There were more than 200 red-white-and-blue Bicentennial diesel locomotives. Many “Bicens” were specially renumbered, but some (the 76s, 200s, 1776s, 1976s, etc.) were not. Bicentennials roamed the rails in every state (beyond the “lower 48” were two Alaska Railroad FP7s and a rail historical group’s tiny GE in Hawaii); in Panama (a 5-foot-gauge Alco RSC3); […]
If you’ve read stories about diesel locomotives on Trains.com or in Kalmbach Media’s railroad magazines and books, you’ve most likely seen references to diesel locomotives by generation. But what does generation mean? Unlike automobiles, locomotive manufacturers don’t bring out new models each year. The same basic locomotive model can stay in production for years – […]
The 3rd Rail GP9 locomotive models the durable first-generation diesel-electric workhorse. The follow-on to the GP7, it was perhaps the exclamation point on the phrase, “Steam is gone and it’s not coming back!” General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division produced a whopping 4,257 including 165 cabless units between 1954 and 1963. GP stands for “general purpose” and […]
A Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD SD40 decorated in Southern Ry.’s “tuxedo” scheme paid a visit to our Wisconsin & Southern staff layout. Join Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno as they talk about the features on the six-axle road locomotive and run a train on MR’s WSOR staff layout. In addition to Southern Ry., […]
A Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD SD40 decorated in Southern Ry.’s “tuxedo” scheme paid a visit to our Wisconsin & Southern staff layout. Join Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno as they talk about the features on the six-axle road locomotive and run a train on MR’s WSOR staff layout. In addition to Southern Ry., […]
The K-Line O gauge Amtrak F40PH has launched fans of the National Passenger Rail Corp. into heaven. Not only are there a host of toy-like Amtrak engines and cars available, there has also been a virtual explosion of scale and semi-scale gear in the colors of their favorite federal program. If the E8 is a […]
The Rapido Trains HO scale RTL Turboliner paid a visit to our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy staff layout recently. Join Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno as they take a look at the features on this ready-to-run model and take it for a tour of the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. How […]
The Rapido Trains HO scale RTL Turboliner paid a visit to our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy staff layout recently. Join Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno as they take a look at the features on this ready-to-run model and take it for a tour of the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. How […]
The story of Mad Dog and the volcano starts on March 20, 1980. At 3:47 p.m. on that day, Mount St. Helens rumbled to life with an earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale. It was mostly unnoticed. Earthquakes often occur in Washington State, most are light enough not to be felt. Within a week […]
The EMD BL20-2 locomotive had to be an engineer’s brainchild to improve the company’s share of the locomotive market. Just look at the concept. It was brilliant. Perceived as a win-win for both the manufacturer and railroad, EMD would remanufacture older, high-mileage GP9s with new guts at a cost far less than paying […]
Facts & features Name: St. Paul & SouthernScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 24 x 28 feetPrototype: Chicago & North Western’s “Spine Line”Locale: Minnesota, Iowa, and MissouriEra: 1995Style: Walk-inMainline run: 200 feetMinimum radius: 36″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: FlatBenchwork: Open gridHeight: 47″Roadbed: CorkTrack: Micro Engineering flextrackScenery: Extruded-foam insulation boardBackdrop: Painted tempered hardboardControl: Switchable between DC cab control and MRC Prodigy […]
Canada’s GMD1 diesel locomotive was the first to be completely designed by General Motors Diesel Ltd., Electro-Motive’s subsidiary at London, Ontario. GMD built 101 copies in two variants between 1958 and 1960. The locomotive was powered by a 12-cylinder, non-turbocharged 567 prime mover producing 1,200 hp. A news brief in Trains’ July 1959 issue called […]
