A water tank on the Pacific Coast Railroad in Washington displays discoloration brought by impurities in the local water. Al Farrow photo, Martin E. Hansen collection Q Did steam locomotive operators test the water prior to filling the tender? Was water treated then or prior to filling the tank? Without treatment would there have been […]
Atlas N scale Alco C628 diesel Big Alcos are back in N scale from Atlas Model Railroad Co. We reviewed a direct-current (DC) version from an earlier production run in the August 2004 Model Railroader. The latest run is available with a factory-installed ESU LokSound decoder that operates on Digital Command Control (DCC) as well […]
2018 Grand Prize: Todd Halamka Having lived and worked in Chicago for nearly my entire adult life, the city continues to nurture two passions — buildings and trains. The Chicago River and the Loop elevated rail are two key components that define the urban core. The newly opened Chicago Riverwalk invites residents and visitors to […]
Passenger car end details were pretty standard and most followed the pattern used on sleeping cars built by the Pullman Co. The car in the photo is Crystal Point, a Pullman 3-compartment, 2-drawing-room, observation lounge assigned to the Milwaukee Road’s Olympian Hiawatha in 1947. A number of details are visible that appear on most cars […]
Bachmann HO scale 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive HO scale locomotives 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotive. Pennsylvania RR; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; New York Central; Southern Ry.; and Union Pacific. Dual-mode Sound Value SoundTraxx sound decoder, die-cast metal chassis, crew figures, and E-Z Mate Mark II couplers. $349. Bachmann, 215-533-1600, www.bachmanntrains.com Bachmann HO scale Pennsylvania RR […]
FULL SCREEN Runner-up: Before I was of driving age, I railfanned Tacoma, Wash., using my father’s small boat: buzzing up and down the Tacoma Narrows and other waterways, gathering knowledge of photography and railroad operations. After getting my license, I continued to photograph trains from the water. From my boat, May 5, 2013, in Tacoma, beachgoers […]
A group of SuperTrees populates the hillside by Artz Lumber Co. on the HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. Cody Grivno explains how to make realistic trees using the Scenic Express kit. Photos by Bill Zuback If there is one thing our HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy club layout can use more of, it’s […]
Layouts controlled with a conventional transformer are still as popular and practical as ever. The basic electrical principles of this setup haven’t changed since their origin, but you may find it helpful to refresh your understanding of how things work. William Zuback Of all the questions fielded by the staff of Classic Toy Trains, inquiries […]
Lionel Corporation Tinplate O gauge Nos. 256 electric locomotive and 700-series passenger cars from MTH Locomotive price: $499.95 (no. 11-6061-1) Min. Curve: O-31 Speed range: 3 smph to 65 smph Drawbar pull: 1 lb., 2 oz. Features: Two flywheel-equipped can-style motors, stamped-steel construction, latch couplers, ProtoSound 3.0 sound and DCS command control. Passenger three-car set: […]
O gauge Old Weathered Barn from Woodland Scenics Price: $169.99 (no. BR5865) Dimensions: 10 1/4 inches wide, 7 13/16 inches deep, and 77/8 inches high. Features: fieldstone foundation, shake-shingled roof, hayloft door, grain silo, implement shed, intricately styled paned windows, traditional barn doors, and a printed interior. Power: Just Plug Power Supply (Woodland Scenics Nos. […]
Eric Siegel photo O gauge scale Polar Express 2-8-4 Berkshire from Lionel Locomotive price: $1,349.99 (no. 84685) Min. Curve: O-54 Speed range: 1.6 smph to 100.7 smph Drawbar pull: 2 lb., 12 oz. Features: Lionel Legacy TrainMaster Command Control; RailSounds sound system including CrewTalk dialog, TowerConn announcements, and DynaChuff; Bluetooth connectivity for LionChief app control; […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP7 and GP9B diesel locomotives. GP7: Missouri Pacific (Jenks Blue); Pennsylvania RR (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel); Quanah, Acme & Pacific (black-and-yellow scheme, one road number); and St. Louis-San Francisco (black-and-yellow scheme). GP9B: Pennsylvania RR (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel). Four road numbers per scheme unless noted. Factory-installed and painted wire grab […]
