Ask Trains from April 2006

Q Why do automobile rack cars have TTX Co. reporting marks but also bear a logo from a railroad? – Gary Gergye, Marietta, Ga. A This started in the early 1960s when autoracks first came into use. Flatcars, with TTX reporting marks, were pulled from the Trailer Train pool, but the racks were purchased by […]

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Broadway Limited HO New York Central Niagara 4-8-4 steam locomotive is great for the Great Steel Fleet

Broadway Limited HO New York Central Niagara 4-8-4 An accurate, smooth-running model of the pinnacle of the New York Central’s steam power, the S-1b Niagara 4-8-4, is the latest from Broadway Limited Imports, and it illustrates two significant points: BLI’s locomotives continue to improve, and steam locomotives are just plain cool. Historical perspective. Recently, some […]

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Athearn, HO scale, UP 4-6-6-4 Challenger

Athearn HO UP 4-6-6-4 Challenger

Athearn HO UP 4-6-6-4 Challenger This HO scale 4-6-6-4 Challenger is a top-notch model and easily the best of Athearn’s Genesis-series steam locomotives. It looks like its famous prototype, and its fine performance is enhanced by sound effects whether running on conventional DC or Digital Command Control (DCC). The story of the Union Pacific Challengers […]

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Broadway Limited Imports, HO scale, PRR class J1 2-10-4

Broadway Limited Imports HO PRR class J1 2-10-4

Broadway Limited Imports’ HO PRR 2-10-4 locomotive is a powerful brute. A model of the Pennsylvania RR’s massive class J1 Texas-type locomotive has just been introduced by Broadway Limited Imports, and it will undoubtedly capture the imagination of more than a few model railroaders. The J1 is well executed, powerful, and big — you may […]

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