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V&T 11 and 27 with a railfan special on the 2 percent grade at Moundhouse, Nev., June 5, 1938. T.G. Wurm V&T 11 and 27 run light into Virginia City to turn on the turntable after pulling a railfan excursion from Carson City to Gold Hill on June 5, 1938. T.G. Wurm Last train from […]
In Historic Trains Today, David Lustig tells of seven cool diesels you can visit in museums today. Here are four more examples of neat historic locomotives you can see, and in some cases, ride behind. Wisconsin Central GP30 No. 713 rests between assignments at Waukesha, Wis., on May 3, 1989. The ex-Soo Line unit rides […]
Soldiers and citizens pose in front of the Union Pacific depot in North Platte, Neb., on April 27, 1898. Union Pacific Museum Before there was a burning man festival, North Platte threw the biggest party in the West, when Union Pacific tracklayers made a winter camp with miners, traders, Mormon emigrants, and stagecoach drivers in […]
Preservation of former railroad stations takes many forms, from visitor centers and museums to offices and restaurants. Ciddici’s Pizza of Albany, Oregon, retains most of the original exterior features of the Oregon Electric structure, especially the “OER” logo. Scott Lothes The locomotive John Bull, donated by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1884, was the Smithsonian Institution’s […]
In our special issue, “Historic Trains Today,” TRAINS correspondent Steve Glischinski profiled the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, Minn. Here’s a list of their non-locomotive equipment. For more detailed information, visit the museum’s website. […]
Having a professional builder design and construct a toy train or scale model railroad may not be for everyone. But for those who want to take full advantage of 21st-century technology this may be the way to go. CTT Visits a layout factory […]
John Helmstetter receives a ceremonial check for $40,001 on Nov. 9, 2009. From left to right: Frank Fowler of Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, John Helmstetter, trip promoter Carl Franz, trip promoter Bill Larduskey, and Steve Barry of Railfan & Railroad. Jim Larduskey John Helmstetter’s cattle watch their new home taking shape, as more than 120 […]
In any hobby, or indeed in any field, there is terminology used as shorthand by those with experience in the hobby or field, to refer to things specific to that hobby. That terminology, though, can be a barrier to entry for the uninitiated. This article is intended to serve as a brief introduction to model […]
It can be difficult to get started in the hobby of model railroading. The terminology a beginner needs to learn is daunting for some, particularly for those without experience with or knowledge of prototype railroading. This article explains prototypes and modeling terminology for beginner model railroaders, or those looking to brush up on their model […]
Want to add a basic locomotive servicing area but don’t have room for the turntable, roundhouse, and other shop and warehouse buildings typical of a large facility? As this 1953 photo of a Missouri Pacific RR fueling facility in Little Rock, Ark., shows, a no-frills fueling area can easily be modeled in limited space. At […]
Take a look at our list of roundhouses that still exist in 2010. Are we missing one? If so, click here. […]
The invention of the tank car coincided with the discovery of oil in northwestern Pennsylvania in the 1860s. Oilmen quickly discovered that hauling oil to market in horse-drawn wagons or floating barrels down local streams wasn’t going to do the job as oil production ramped up. The oil industry needed to find a way to […]
