Jack Burgess’ Yosemite Valley Railroad in HO scale | Jack Burgess, a dedicated model railroad enthusiast, has masterfully recreated the Yosemite Valley Railroad, an iconic prototype railroad that operated in central California until 1947. Over the course of 31 years, Jack poured his heart into crafting an intricate and historically significant model railroad, capturing the […]
Type of Train: Steam Locomotive
A look at the Lionel 2023 Volume 2 catalog
The Lionel 2023 Volume 2 catalog is here! Sometimes Christmas does come twice a year, in the world of toy trains this celebration is typically associated with a catalog drop. For Lionel, that takes place in January and July. I typically can find something in each catalog that gets me excited for what’s to come. […]
Santa Fe No. 3751 to appear at LA Union Station event in September
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3751 will make its first public appearance of 2023 at Los Angeles Union Station’s Trainfest Sept. 9-10, the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society announced today. The event, “Trainfest 2023: A Celebration of Past, Present & Future,” will be held each day from 10 a.m. to 6 […]
MoPac Mikado
Bound for the main line at Gorham, Ill., Missouri Pacific 2-8-2 1498 slogs uphill out of DeSoto, Ill., with coal loads in September 1954. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
Nashville 4-8-4 project reaches milestone with rewheeling
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Restoration of Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis No. 576 reached a milestone Tuesday with the reinstallation of the 4-8-4’s wheels and trucks. “This was a very crucial phase in the restoration,” Nashville Steam Preservation Society President Shane Meador said in a press release. “The amount of work we’ve completed on the historic […]
Resources for live steamers
One of the questions I often hear is, “I’m interested in getting into live steam; where do I find resources for live steamers?” Unfortunately, there is no “one stop shopping” for all the questions beginners may have about small-scale live steam. However, there are a number of resources out there that can provide answers, and […]
Steam’s next young guns
“Who is going to keep steam alive in the 21st century? Who are the young guns?” These were the questions asked in Erik G. Ledbetter’s Steam’s young guns from Trains’ May 2006 issue as well as the 2008-aired episode of PBS’ Tracks Ahead. Having had opportunities to cut my teeth in the steam preservation movement […]
Young Guns in Preservation: Aaron Farmer
Rail preservation efforts often can come full circle. For 29-year-old Aaron Farmer, his career has circled back to the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI) in Owosso, Mich. From the beginning as a young volunteer to now being employed as the Master Mechanic of Rolling Stock for the non-profit organization, his journey involves understanding the value of […]
Silvis shop continues work on several projects
SILVIS, Ill. – Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA) continues to make progress on several projects at its former Rock Island shop in Silvis. The group is planning to return to service former Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985, 2-10-2 No. 5511, and “Centennial” DDA40X diesel No. 6936. National Railway Equipment, which shares the Silvis shop complex […]
Rochester, N.Y., museum will be new home of NYC shop switcher
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A 0-4-0T locomotive that served as a shop switcher for a New York Central subsidiary will be preserved by the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. Despatch Shops No. 5, built in 1924 by the Vulcan Works in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was purchased by Merchants Despatch Transportation Corp. for use at its freight […]
News & Products for the week of July 10th 2023
News & Products for the week of July 10th 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 10th 2023. […]
Short steam era passenger cars
What is the largest radius curve on your layout? If you said anything less than 24”, you won’t be running 85-foot passenger cars any time soon. Even then, a 24” curve is extremely tight for those cars to navigate. Fear not, I have the solution for your long passenger car dilemma: short steam era passenger […]