Lehigh Valley locomotives remembered

Lehigh Valley Railroad steam locomotive seen at low angle below power lines

Lehigh Valley locomotives were known by the road’s early Cornell red and black paint scheme. Later, units carried gray-and-yellow and white-and-black colors. The Lehigh Valley dieselized with EMD FTs and F3s and Alco FAs (the last steam ran in 1951), and remained a prolific Alco customer through the 1960s. For a small railroad, the LV […]

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Most successful articulated locomotive: The 4-6-6-4 Challenger

Three quarter view of steam locomotive

The 4-6-6-4 Challenger was the most successful articulated steam locomotive design.     Rating steam locomotives is a risky business. You might easily compare engines by weight or length or lists of accessories, but actual performance — judged by the engineering standards of 2023 — is somewhat subjective. It would be an exaggeration to say […]

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N&W 611 moved for winter storage

Black end-cab switcher with steam locomotive

STRASBURG, Pa. – Personnel from the Strasburg Rail Road, Virginia Museum of Transportation, and Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania moved famed Norfolk & Western Railway 4-8-4 No. 611 from the Strasburg’s track across Pennsylvania Route 741 to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania for winter storage on January 31. The move was made to free up track […]

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Standard-gauge East Broad Top 0-6-0

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The 3-foot-gauge East Broad Top had two standard-gauge 0-6-0s to switch the dual-gauge yard at Mount Union, Pa., where EBT interchanged with the Pennsylvania. Here, EBT’s Three-Spot moves a PRR hopper in September 1955. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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Garden railroading in the winter

snowy scene with model locomotive and station

Enjoy a selection of photos of garden railroading in the winter. If you run your railway in the snow and have photos or video, let us know at editor@gardenrailways.com. You could be featured in a future article! Richard Ormond Chester Valley Garden Railroad Richard Ormond owns the Chester Valley Garden Railroad in Malvern, Pa. He […]

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Dansville & Mount Morris 2-6-0

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In September 1955, employees of New York short line Dansville & Mount Morris conduct repairs on former Lackawanna Mogul No. 565. D&MM would use one of its two steam engines in one year, the other in the next. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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Steam in the snow

There’s just something special about witnessing steam trains working through winter weather. Watching as huge clouds of hot exhaust condense into steam in the cold air. Come with us for a quick trip across the United States, as we look back on some of our favorite Steam in the Snow moments. If you want to […]

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Sedalia celebration

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Workers at Missouri Pacific’s Sedalia (Mo.) shops line up in a “V for victory” formation in August 1942 in a ceremony to commemorate the last of 25 Sedalia-built 4-8-4s. Missouri Pacific photo […]

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Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A

Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A front right view

The Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A has finally arrived, fresh from the Volume 1 2022 Lionel catalog. I have to say, this beautiful steam locomotive does not disappoint! This isn’t a rehash of the previous 2-6-6-4 model available in the Volume 1 2000 catalog. Thanks to all-new tooling, this engine is fresh […]

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Quick takes on the Lionel 2023 Big Book catalog

Lionel 2023 big book catalog J3 Drefuss Hudson

The Lionel 2023 Big Book catalog is out. I just had a quick flip through it and here are my first impressions. I’ll tell you right off, this isn’t an exhaustive treatment and I can’t cover everything. Nor will you find any mention of the prices of these things. As I’m frequently inclined to say, […]

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