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Orphan Trains The orphan train story does not involve a specific train consist, locomotive, route, or even schedule. The story comes from a period that was socially different from today — 1854 to 1930. Attitudes about the idea of family, how parents cared for children, and the dichotomy between well-off and not, were radically different […]
Lionel’s postwar 44-ton diesels may be the most overlooked O gauge locomotives of the era. Collectors focus, instead, on the firm’s models of F3 cab units by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and the Train Master road diesels made by Fairbanks-Morse. Operators also like those powerful diesels as well as the big and small […]
Ask Trains.com April 2024 compilation | Our host Cody Grivno addresses a wide array of modeling and prototype railroading questions, including an explanation why and how modern railroads still use cabooses; where to find a sound modules used to enhance specific layout scenes; what the pros and cons are replacing plastic trucks with metal trucks; […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former CSX CEO Jim Foote, who helped turn the railroad from industry laggard into a leader, died yesterday. He was 70. “Jim’s leadership was instrumental in guiding CSX through a transformational period in our company’s history, advancing CSX to new heights, marked by record operating and financial performance,” CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs […]
Diesel-electric locomotive technology has advanced significantly since World War II. Experience leads me to list these eight technological breakthroughs as the most important in the postwar period. Important technology developments preceded World War II, but we began with the era after General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division introduced “The Diesel that Did It,” the FT [see “FT […]
Meet David Popp, Trains.com Director in this Q&A with the Editors. Trains.com Unlimited Members can see the video in the Trains.com Video section. Steve Sweeney: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another episode of Q&A with the Editors. We are delighted to have David Popp with us today. David, welcome. David Popp: Thank you, Steve. SS: […]
Sketching with Steve Introduction to track templates Learning to use a track template was among the first tasks I gave myself as a model railroader. You may have seen one of them hanging next to the register in your local hobby shop. Perhaps, in these days of point-and-click track-planning software, you thought it was a […]
As a child I remember my parents buying me a big book filled with photos of the New York Central Railroad. The book cover featured a unique steam locomotive. I was too young to understand its significance, but I knew that this locomotive stood out from every other train I had seen. Its beauty left […]
My first train set (or locomotive) was…? I got my first train set for Christmas in 1948 — I was 3 years old. I had no idea I was going to get a train. I remember my mom coming into my bedroom and waking me up not too long after I went to bed. She […]
Ask Trains.com December 2023 compilation | Host Cody Grivno has a great line-up of viewer questions to address including, how to determine which freight cars are appropriate for specific rail-served industries; which of two doors in the MR&T boxcar kit should be used; where to find articles about remote-control locomotives; where should placards for leased […]
Breakdown of Streamliners What are streamliners? Essentially, it’s a sleek design for lightweight passenger rail equipment that once had a faster schedule with fewer stops than other trains on the same route. They often included nicer amenities like stewardess service, reserved coach seating, barber shops, and libraries. Before 1970, three major manufacturers built passenger cars […]
Model Railroading has been called “The world’s greatest hobby.” We agree! However, it can be daunting to get started in model railroading. This beginner’s guide will help you dig deeper into the hobby and provide useful resources for your first layout. in this article, we’ll cover: How to choose the scale and era to model […]
