New model trains for the week of July 27, 2017

HO scale freight cars Southern Pacific and Union Pacific class S-40-2 36’-6” stockcar with pressed steel underframe. Cast-urethane kit in multiple versions. Side castings with tow staple/jacking pads, one-piece roof casting, decals, and Yarmouth etched bronze Carmer uncoupling levers and side sill steps. Can be modeled with side doors open or closed. Southern Pacific kit […]

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Video Review: Big Steam is Back

Big Steam is Back Kalmbach Publishing, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Approx. 90 minutes kalmbachhobbystore.com In Spring 2009, Union Pacific’s never-retired 4-8-4 No. 844 visited Nevada, California, and Utah on its “Western Heritage Tour.” This event provided ample evidence, as if any was needed, of the appeal of “Big Steam,” loosely defined as the […]

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Frac (sand) is back NEWSWIRE

Canadian National unit sand train U75081-18 passes by the Metra station in Antioch, Ill. Powering the train is rebuilt AC44C6M No. 4016, formerly Norfolk Southern C40-9 No. 8849. Trailing the rebuilt locomotive is C44-9W No. 8276, and SD70M-2s Nos. 2661 and 8942. Video by Chris Guss TRAINS: Rick Johnson Railroads are enjoying a resurgence in […]

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InterMountain N scale SD40-2 with sound

InterMountain N scale SD40-2 Our review sample features a split die-cast metal frame and ESU LokSound decoder. The metal contacts were bent down to make better electrical contact. A newly tooled N scale SD40-2 with a detail level that rivals larger scale models joins the InterMountain Ry. roster. For the most part the 1:160-proportion model […]

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Appeals court rejects on-time performance standards NEWSWIRE

Amtrak’s southbound ‘Saluki’ rolls past the Canadian National yard into Champaign, Ill., in Feb., 2015. Bob Johnston ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a U.S. Surface Transportation Board attempt to provide metrics which measure host railroad on-time performance. The action follows a U.S. Supreme Court finding that […]

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New model trains for the week of July 13, 2017

Rapido Trains HO scale General Motors Diesel Division SW1200RS diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives General Motors Diesel Division SW1200RS diesel locomotive. Canadian National (“wet noodle” herald with black cab and red/orange cab, and North America scheme with small “wet noodle” herald) and Canadian Pacific (block and script lettering, Action Red with 5” stripes and Multimark […]

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New model trains for the week of July 6, 2017

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD50 diesel locomotive. Chessie System (Baltimore & Ohio reporting marks), Chicago & North Western, CSX (gray and blue in one number, Chessie System patchout in three numbers), Erie Lackawanna (fictional paint scheme, three numbers), Norfolk Southern, Northern Pacific (fictional paint scheme, three numbers), and Union Pacific. Four numbers per scheme […]

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The Salt Lake Route, Part 6 – Industry and yard scenery

In the final installment of our N scale project layout series, Dick Christianson explains how he modeled the industries and yard in Caliente, Nev. Fig. 1 Backdrop. Lacking enough sky to cover the tempered hardboard, Dick cut the sky and clouds from the photo and let the blue backdrop suffice. Fig. 2 Protective covering. Dick […]

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Z scale Gulf, Illinois & Rocky Mountains RR

Click the image to download a copy of the track plan. Name: Gulf, Illinois & Rocky Mountains RR Layout owner: John-Baptiste Merillot Scale: Z (1:220) Size: 7 x 15 feet Prototype: none; includes locomotives from Union Pacific, CSX, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, among others Locale: Northwestern United States Era: late 1960s to present Style: walk-in, […]

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