UP and SP at LAUPT

Union Pacific 4-8-4 803 and a Southern Pacific E7 wait outside Los Angeles Union Passenger terminal in the late 1940s, ready to back down to their respective trains. The E7 is for the Golden State, while the 4-8-4 is likely for the Los Angeles Limited. Herbert Johnson photo […]

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Dad, trains, and me

In a photo by his dad, 11-year-old Michael Landry stands in Pontiac, Mich., with the Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4 they rode from Detroit on March 24, 1960. Hank Landry There I am, 11 years old, dwarfed by the Grand Trunk Western 4-8-4 on the next track during its stop at Pontiac, Mich., on March 24, […]

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How I became ‘Old Smoky’

In October 1953, about the time author Les Clark was a fireman here, a Union Pacific freight climbs the grade out of the Snake River Valley near Reverse, Idaho. Challenger 3838 is on the point; 2-8-8-0 pusher 3528 was added at Glenns Ferry. David W. Salter October was a favorite month for me in southern […]

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Bachmann HO scale 2-6-0 Mogul

Bachmann HO scale 2-6-0 Mogul The HO scale 2-6-0 Mogul from Bachmann is the company’s first steam engine equipped with the SoundTraxx Sound Value Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder. The Sound Value is an entry-level version of SoundTraxx’s Tsunami decoder, but the effects produced are just as strong and authentic as the full version. The […]

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Kato N scale EMD SD9043MAC diesel locomotive

Kato N scale Electro-Motive Division SD9043MAC diesel locomotive Whether on 1:1 rails or in 1:160 proportion, an SD90MAC diesel draws the attention of railfans and modelers alike. At more than 80 scale feet long, this re-release of the N scale SD90MAC from Kato USA is an accurately detailed model of its massive prototype. Model Railroader […]

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John Walker Barriger III: He Healed Railroads Using Pictures

FULL SCREEN Photograph by John Walker Barriger III. Courtesy of the John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, St. Louis Mercantile Library, University of Missouri, St. Louis. A westbound, steam-powered freight train on the Santa Fe Railway framed by the front window of an early diesel locomotive at Matfield Green, Kansas, circa 1940. The diesel, […]

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The N scale Oakville sub

Name: The Oakville Sub Layout designer: Jim Reising Scale: N (1:160) Size: 26′-6″ x 52′-0″ Prototype: Union Pacific and BNSF Ry. Locale: Ex-Southern Pacific line between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, Calif. Style: walk-in, partial multilevel Era: present day Mainline run: 222 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 7 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in […]

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New products for May 24, 2012

HO scale locomotives  General Electric U25B diesel locomotive. New road name: Southern Pacific (road no. 3100). Upgraded handrails, separately applied details, and RP-25 contour metal wheelsets. Bowser will donate $15 from each sale to Orange Empire Ry. Museum. Direct current, $199.95. With SoundTraxx Digital Command Control sound decoder, $299.95. Late 2012. Ready-to-run. Executive Line. Bowser, […]

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Special handling at Las Vegas

Union Pacific’s Las Vegas depot was the gateway to temptation for some passengers. Fletcher Swan I am a fanatic when it comes to preserving old paperwork related to railroad operations and history, as attested by a cluttered basement. I tell my wife, who is sometimes a bit skeptical, that there is always some interesting history […]

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New products for April 26, 2012

HO scale locomotives General Electric ES44AC diesel locomotive. Fictional paint schemes: Burlington Northern; Delaware & Hudson; Erie Lackawanna; Gulf, Mobile & Ohio; Louisville & Nashville; and Southern Pacific. Two road numbers each. Etched-metal details, wire grab irons, and Kadee knuckle couplers. Direct-current model, $179.95; with SoundTraxx Digital Command Control sound decoder, $259.95. November/December 2012. Ready-to-run. […]

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