0-6-0 on a name train

20160628

Ferrocarril Mexicano 0-6-0 No. 619 departs El Paso Union Station with the three through cars of Nacionales de Mexico train 8, El Presidente Juarez, in June 1950. The train will use Santa Fe tracks to the border bridge. At Juarez, an NdeM road engine will take over and more cars will be added. R. S. […]

Read More…

Soo Line passenger trains remembered

GP1604011

Soo Line passenger trains were simple affairs serving wide swaths of the rural Upper Midwest.     While passenger service was not a big part of Soo’s business, the road strived to maintain quality service, and with partner CP, offered Canadian connections. In 1889 MStP&SSM inaugurated the Minneapolis-Sault Ste. Marie Atlantic Limited, among the first […]

Read More…

The Lionel Legacy 2-6-0 makes a comeback

Lionel Legacy 2-6-0 in Strasburg paint

The Lionel Legacy 2-6-0 “Mogul” type locomotive graced the company’s 2022 Vol. 2 catalog. It’s a welcome re-release as the previous 2016 models were struck with gearing issues. These caused many of them to run poorly at slow speeds. Many were returned to Lionel and never made it to the the second-hand market. This new […]

Read More…

Returning a postwar Lionel GP7 to the rails

Lionel prewar GP7 in Burlington silver paint scheme

It’s not hard to give a postwar Lionel GP7 a new lease on life. Unless they’ve really been abused, these workhorses can be returned to service with some cleaning, adjustment, and maybe a little lubrication. This particular model had been stored for years in a dry climate. Additionally, the previous owner had removed the D-cell […]

Read More…

The Virginia & Western Tidewater District layout in HO scale

An image of a model railroad trackplan

Facts & features Name: Virginia & Western RR, Tidewater DistrictScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 1′-3″ x 17′-0″Theme: Waterfront industrial districtLocale: Mid-Atlantic tidewaterEra: 1948-54Style: ShelfMainline run: NoneMinimum radius: Cosmetic curvesMinimum turnout: No. 5Maximum grade: NoneBenchwork: Plywood on shelf bracketsHeight: 44″Roadbed: CorkTrack: Handlaid code 70Scenery: tabletopBackdrop: Painted 1⁄4″ plywoodControl: Digitrax DCC Download a PDF of this track plan! Buy […]

Read More…

Going big: the MTH Premier SD24

MTH Premier SD24 side view of cab with crew figure

The MTH Premier SD24 is a massive model of a historic locomotive more widely used than its initial owners list would indicate. Many units found second and third lives on other railroads after their initial stints. Like all of MTH’s newer offerings this wasn’t in a catalog. Instead, it was announced in 2022 as a […]

Read More…