Santa Fe & Pacific Lines

Track plan at a glanceName: Santa Fe & Pacific LinesSize: 16 x 16 feetScale: N (1:160)Prototype: free-lanced, based on Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and Union PacificPeriod: 1950sStyle: around the wallsMainline run: 176 feetMinimum radius: 18″Minimum turnout: no. 6Maximum grade: 2.5 percentOriginally appeared in the March 2002 issue of Model Railroader.Click on the link to download […]

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1:29 scale, gauge 1, Pennsylvania K4 Pacific

Marc Horovitz 1:29 scale, gauge 1, Pennsylvania K4 PacificAmerican Mainline (AML)33268 Central AvenueUnion City CA 94587Price: $1,949Web site: www.accucraft.com” All metal, electrically powered model of Pennsylvania Railroad K4 4-6-2; lighted classification lights; directional headlight; sound ready; smoke-unit ready; 12 electrical pickups; three drawbar positions; independent, ball-bearing wheels on tender; sprung trailing truck; sprung tender trucks; […]

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Canadian Pacific merger family tree

Canadian Pacific Railway Canadian Pacific, like its American counterpart Union Pacific, has the “right” name, one that endures, though CP is younger, having been incorporated in 1881 to build from near North Bay, Ontario, to the Pacific Coast at what is now Vancouver, B.C. Post-World War II subsidiaries that maintained some identity included Esquimalt & […]

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Bassett-Lowke 3-rail Princess Royal-class 4-6-2 Pacific

OKAY, WHAT DOES THE typical American railroad buff know about British railway history? Tick-tock, tick-tock. Time’s up! Still drawing a blank? Then read on. British railroads have an exotic history just like American lines, but in an appropriately condensed land mass. Dozens of 19th-century railroad companies built a tangle of lines with fast passenger trains, […]

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News photos: Big Boy heads west

EVANSTON, Wyo. — Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 is four days into its “Westward Bound” tour, preparing for a Fourth of July move from Evanston to Salt Lake City after travel from Cheyenne, Wyo., to Evanston in three days of travel, with an off-day Tuesday in Rock Springs, Wyo., for an employee event. The […]

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Former UP and Conrail locomotives in Estonia go to scrap

A fleet of GE-built former Union Pacific and Conrail locomotives exported to Estonia two decades ago are now mostly out of service, with many cut up for scrap earlier this year. A handful remain in service, and some, heavily rebuilt, remain in use in Estonia and have been exported to nearby Finland for use there. […]

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Metrolink set for significant service expansion this fall

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink plans to offer expanded service this fall as part of its efforts to move from commuter-oriented service to a “regional rail” concept, KTLA-TV reports. The agency has also hired a new “Chief People Officer,” Metrolink announced Monday. Systemwide, the plan calls for about a 30% increase in service under the fiscal […]

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Trains missing? Capture interesting images nearby

No trains, now what? You have taken time off from work, the clouds have parted, the sun is out, and you are heading out for a full day of chasing and photographing trains. Refreshments are packed in the cooler, the scanner is humming, and your camera is ready for quick retrieval when that first locomotive […]

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The American Flyer Freedom Train

The concept of an American Freedom Train arose after WWII. It was a chance for Americans to reflect on their citizenship at a time when the United States was finding new roles in world affairs. The project was funded by donations and not at government expense. The American Heritage Foundation was created in 1947 to […]

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Why do railroads use towers?

What are railroad tower operations? Railroad tower operations can have at least two meanings. One is what happens inside a tower, or more specifically, an interlocking tower. The other is a way of running a railroad, by using the operators in interlocking towers to control traffic through specific points of the railroad. So, why do […]

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News & Products for the week of June 24th 2024

News & Products for the week of June 24th 2024 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 June 24th 2024. […]

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