ExactRail HO scale center-beam flatcar An HO scale center-beam bulkhead flatcar with injection-molded plastic, etched brass, and formed wire construction is the latest offering from ExactRail. The Platinum Series model is based on a Thrall Car Manufacturing Co. prototype built in 1977. The center-beam bulkhead design proved popular with railroads, lumber companies, and receivers […]
Athearn Trains HO scale Electro-Motive Division SDP45. Pre-production samples shown. HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SDP45. Erie Lackawanna, Great Northern (Big Sky Blue), and Southern Pacific. Four road numbers per scheme. Detailed cab interior, flat or pointed long hood end as appropriate, and railroad-specific brake cylinder placement on trucks. Direct-current model, $189.98; with SoundTraxx Digital […]
Rochelle, Ill., is known as the Hub City for good reason. Main lines of both BNSF Railway and Union Pacific cross on the west side of town. Because of this, and the heavy rail traffic they bring, the city of Rochelle started the Rochelle Railroad Park in 1998. As many as 120 trains a day […]
Walthers HO scale Gunderson 76-foot cryogenic refrigerator car Price: $24.98 Manufacturer Wm. K. Walthers Inc. P.O. Box 3039 Milwaukee, WI 53201 www.walthers.com Road names: BNSF Ry. (Nestle patchout), Carnation, McCain, and Simplot (One road number per scheme) Era: 1992 to present Comments: After a nearly two-decade absence, the Gunderson 76-foot cryogenic reefer is back in […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive. CSX, Louisville & Nashville, Missouri-Kansas-Texas, Norfolk Southern, Reading Co., Seaboard Coast Line (Louisville & Nashville reporting marks), Southern Ry., Southern Pacific (“Kodachrome” or red and gray paint schemes), St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt), Union Pacific, and Western Pacific. Two road numbers each; also available undecorated. Dual-mode Paragon2 […]
No. 261 westbound at Norwood, Minn., on April 20, 2013. Steve Glischinski Milwaukee Road No. 261 will pull its inaugural excursion on May 11-12, when it will operate a 300-mile round trip over BNSF Railway’s ex-Great Northern main line from Minneapolis to Duluth in conjunction with Amtrak. For riders and photographers, this route offers a […]
CHICAGO – Metra coaches may start looking a lot better now that the Chicago commuter railroad is hiring on 31 additional cleaning staff. The Daily Herald reports that the added positions are a direct result of recent fare increases on 10-ride passes. “As we indicated when we did the 10-ride increase or fare adjustment — […]
BIG RED: MTH’s Premier line of Electro-Motive Division SD9043MAC diesel locomotives includes the Indiana Rail Road paint scheme. The Indiana-based carrier operates approximately 225 miles of track formerly owned by the Illinois Central or the Milwaukee Road. The line also operates between Chicago and Louisville through trackage rights or haulage agreements. This O gauge model, […]
The Electro-Motive Division GP30 road diesel was a milestone. The first of the so-called second generation of diesel engines, it was more modern and efficient than even the F units and Geeps which had replaced steam. Although the timeframe it was produced (1961-63) was limited, nearly 1,000 came off the assembly line at La Grange, […]
Kristian Thompson SANTA FE, N.M. – The future for short line and tourist railroad Santa Fe Southern Railway appears bleak. The railroad’s General Manager Karl Ziebarth says the short line suspended operations on Oct. 17, 2012. The 18-mile line provides passenger and freight service between Santa Fe and a BNSF connection at Lamy, N.M. Ziebarth […]
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – The Otter Tail Valley Railroad will lose its largest customer when the Otter Tail Power Co. shuts down its two coal fired generators at its Fergus Falls plant in 2020. However, the later date is a victory for the railroad and power company since environmental groups had urged the Minnesota Public Utilities […]
CHICAGO – General Electric locomotives constructed in 2012 with the new Tier 3 locomotive emissions have been suffering major engine fires recently. The locomotives differ from Tier 2 engines in many ways including higher pressure fuel lines, which are reportedly operated at 20,000psi. These lines have been prone to break, spraying the prime mover with […]
