Amtrak inherited a menagerie of power at startup in 1971, but what were the oldest Amtrak locomotives? During the period leading up to the advent of Amtrak in May 1971, it wasn’t uncommon to see passenger train equipment, both locomotives and cars, of significant seniority. Regarding what came behind the locomotives, heavyweight (typically pre-World […]
20 Amtrak locomotives featured in Model Railroader As we celebrate Amtrak week at Trains.com, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at 20 Amtrak locomotives featured in Model Railroader magazine over the past two decades. As I was compiling this list, I was surprised just how many Amtrak models were produced […]
Amtrak Amfleet cars were the first of the National Passenger Railroad Corporation’s own passenger cars in the 1970s. They were and are, useful, flexible cars that have served the railroad for decades. Did you know these facts about Amfleet cars? The cars were initially billed as “the Amfleet,” but “the” was quickly dropped as trains […]
READING, Pa. — As promised, Reading & Northern’s restored Reading Co. T-1 4-8-4, No. 2102, saw action in freight service on Friday, Aug. 19, hauling a 28-car train (plus caboose) from Tamaqua to Reading after a light-engine move from Port Clinton, Pa., to Tamaqua. Photographer Gary Pancavage provides two shots of the action. […]
Mind-blowing Big Boy facts In the 1959 Union Pacific movie Last of the Giants the narrator comments, “ … There are no small parts on a Big Boy.” This is also true of the story that accompanies this colossus of the rails. As one digs into Big Boy’s details, everything — measurements, operating statistics, even […]
The Model Train Association Lionel 6464 boxcars are the subject of many collectors’ searches. Interest in the near-scale postwar series never flags. Newcomers to the hobby continue to discover the 29 cataloged entries and start tracking down examples. Longtime hobbyists hunt hard-to-find variations. Among the sought after are the Train Collectors Association models sold as […]
Siemens Venture-series passenger cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: To be announced Era: 2020s+ Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com Features: Detailed, illuminated interiors Road-specific exterior configurations E-Z Mate Mark II couplers Blackened machined metal RP-25 contour wheels Dual-mode horn, bell, brake sounds, headlights, ditch lights, and marker lights (cab […]
Transfer caboose Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: To be announced Era: Varies depending on paint scheme Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com Features: New and existing tooling E-Z Mate Mark II couplers Blackened metal RP-25 contour wheels Release date: 2023 Paint scheme: CSX (gray, blue, and yellow), Missouri Pacific (red […]
General Electric AC4400CW Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $204.99; with dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder, $299.99 Era: 1995 to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 7598 Highway 411, Benton, TN 37307; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com Features: Road-number-specific details Factory-installed wire grab irons, m.u. clusters, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, and more […]
52′-6″ drop-end gondola Scale: N (1:160) Price: To be announced Era: Varies depending on paint scheme Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com Features: Positionable drop-end gates E-Z Mate Mark II couplers Blackened metal RP-25 contoured wheels Release date: 2023 Paint scheme: Great Northern (Vermillion Red), New York Central (black), […]
Spokane, Portland and Seattle freight trains remembered: All through August 2022, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the grit, panache, and charm that was the Spokane, Portland and Seattle. As part of the celebration, please enjoy this freight train photo gallery as the perfect accompaniment. Each month since October 2019, Classic Trains editors have showcase one “Fallen Flag” railroad — […]
Siemens ALC-42 Charger diesel locomotive Scale: N (1:160) Price: $459 Era: 2020s+ Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com Features: Dual-mode TCS WOWSound decoder Keep-Alive capacitor Separate, factory-applied windshield wipers, grab irons, and detail parts Voice-guided Audio Assist Directional headlights and marker lights Interior corridor work lights Steady/alternate flashing ditch […]
