HO scale Grand Junction RR

HO scale Grand Junction RR from the February 2015 Model Railroader Name: Grand Junction RR Layout designer: Rolf Malmborg Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 13 x 24 feet Prototype: Union Pacific and Southern Pacific along the former Denver & Rio Grande Western Locale: western Colorado and eastern Utah Era: 2006 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 160 feet […]

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Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD SW1500 diesel locomotive

Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD SW1500 switcher With its striking color scheme and flashing lights, Broadway Limited Imports’ Southern Pacific “Kodachrome” scheme SW1500 makes a splash. Even in one of the 11 more sedate schemes offered, this highly detailed, sound-equipped model will attract a lot of attention. The model features BLI’s Paragon2 dual-mode sound […]

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In Minnesota, F units scrapped, saved NEWSWIRE

A surviving Erie Mining F9 oversees the scrapping operation of the B units in early December. Doug Buell Pieces of former Erie Mining F9s litter the ground in early December. Doug Buell HOYT LAKES, Minn. – In Minnesota this month, followers of Electro-Motive F units can rejoice that two of the classic cab units will […]

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On creating the world’s largest fusee

Union Pacific’s City of Denver curves away from North Western Station in Chicago at the start of its run west. Sister streamliner City of Portland once made an unscheduled stop at Oak Park, 9 miles west. Wallace W. Abbey In spring 1955, I was working as a ticket clerk at Chicago & North Western’s Oak […]

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New products for the week of November 20, 2014

Athearn Trains HO scale Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe CF7 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe CF7 diesel locomotive. New road names: BNSF Ry. (Heritage I) and Watco (three Santa Fe patchouts, one number each). New road numbers: Amtrak and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (round cab in pinstripe scheme, angled […]

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Athearn Trains HO scale TankTrain tank cars

Athearn Trains HO scale TankTrain tank cars With bright orange and white lettering on black car bodies, models of the GATX TankTrain are again on hobby shop shelves. Models of these cars were available as kits in the early 1980s. Those kits were notorious for being difficult to assemble, but the prototype was always interesting. […]

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MTH RailKing ES44AC Heritage unit

O gauge RailKing ES44AC diesel from MTH Price: $329.95 (no. 30-20170-1 Features: Two can-style motors, smoke unit, coil couplers, ProtoSound 3.0 command and sound system Current road names: BNSF, General Electric Evolution De-monstrator, Pennsylvania RR Heritage unit, Southern Ry. Heritage unit, Union Pacific Announced by MTH in 2013, the RailKing General Electric ES44AC diesels have […]

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Kansas in my backyard

The railways at a glance Names: The St. Joe & Grand Island; The Kansas Central Size: 4,000 square feet Scales: 1:29 (ST&GI); 1:20.3 (KC) Gauge: Nº 1 (45mm) Eras: 1950s and 1870s Themes: ST&GI: Small farming town in Kansas on a connecting line of the Union Pacific in the 1950s as it converted from steam […]

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A month in the life of 4 freight cars

This map shows how four freight cars, threading their way through the North American railroad network, can take about two weeks to cross half the continent. The shippers using these four cars enjoyed tremendous efficiencies by sharing the costs of train crews and locomotives, track and signaling, classification yards, and overhead expenses with the other […]

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Trainfest 2014 show report

Athearn Trains HO scale Electro-Motive Division FP45 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division F45 and FP45 diesel locomotives. F45: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (pinstripe scheme); BNSF Ry. (ex-Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe yellow bonnet), Burlington Northern, and Montana Rail Link. FP45: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (Super Fleet warbonnet) and Milwaukee Road. Railroad-specific […]

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Video Review: Big Boy: On the Road to Restoration

Big Boy: On the Road to Restoration By Trains Magazine Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187; 1 hour and 30 minutes, NTSC format. The steam story of the decade is Union Pacific’s announcement that it is going to repatriate and restore one of the eight surviving 4-8-8-4 Big Boy steam locomotives. Folks […]

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