No. 4014 climbing Wyoming’s Sherman Hill, behind helper No. 4021, on June 25, 1949. R.H. Kindig When Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4014 takes to the rails again following restoration by Union Pacific, admirers of the huge machine would do well to remember two names: Otto Jabelmann and William Jeffers. It was Jeffers who, […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Check out this demo of Sergent HO scale operating couplers. Expert model railroader Pelle Søeborg uses operating couplers made by Sergent Engineering. To uncouple cars, an operator holds a magnetic wand over the coupler. Pelle demonstrates the Sergent couplers installed on a freight […]
In the September 2013 issue, I offered a critique of Lionel’s well-executed American Flyer passenger cars done in the postwar style. Although the cars were nicely made, their design followed the limited detailing of an older day, and so might not be up to par with a scale-detailed model railroader. This time we’ll examine an […]
ExactRail HO scale center-beam flatcar An HO scale center-beam bulkhead flatcar with injection-molded plastic, etched brass, and formed wire construction is the latest offering from ExactRail. The Platinum Series model is based on a Thrall Car Manufacturing Co. prototype built in 1977. The center-beam bulkhead design proved popular with railroads, lumber companies, and receivers […]
Athearn N scale Challenger and Big Boy steam locomotives Back on N scale rails, the Athearn Genesis 4-6-6-4 Challenger and 4-8-8-4 Big Boy each feature a revised sound system that includes a SoundTraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder with a new array of realistic sound effects. The models use the same tooling as the MRC-DCC-equipped […]
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 […]
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 […]
Union Pacific SD70M No. 4312 leads a train across Redding Trestle in Redding, Calif., in June 2008. Some of the local wildlife seems to be following the train’s lead. Photo by John Roskoski […]
Rochelle, Ill., is known as the Hub City for good reason. Main lines of both BNSF Railway and Union Pacific cross on the west side of town. Because of this, and the heavy rail traffic they bring, the city of Rochelle started the Rochelle Railroad Park in 1998. As many as 120 trains a day […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive. CSX, Louisville & Nashville, Missouri-Kansas-Texas, Norfolk Southern, Reading Co., Seaboard Coast Line (Louisville & Nashville reporting marks), Southern Ry., Southern Pacific (“Kodachrome” or red and gray paint schemes), St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt), Union Pacific, and Western Pacific. Two road numbers each; also available undecorated. Dual-mode Paragon2 […]
Auto racks on a derailed BNSF train near Walong, Calif. Phil Cornyn BNSF and UP locomotives involved in a collision near Walong, Calif. Phil Cornyn Cars derailed in a collision near Walong, Calif. Phil Cornyn BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Early this morning, a BNSF Railway train rear-ended a Union Pacific freight in Southern California, about 40 miles […]
Union Pacific NW2 No. 1091, with extra ballast and low-speed gearing, shoves the last cars of a freight train up the hump. Behind the diesel is the new yard’s car-inspection station. Wallace W. Abbey photo […]
