Rock Island Lines, 1964

Bill Metzger This Map of the Month appeared in the October 2005 issue of Trains magazine. Rock Island Lines serve 14 Western states,” the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific’s map in the Official Guides of 1964 proudly proclaimed, offering “7,849 miles of modern railroad.” Trouble was, Rock Island’s main lines went everywhere its parallel rivals […]

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Southeastern Power Plants

Robert Wegner This Map of the Month appeared in the January 2003 issue of Trains magazine. This is the second in our series of coal-fired power plant maps of the U.S. The first, showing the Northeastern quadrant of the U.S., appeared in June 2002 Trains. Electrical generation in the South obeys a much different pattern […]

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The Obscure Ones: Illinois Central Gulf SD40-2s

Click the image to download a PDF of this article as it would appear in TRAINS magazine. Quick: Name one locomotive model to which the word “obscure” would never apply. There’s a high likelihood that, if you watched trains in the 1980s and ’90s, the SD40-2 came quickly to your mind. After all, thousands roamed […]

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News & Products for December 17, 2009

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD70M and SD75M diesel locomotives. Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian National, CSX (SD70M), and Ontario Northland. Three road numbers each. Five-pole skew-wound motor with dual flywheels, cab interior, and directional lighting. $149.98. April 2010. Ready-to-run. Genesis series. Athearn Trains Electro-Motive Division SW9/1200 diesel locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Chessie […]

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Bachmann N scale EMD DDA40X diesel locomotive

Bachmann N scale EMD DDA40X diesel locomotive Price: $110 Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains Road numbers: (all Union Pacific) No. 6915, 6927, 6932, 6943 Bachmann’s N scale Union Pacific DDA40X shares many features with its larger cousin. The model’s dimensions are correct, the plastic body is nicely molded, and the paint job is sharp. Twin can motors […]

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Bachmann HO scale EMD DDA40X diesel locomotive

Bachmann HO scale EMD DDA40X diesel locomotive Now available with a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder, Bachmann’s HO scale model of the 98-foot-long DDA40X has dual motors that make it a powerful puller. This is appropriate, since the prototype’s dual 3,300-hp diesel engines made it the most powerful diesel-electric locomotive ever built. 100 years […]

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Rapido Trains Inc. HO scale steam generator car

Rapido Trains Inc. HO scale steam generator car Featuring wisps of simulated steam escaping from under the carbody, this new HO steam generator car from Rapido Trains accurately models a prototype that kept passengers warm on Canadian railroads. Prior to the diesel era, passenger trains were heated by piping in steam from a locomotive’s boiler. […]

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News & Products for November 25, 2009

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD40T-2 diesel locomotive. Denver & Rio Grande Western (with 88″ nose), Ohio Central (88″ nose), R.J. Corman RR (81″ nose), and Southern Pacific (123″ nose). Three road numbers available. Upgraded tooling, prototype-specific details, and McHenry scale magnetic knuckle couplers. $109.98. March 2010. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains General Electric U23B diesel locomotive. […]

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The Salt Lake Route

Name: The Salt Lake Route Scale: N (1:160) Size: 4 x 9 feet Prototype: Union Pacific Locale: Meadow Valley Wash in southern Nevada Era: present day Style: island Mainline run: 15 feet Minimum radius: 10″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: level Originally appeared in the January 2010 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the […]

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MTH Electric Trains HO scale SD70ACe diesel locomotive

MTH Electric Trains HO scale SD70ACe diesel locomotive Remotely opening couplers set this HO scale SD70ACe from MTH Electric Trains apart from other recent locomotive models. This is a feature that hasn’t before been seen on a ready-to-run HO locomotive. The MTH SD70ACe also has many realistic sound effects and operates on DC, Digital Command […]

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