The steam locomotive The General burned wood, not coal. Why?

An ornate, old-fashioned black-and-red 4-4-0 steam locomotive smokes on a wood trestle

Q: The 4-4-0 American steam locomotive The General burned wood for fuel. Why didn’t it burn coal? – Alexander Brennan A: The ubiquitous 4-4-0 model called The General is modeled after a famous prototype – the Confederate locomotive of the same name, which was commandeered by Union spies in 1862 at Big Shanty, Ga. The subsequent pursuit […]

Read More…

What is the UTCK in “NATX (UTCK Repaint)” referring to on an Atlas tank car model?

Ask Trains logo

Cody Grivno goes searching for the meaning behind “UTCK” in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have questions on what an acronym stands for, or would you like to learn more about your model railroad? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com Please leave all questions in the comments field below. ………………………………… Ask Trains is a […]

Read More…

What is the UTCK in “NATX (UTCK Repaint)” referring to on an Atlas tank car model?

Ask Trains logo

Cody Grivno goes searching for the meaning behind “UTCK” in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have questions on what an acronym stands for, or would you like to learn more about your model railroad? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com Please leave all questions in the comments field below. ………………………………… Ask Trains is a […]

Read More…

Does anyone make a log car in HO scale like the Micro-Trains Evans 65-foot 100-ton log car?

Ask Trains logo

Cody Grivno explains how to find a HO scale log car in this video of Ask Trains. Are you trying to find a certain piece of model railroad equipment, or would you like more information on full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com If you know of any other resources for the Evans 100-ton […]

Read More…

Ask MR: How do prototype railroads measure track curvature?

A diagram shows how prototype railroads measure the angle of track curvature using a 100-foot chord.

Measuring track curvature Q: Model railroaders measure curves in inches, which is easily understood.  However, prototype railroads measure their curves in degrees. I’m accustomed to degrees as a measure of angles. How do degrees measure radii? – Alan Crouse A: We modelers measure track curvature by radius because it’s convenient. It’s usually easy to locate the center […]

Read More…

What’s that locomotive in the April 2022 issue of Trains Magazine?

Ask Trains logo

What’s that locomotive? Cody Grivno explains what kind of locomotive is behind the BNSF Ry. road number 4592 in this video of Ask Trains. So there’s a little something for everybody if you want to model these locomotives. The 60 B’s were somewhat noteworthy because they were the first Jeep B units produced by EMD […]

Read More…

How do you bevel the edge of an HO scale cork roadbed?

Ask Trains logo

Cody Grivno explains how to bevel the edges of an HO scale cork roadbed in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have other questions about model railroading techniques, or would you like to learn more about what real railroads do? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com And if you have any other techniques for beveling […]

Read More…

Made in the USA?

Ask Trains logo

Made in the USA? Cody Grivno answers the question: “What other model railroad manufacturers have products that are made in the USA? Check out the video to find out more. If you have other companies that come to mind, please let us know in the comments field below. If you have other questions about model […]

Read More…