Marc Horovitz Here are a few of my favorite old model-train books, all published before 1960, in chronological order. There are many more. These are a mix of US and British books. I’ve tried to give a very brief synopsis of each. If you have a favorite old book, drop me a line at mhorovitz@gardenrailways.com […]
Q I’ve read that when some railroads sent their steam locomotives in for a complete overhaul, they changed the main drivers to a disc type. Why would they do this?— Alex Jamieson, Chatham, Ont. A Changing to disc-type drivers was done on a case-by-case basis. The older style spoke drivers had a tendency to break […]
Although horse-drawn trolleys could be found in many American cities, rapid movement of commuters really became practical when the routes were electrified. Interestingly, many vintage photos show trolleys running along dirt streets in relatively large cities, with pedestrians, horse-drawn wagons, carts, and even a few carriages being their only competition for the roadway. As time […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP9 diesel locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Baltimore & Ohio; Canadian National; Louisville & Nashville; and Pennsylvania RR. All available with dynamic brakes except for L&N. Digital Command Control, directional lighting, and E-Z Mate Mark II magnetic knuckle couplers. $89. October 2010. Ready-to-run. Bachmann, 215-533-1600, www.bachmanntrains.com Alco RS-3 diesel […]
The toy train hobby, like any other, has its own language. We at Classic Toy Trains try to avoid using confusing jargon wherever possible, but we know there are some terms we use that may confuse new readers. Even if you’ve enjoyed trains for years, you may still run across terms that aren’t clear, or […]
RIS removed the trucks from a donated tank car, attached it to supports bolted onto concrete slabs, and filled it with water. The yellow block in the lower-left of the frame is layers of concrete. Researchers expected the top layer or a few would be destroyed, but hoped that the bottom of the block might […]
LIKE THE UNITED STATES, much of Canada is flat and empty with a humongous mountain range over on the left side. Factor in absurdly bad winters, and railroading in Canada requires industrial-strength solutions. It takes quite a bit of effort to haul people and things today, and it was not any easier in the steam […]
Peter Witt-type streetcar Before the age of the interstate highway system and city buses, streetcars were the backbone of urban mass transit. A new HO scale model of a Peter Witt-type streetcar that served on the streets of Baltimore is now available from Bachmann. The prototype for this Spectrum series model is similar to streetcars […]
Over 2000′ of track runs through the relatively lowmaintenance Sunset Valley Railroad of Ted Sharpe in Issaquah, Washington. Dwarf Alberta spruce (Pirea glauca ‘Conica’) and low groundcovers predominantly thymes and sedums) are repeated throughout each section of the line. Joel Hayward Gary and Norma Agard of Augusta, Kansas, are building a beautiful garden in which […]
Dozens of Alberta spruce trees help create a mixed-conifer forest setting at the Little Vista Garden Railway of Larry and Pam Webb in Vista, California. Some of the trees are over 20 years old. Pat Hayward A newly planted area of the South Pacific Coast Garden Railway of Jose and Jean Picazo, Los Gatos, California, […]
THIS PRODUCT, part of American Model Builders’ Laserkit line, offers an early 20th-century grain elevator kit in O scale. This is appropriate for the steam and early diesel eras, but driving around the countryside, you could probably find similar structures still in operation today. The kit, modeled on a “Northwestern Line Elevator” plan from a […]
The National Train Show is being held in conjunction with the National Model Railroad Association national convention in Detroit, Mich., July 27-29, 2007. Below are some of the new products being featured at the show. Look for a full show report next week. Alco C-420 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotivesAlco C-420 diesel locomotive. Arkansas & […]
