Cajon Pass Extra

In October 2013, Trains sent me to Southern California to attend the first-ever Association of Tourist Railroads and Railway Museums meeting, to see Union Pacific’s preparatory work for moving Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 AND to get material for the February 2014 article in the magazine: “Cajon Pass Unplugged.” I spent weeks before and after […]

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Athearn Genesis GP50 diesel locomotive

Athearn Genesis GP50 diesel locomotives Not to be confused with the earlier Ready-to-Roll model, this Genesis-series GP50 from Athearn features all-new tooling for both Phase I and Phase II versions and many prototype-specific details. Our test samples came equipped with feature-laden SoundTraxx Digital Command Control decoders. A DC version with a DCC socket that accepts […]

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Bob Johnston’s “Intermountain Odyssey”

Check out additional material related to Bob Johnston’s “Intermountain Odyssey” article in Classic Trains’ Special Edition No. 13, All Aboard! Movies View clips from the 8mm movies that Bob Johnston took during the 1963 NRHS Intermountain Limited convention. Transportation Notice See the Burlington Route’s original Transportation Notice for the Aug. 26–Sept. 7, 1963, Intermountain Limited NRHS […]

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Back to the Bakken

Empty oil cans return to the oil field of North Dakota behind two fresh Norfolk Southern GE ES44ACs. BNSF Railway train U-NSDFYN rolls west up the BNSF’s St. Croix Subdivision on July 8, 2013. Photo by Matt Krause […]

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O gauge RailKing diesel freight set by MTH

If the no. 269E freight in the previous review epitomizes a hotshot train of the olden days, this O gauge RailKing freight set from MTH shows off the best side of modern railroading as well as the high-tech side of the three-rail game with nicely detailed rolling stock pulled by a RailKing Imperial line locomotive. […]

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Athearn HO scale sound-equipped refrigerator car

Athearn HO scale Fruit Growers Express refrigerator car A 57-foot, sound-equipped mechanical refrigerator car has been added to the Athearn Genesis line. The HO scale model, based on a Fruit Growers Express (FGE) prototoype, is offered in nine different body styles with prototype-specific sills and door hardware. Our sample is decorated as BNSF Ry. no. […]

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Searchlight sentinels

  This hot eastbound BNSF Railway “Z train” is seen near Bucklin, Mo., on July 28, 2013. The searchlight signals are a hallmark of the former Santa Fe route. Photo by Russell J. Lyon […]

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