IN REAL RAILROADING, the wheel arrangement that probably came closest to perfection, in terms of either freight or high-speed passenger service, was the 4-8-4 Northern. Indeed, Alco built the first 4-8-4 in 1927, and by the end of the steam era, 36 railroads operated 1,126 of these machines. A surprisingly high number of Northerns – […]
TO ACCURATELY DESCRIBE the steam-era classic 4-6-6-4 Challenger, you’d have to use words right out of a luxury car ad: powerful, fast, sleek, and big. Conceived as a fast companion to the Union Pacific’s mighty 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, the Challenger was a heavy-hauling speed demon. Its success can be measured in numbers: 252 were built […]
Athearn N Challenger 4-6-6-4 For N scale fans of big articulated steam locomotives, what’s more exciting than a 1:160-proportion Challenger 4-6-6-4? How about one equipped with realistic onboard sound. The Challenger is the first DCC-and-sound-equipped N scale steamer in Athearn’s product line. The model’s dual-mode decoder, manufactured by Model Rectifier Corp., provides controllable sound effects […]
Running side by side, SP 4449 and UP 8444 enter Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal for LAUPT’s 50th Anniversary celebration on May 5, 1989. The two locomotives will doublehead next month in Washington State. Steve Glischinski ALBANY, Ore. – Former Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449 arrived in Albany on April 4 for wheel repairs at […]
ONE OF THE Goliaths of modern railroading is the Electro-Motive SD70ACe, and it is far more than a tweak of the popular SD70. Electro-Motive designers re-worked its 16-cylinder prime mover to be more fuel-efficient and to meet tougher environmental emissions requirements. Improvments were made in just about every aspect: from crewmember ergonomics to ease of […]
Walthers HO heavyweight baggage car A highly detailed ready-to-run HO scale 70-foot heavyweight baggage car is now available in several paint schemes. This new Walthers model accurately follows an American Car & Foundry-built Missouri Pacific prototype that’s similar to baggage cars used by many other railroads. Head-end workhorses. Railroads began buying all-steel or heavyweight baggage […]
IHC HO freelanced 2-10-2 steam locomotive This freelanced 2-10-2 Santa Fe- type steam locomotive is a big HO scale freight engine that performs well. It comes ready-to-run and has a DCC socket for easy conversion to Digital Command Control. A mixed heritage. This 2-10-2, from International Hobby Corp., combines parts from several different prototypes. The […]
Atlas O EMD GP15 diesel light road switcher Atlas O’s new Trainman GP15 is a scale-detailed, dual-motored light road switcher that lists for $239.95, about $200 less than a Silver Series Atlas O diesel. The model also includes directional lighting and a DCC (Digital Command Control) socket and wiring harness. Rebuilt road switchers. Introduced in […]
Con-Cor N “Galloping Goose” N scale “Galloping Goose” motor car Price: $179.98 Manufacturer Con-Cor International 8101 E. Research Court Tucson, AZ 85710-6750 www.all-railroads.comDescription: N standard gauge ready-to-run motor carComments: This tiny DC motor car is made as an N standard gauge DC model even though its Rio Grande Southern prototype was narrow gauge. A second […]
HO scale locomotivesAlco RS-3 diesel locomotive. Burlington Northern, Chicago & North Western, Lehigh Valley, Penn Central, and Pittsburgh & Lake Erie. Upgraded Roundhouse model with five-pole skew-wound motor, Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder Quick Plug, and see-through cab. $89.98. April 2007. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy steam locomotive. Union Pacific (four road […]
DURING THE FRANTIC hours of setting up the CLASSIC TOY TRAINS’ booth at the TCA Eastern Division’s semi-annual York, Pa., train meet, I was speeding past the Atlas O booth. I saw something out of the corner of my eye and turned so fast I almost got whiplash. I saw a box. A big box. […]
InterMountain HO FP7 road diesel locomotive Here’s a great-looking and smooth-running FP7 road diesel that’s useful for both freight and passenger service. Manufactured by InterMountain, this interesting addition to the HO F-unit fleet is offered ready-to-run with QSI Quantum dual-mode sound and Digital Command Control(DCC)or in DC-only versions. Dual-service prototype. The Electro-Motive Division (EMD) built […]
