Extended network

Two Norfolk Southern GE ponies, with Union Pacific train Z-CHEM in tow, gallop out of North Lake, Wis., on their journey to Minneapolis, Minn. The Triple Crown train is one of the few that operates off NS rails. Photo by Matt Krause […]

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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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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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Atlas N scale Electo-Motive Division SD60 diesel locomotive

Atlas N scale EMD SD60 diesel locomotive A popular modern-day Electro-­Motive Division workhorse is being offered in new paint schemes by Atlas. The 6-axle, 3,800-hp SD60 was the replacement for EMD’s aging SD40 and less than successful SD50. ­Atlas’ version is an accurately scaled, finely molded, and crisply painted N scale model. History. In the […]

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Walthers HO scale GP20 diesel locomotive

Walthers HO scale GP20 diesel locomotive The GP20 is back on HO scale rails, in a new selection of road names and detailed to match each prototype. The WalthersProto GP20 uses upgraded tooling based on the Life-Like Proto 2000 GP20 reviewed in the August 1998 Model Railroader. (A review of the high-hood version is in […]

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Rolling Stones Web Gallery and Map

FULL SCREEN Todd Atkinson CSX Transportation No. 2477, an SD50-2, leads an empty westbound stone train across the Little Kanawha River Bridge at Parkersburg, W.Va., on March 2, 2007. In the background, a loaded CSX coal train crosses the Ohio River bridge that was once part of the Baltimore & Ohio’s main line to St. […]

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Bachmann HO scale F7A-B diesel locomotive

Bachmann HO scale F7A-B diesel locomotive The F7 diesel-electric locomotive has been a popular subject for scale modelers since it rolled out of General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division shops more than 60 years ago. Now Bachmann Trains is expanding its Sound Value line with F7A and F7B locomotives, each with ­dual-mode SoundTraxx Digital Command Control sound […]

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Green beans and trains

Erie Pacific 2707, a sister to the engine that enthralled author Noble during Ohio summers, is seen at Dunkirk, N.Y., 200 miles and two seasons away, but coincidently also alongside an NYC line. Al Rung My dad, after changing jobs following World War II, from Crosley Corp., in Cincinnati to one at Wright-Patterson Air Force […]

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2013 National Train Show new products report part 1

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 […]

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Bachmann HO scale hi-rail truck

Bachmann HO scale hi-rail truck Price: $109.99 Manufacturer Bachmann Trains 1400 E. Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19124 www.bachmanntrains.com Era: 1980s to present Comments: This HO scale hi-rail truck from Bachmann Trains features a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder that operates on both direct-current (DC) and DCC layouts. The truck’s plastic body shell doesn’t represent […]

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