The off-peak fourteen-coach eastbound Coast Daylight storms through Guadalupe, Calif., in September 1954. Video by Brian Moore. […]
Train 98: The Coast Daylight
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How a Big Boy works
Where does the fire burn? Where does the water boil? Where does it travel? What are all those pipes about? Our simplified drawing of how a Big Boy works shows how this king of the rails made and used steam to pull long freight trains up to 70 mph in Wyoming and Utah from 1941 […]
Carbon Model Railroad Society Lehigh Valley Mainline
This HO scale model railroad measures 20 x 45 feet and was recently converted to NCE DCC. […]
N scale Wet Mountain RR
The great thing about N scale is you can do so much in a small space — in this case, 2 x 4 feet. It’s a layout that got me back into the hobby some years ago. Although I now have a much larger layout, this is still physically attached to it. I purchased the […]
Train 98: The Coast Daylight
The off-peak fourteen-coach eastbound Coast Daylight storms through Guadalupe, Calif., in September 1954. Video by Brian Moore. […]
Design a layout you’ll love in 6 easy steps
Some of the brightest minds in our hobby are gifted with the ability to put pencil to paper and whip up an original track plan. Even though I’ve designed a fair number of plans for Classic Toy Trains magazine, I can assure you that I’m certainly not a person with that kind of raw talent. […]
Seven easy tips for smooth-running trains
Locomotives and rolling stock are pretty durable in the O and S gauge hobby, but even the best performers in your fleet will benefit from regular inspection, cleaning, and oiling. Here are seven of our most essential maintenance basics. Most of these tips are one-evening projects, and some take even less time. Give them a […]
O gauge F59PHI from Williams by Bachmann
O gauge F59PHI from Williams by Bachmann Price: $529.95 (No. 23403) Min Curve: O-31 Speed range: 14.9 smph to 62.9 smph Drawbar pull: 2 lb., 3 oz. Features: Two can-style motors, TruBlast sound, smoke, illuminated cab, directional lighting, operating couplers Current-production road names: Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, Amtrak California, Amtrak Cascades For more information: www.BachmannTrains.com. Further […]
Small town depot from Menards
Small town depot from Menards Price: $79.99 (No. 279-4437) Features: Rural train station with interior lighting, external detail pieces, and nine figures, sights-to-see billboard, cargo boxes, and luggage with hand truck. Power supply sold separately. Order online at www.Menards.com/Trains Every kid’s parents probably told him or her, “Good things come in small packages.” Of course, […]
Hudson Bay Railway sale completed, repairs to begin
The Town of Churchill announced the sale of the Hudson Bay Railway on its Facebook page. CHURCHILL, Manitoba — A deal has finally been reached to sell the Hudson Bay Railway, the currently closed line which provides the only ground transportation option to Churchill, on Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba. A post on the town’s […]
How to build floating shelf benchwork for a model railroad
Without any legs, brackets, or other visible means of support, floating benchwork keeps all attention focused on the model railroad. Follow along as author Lance Mindheim shows how to build these lightweight, yet sturdy shelves. Lance designed his benchwork for a 16″ shelf width. Use as many benchwork segments (shown above) as needed to match […]
Why long hood vs. short?
Although this CNJ RS3 had dual engineer controls, the “F” defines the leading end for hand or radio signals. Bert Pennypacker Q When diesels replaced steam locomotives, early cab units had snub noses with good front visibility for the engineer. When hood units appeared, some railroads set them up to run short hood forward and […]
