ONLY TIME WILL TELL if Flyer enthusiasts will move the setting of their layouts into the late 20th century. If they don’t, it isn’t because there are no contemporary diesels offered in S gauge. American Models has introduced the EMD SD60, the most modern American Flyer-compatible diesel on the market. Electro-Motive made the 3,800-horsepower SD60 […]
THE FAMED BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS was one of the major losers in the transition from steam to diesel locomotives in the 1940s and early ’50s. Railway executives, who had held Baldwin steamers in high regard, described Baldwin diesels as “oddball” or “one off.” An observer noted, “They never got the standardization concept like GM did. […]
ATLAS O HAS CHOSEN to offer an O gauge model of a locomotive that doesn’t get much attention. Yet Fairbanks-Morse’s Alt.100.3 diesel, better know by its “Erie-Built” nickname, illuminates an interesting chapter in railroad history. During World War II, the federal government placed restrictions on the manufacture of diesel locomotives. Firms could make only those […]
AMONG THE MOST MASSIVE locomotives on North American rails just about 100 years ago was the 0-8-8-0. Surprisingly, 85 locomotives with this wheel arrangement were in service in the early years of the 20th century. Surely the most interesting of them all were the Camelback, or Mother Hubbard, 0-8-8-0s run by the Erie Railroad. The […]
OKAY, SO YOU’VE invested in a few European-style metal trains by Ace, Bassett-Lowke, or ETS. All your pals, though, are running their O gauge Mammoth Train Co. steam locomotives with Magma-Sounds, or their Electro-Lines diesels with Vibra-Tronics. And you don’t even have a lousy whistle to toot. So what do you do? Well, in Merrie […]
ROARING INTO VIEW from those thrilling days of yesteryear is the latest re-creation of a postwar icon from Williams Electric Trains: the Alco FA set. Williams continues to reproduce popular trains from Lionel’s past at prices substantially lower than mint-condition originals. The latest example is a reproduction of the Alco FA A-A diesel set that […]
THE PAST YEAR has been a busy one for fans of small and inexpensive O gauge locomotives. We’ve seen several manufacturers turn their attention toward the $100 price point. But while a low price might catch a hobbyist’s attention, it is the appeal of the locomotive that sells it. K-Line’s latest entry into this niche […]
THE LATEST SWITCHER to be added to the MTH Premier line lineup is the Alco S-2, which was ubiquitous on American railroads and industrial operations 20 to 60 years ago. More than 1,400 of the 1,000-horsepower locomotives were built for U.S. railroads between 1940 and 1950. According to one diesel preservation website, there are at […]
Gary Raymond 1:32 scale, gauge 1, Dash-8 40CW dieselMTH Trains7020 Colombia Gateway DriveColumbia MD 21046Web site: www.mthtrains.com Plastic model of a Dash-8 40CW diesel locomotive; modular electrical connections and car body; two, three-axle power trucks; one motor per truck; directional front and rear head and ditch lights; lighted number boards; interior cab lighting and details; […]
Marc Horovitz 1:29 scale, gauge 1, intermodal train set and container set USA Trains PO Box 100 Malden MA 02148 Web site: www.usatrains.comPrices: See text Description: Ready-to-run, plastic and metal, five unit, articulated TTX intermodal train set for carrying containers; metal walkways; Timken roller-bearing trucks (axle ends do not rotate); hook-and-loop couplers installed, knuckles provided; […]
Marc Horovitz 1:29 scale, gauge 1 2-8-8-2 locomotiveAristo-Craft Trains698 South 21st St.Irvington NJ 07111Price: $945 ($993 for Union Pacific)Web site: www.aristocraft.com Plastic-and-metal model of a USRA 2-8-8-2 Mallet locomotive; USRA or Vanderbilt tender, depending upon road name; smoke unit; sound ready; DCC ready; battery ready; control switches under firebox; two motors with flywheels and fans; […]
Broadway Limited’s HO AC6000CW diesel Here’s a powerful model of General Electric’s massive six-axle AC6000CW heavy-duty road diesel. The ready-to-run locomotive from Broadway Limited Imports is offered for the first time in plastic. It features an injection-molded plastic body shell with many freestanding details. The model also has a lot of heft (27 ounces) thanks […]
