Road was converted into a La Quinta Inn and Suites, a great place to watch passenger trains during a stay. There […]
Model Rail Offers at www.modelrailoffers.co.uk for £149.00 plus shipping (approximately $200 as of this writing). Pluses Hefty die-cast construction, smooth operation, and great detail Minuses DC-operation only. Circuit board issue requires replacement (available from Model Rail Offers) for use with DCC Verdict Solid running model of a British Railways steam-era light-duty locomotive Overview You couldn’t […]
There are dozens of methods used to clean the rails in the garden. There are track-cleaning locomotives, track-cleaning cars, polishing wheels you can fit to the underside of a truck, blocks, poles with pads on the end—enough innovation to make a mousetrap inventor think his job is simple. These can be broken down into “manual” […]
Model Railroader’s 2021 Essential Product Guide Sponsored By: Industry Partners of Model Railroader magazine There has never been a better time to be a model railroader. Advancements in product technologies have made the hobby more realistic, easier to operate, and frankly more fun than ever before! This article highlights some of the top products on […]
A boxcar built by the tens of thousands for dozens of North American railroads has been released in new paint schemes and road numbers by Atlas O. Part of Atlas’ Steam Era Classics series, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) 1937 40-foot boxcar was first issued in 2004. The model features free-rolling trucks with blackened […]
The excitement created by Union Pacific when it brought Big Boy no. 4014 back to life can now reach your HO scale layout with this specially detailed locomotive model from Trix, the two-rail, DC subsidiary of Märklin. The prototype. Union Pacific’s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy steam locomotives are some of the most famous in the world. […]
Trains magazine covers the broad spectrum of railroading with authoritative content, dazzling photography, and a mix of content designed to appeal to everyone from the casual enthusiast to the seasoned professional railroader. Trains offers something for everyone who has a spark for railroading: Railroad news, insight, and commentary on today’s freight railroads, passenger service, transit, […]
Trains magazine covers the broad spectrum of railroading with authoritative content, dazzling photography, and a mix of content designed to appeal to everyone from the casual enthusiast to the seasoned professional railroader. Trains offers something for everyone who has a spark for railroading: Railroad news, insight, and commentary on today’s freight railroads, passenger service, transit, […]
