Sharknose •YEARS BUILT: 1948-1953 •MANUFACTURER: Baldwin •OPERATED ON: Baltimore & Ohio; New York Central; Pennsylvania Railroad; Elgin, Joliet & Eastern •NAMES: DR-6-4-20, RF-16, DR-4-15 •QUANTITY: 187 total A&B units combined •HORSEPOWER: 1,600 for RF-16 and 2,000 for DR-6-4-20 •KNOWN FOR: Distinctive nose/cab design by Raymond Loewy, based on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s streamlined T-1 steam locomotive […]
Josef Lesser, one of the pioneers of realistic “hi-rail” modeling with new and vintage Lionel trains, has died at the age of 83. Joe contributed to the growth of the toy train hobby as a modeler and author. His landmark O gauge layout, the JL&ATSF Railroad, was featured prominently in Classic Toy Trains throughout the […]
We had another year of great model railroading products for this year’s Readers Choice Awards. From locomotives and rolling stock to scenery and structures to track and electronics and more, there were many worthy entries nominated by model manufacturers, but ultimately chosen by you, our readers. The only real limitation we put on the choices […]
SoundTraxx, a well-known manufacturer of sound decoders and HOn3 narrow gauge trains marketed under the Blackstone Models label, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The company is based in Durango, Colo. SoundTraxx was founded in 1989 as the Throttle Up! Corp. in Pocasset, Mass., producing the Hyperlight lighting system. In the 1990s the company […]
The little door below the headlight on an Alco switcher like Grand Trunk Western S4 No. 8090 led to a veritable chamber of horrors for a young roundhouse worker. J. David Ingles I know there are many dangerous occupations. My wife’s ancestors were coal miners in Pennsylvania after coming to America, having mined coal in […]
Rapido Trains HO scale General Electric B36-7 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives General Electric B36-7 diesel locomotive. Southern Pacific (as delivered); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; British Columbia Ry. (red, white, and blue “lightning stripe”); Conrail (as delivered, CSX patched numbers, and Norfolk Southern patched numbers); CSX (blue, yellow, and gray); Minnesota Commercial; Seaboard System […]
CUMBERLAND, Md. — The Trains Magazine led fund-raising effort to contribute $100,000 toward the restoration of the last Baldwin steam locomotive made for domestic use — Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 — is off to a good start. With the appeal to readers still in its first month, more than $41,000 — including one […]
Today we find B&O # 195 box cab delivering two tank cars to the Criswell Oil Company and picking up the empties. Model is a Roundhouse from which the internal mechanisms and trucks have been removed. They are replaced with Stanton power and non-powered trucks from North West Short Line. Added features include an ESU […]
Today we find B&O # 195 box cab delivering two tank cars to the Criswell Oil Company and picking up the empties. Model is a Roundhouse from which the internal mechanisms and trucks have been removed. They are replaced with Stanton power and non-powered trucks from North West Short Line. Added features include an ESU […]
Southbound manifest train 26, three F unit diesels, pauses by the Borden Textile Mill in Kingsport, Tennessee, in March 1967 to add a three-unit rear-end pusher for the 42-mile climb to Erwin. C. K. Marsh Jr. History and major events of the Clinchfield Railroad The Clinchfield was different. It was conceived by men who had […]
Name: The Norfolk & Western of the 1950s Layout owner: Gary Hoover Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24 x 49 feet Prototype: Norfolk & Western Ry. Locale: Virginia and West Virginia Era: 1954 to 1957 Style: multi-level walk-in Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (N&W), 27″ (Virginian Ry.) Minimum turnout: no.8 (main), no. 6 (yards) […]
Name: Virginia & Truckee RR Layout owner: Donn Tolley Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 21′-7″ x 21′-10″ Prototype: Virginia & Truckee RR Locale: northwestern Nevada Era: 1888 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 1541⁄2 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 3 stub-ended Maximum grade: 2 percent (V&T), 6 percent (Lake Tahoe RR) Benchwork: L-girder Height: 42″ to […]
