ALEXANDER, W.Va. — West Virginia’s Beech Mountain Railroad, operated by United Coal subsidiary Carter-Roag Coal Co., is still hauling Sewell coal, despite the loss of the usual destination for its coal because of the war in Ukraine. United Coal supplies the mammoth Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, but the plant was devastated by Russian […]
Type of Train: Diesel Locomotives
Maintain your large-scale equipment
It makes good sense to maintain your large-scale equipment. Basic maintenance is the key to reliable operation. There are several simple things you can do to keep your trains running through the garden. Basic locomotive maintenance Many manufacturers include exploded drawings or written instructions on how to properly lubricate the gears. All moving parts should […]
How the Model Railroader staff conducts product reviews
Ever wonder how a model railroad product gets reviewed? Eric White and Cody Grivno walk you through the process in this exclusive video! Trains.com Product Review videos showcase the latest new items from manufacturers of products in Z, N, HO, S, O, and large scales. In the videos, you can watch locomotives in action, take a close-up […]
How the Model Railroader staff conducts product reviews
Ever wonder how a model railroad product gets reviewed? Eric White and Cody Grivno walk you through the process in this exclusive video! Trains.com Product Review videos showcase the latest new items from manufacturers of products in Z, N, HO, S, O, and large scales. In the videos, you can watch locomotives in action, take a close-up […]
Fairbanks-Morse road-switcher
Virginian Railway H16-44 No. 36 was one of 430 B-B road-switchers Fairbanks-Morse built between 1947 and its 1963 exit from the market. The coal-hauling road dieselized completely with FM B-B and C-C road-switchers, plus one GE 44-tonner. C. R. Huff photo […]
Atlas Model Railroad Co. Electro-Motive Division SD24
A new run of Electro-Motive Division SD24 diesel locomotives is available now from Atlas Model Railroad Co. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he hosts a Product Review video of this HO scale six-axle road locomotive. See the details and lighting effects, listen to the sounds from the dual-mode ESU LokSound decoder, and watch it […]
Atlas Model Railroad Co. Electro-Motive Division SD24
A new run of Electro-Motive Division SD24 diesel locomotives is available now from Atlas Model Railroad Co. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he hosts a Product Review video of this HO scale six-axle road locomotive. See the details and lighting effects, listen to the sounds from the dual-mode ESU LokSound decoder, and watch it […]
Freight building block car R/C starter set from PIKO America
Freight building block car R/C starter set Scale: Large scale (1:24) Price: $439.99 Era: Modern Manufacturer: PIKO America LLC, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego, CA 92120; piko-america.com Freight building block car R/C starter set features: Includes General Electric 25-ton diesel locomotive, two flatcars with building block decks, R/C pocket remote with eight selectable […]
CSX rekindles its relationship with venerable Dash-8 locomotives
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — After selling or retiring its roster of more than 100 General Electric C40-8 locomotives, CSX Transportation once again owns the late-1980s era Dash-8 standard cab locomotive through its June 1 acquisition of Pan Am Railways. The Class I railroad began divesting the 4,000-horsepower six-axle GE several years ago, retiring and selling most […]
Amtrak Coach-class travel aboard the Empire Builder
Amtrak looks to expand its services and routes across the nation, including the Upper Midwest. In this candid look at Coach-class travel aboard the Empire Builder between St. Paul, Minn., and Milwaukee, Wis., you’ll discover how easy and comfortable it is to travel about the United States by passenger train. First-time traveler Gerry Leone has […]
Amtrak Coach-class travel aboard the Empire Builder
Amtrak looks to expand its services and routes across the nation, including the Upper Midwest. In this candid look at Coach-class travel aboard the Empire Builder between St. Paul, Minn., and Milwaukee, Wis., you’ll discover how easy and comfortable it is to travel about the United States by passenger train. First-time traveler Gerry Leone has […]
Athearn Genesis Electro-Motive Division SD90MAC diesel locomotive
Athearn Genesis HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD90MAC diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $259.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $359.99. Add $10 for Primed for Grime models. Era: 1996+ to present (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Electro-Motive Division SD90MAC diesel locomotive features: […]