LOCOMOTIVES COSTING $1,000 or more seem to capture all the attention today, so we went down to our local hobby shop to find some locomotives that didn’t have “Rockefeller” as a last name. We found three moderately priced diesels that model three notable periods of U.S. railroad history and reflect three periods of O gauge […]
AN O GAUGE GP7 diesel for a mere $49.95. Yup, you read that right. “But wait,” you say. “Where’s the fine print?” Well, this is a physically large O gauge road diesel locomotive made for little hands, and priced right for gift giving. But rivet-counters beware: This model isn’t for you. The target audience for […]
I’LL BE HONEST. When I saw the box with “GP60” written on the label, I sighed. Geeps may be the most modeled diesel in the O gauge world, and here was another. Then I took the Atlas O model out of the box and said out loud, “Holy smokes, this model is stunning!” Once again, […]
Readers may recall how dazzled I was with Atlas O’s superb GP60, painted in Santa Fe’s blue-and-yellow freight scheme and reviewed in the May 2005 issue. Well, that issue was still warm from the printing presses when we received two more sturdy additions to the CTT locomotive test fleet: the powered Atlas O GP60M and […]
NOT THAT MANY years ago, I wouldn’t even think of using my precious Kodak film to take photos of GP9s. I mean, Geeps were everywhere. Old power, like F-units, and newer jobs like the GP40 or SD40-2 were the subject of my attention, not those old, rusty “things.” Alas, I learned the error of my […]
THE LATEST SWITCHER to be added to the MTH Premier line lineup is the Alco S-2, which was ubiquitous on American railroads and industrial operations 20 to 60 years ago. More than 1,400 of the 1,000-horsepower locomotives were built for U.S. railroads between 1940 and 1950. According to one diesel preservation website, there are at […]
YES INDEED! Atlas O’s Alco C-424 is another squat, homely diesel that will make a segment of the O gauge community happy, if not downright giddy. I’ve often wondered why some segments of our clan of railroad hobbyists (myself included) are so, well, hard-core about Alco diesels. Oh, I know that Alco’s PA was larger […]
Marc Horovitz Gauge 1, 1:29 scale, Amtrak diesel LGB of America6444 Nancy Ridge DriveSan Diego CA 92121Price: $399.99Web site: www.lgb.com Mostly plastic model of Amtrak Phase III Genesis diesel (#20490); two motors; eight powered wheels; sound ready; DCC ready; constant-voltage LED directional lighting; swinging pilots for tight curves; two traction tires; sliding windows and opening […]
Marc Horovitz 1:24 scale, gauge 1 “Mighty Mack” locomotive Hartland Locomotive Works PO Box 1743 LaPorte IN 46350 www.H-L-W.comPrice: $66.95 1:24 scale, gauge-1 version of a Mack, dual-engine, center cab, gasoline industrial switcher; injection-molded plastic construction except for metal wheels, motor, and electrical components; operating non-directional front, rear, and cab-interior lighting; four-point electrical pickup from […]
Gary Raymond 1:32 scale, gauge 1, Dash-8 40CW dieselMTH Trains7020 Colombia Gateway DriveColumbia MD 21046Web site: www.mthtrains.com Plastic model of a Dash-8 40CW diesel locomotive; modular electrical connections and car body; two, three-axle power trucks; one motor per truck; directional front and rear head and ditch lights; lighted number boards; interior cab lighting and details; […]
Jim Schulz Jim Schulz 1″ scale, diesel switcher, gondola, and track kitsRiding Railkits, Inc.249 MacPherson Dr.Corbeil, Ontario P0H 1K0 CanadaPrice: $1,995 for locomotive; $350 for gondola (not including trucks and couplers); $149.95 for gondola detail kit; $59.95 for a 10-foot section of pre-fabricated trackWeb site: www.ridingrailkits.com Generic, industrial, four-wheel diesel switcher and gondola kits for […]
Marc Horovitz 1:29 scale, gauge-1 Alco PA-1 A-B diesel set USA Trains PO Box 100 Malden MA 02148 Price: $689.95 Web site: www.usatrains.com Mostly plastic, scale models of Alco PA-1 units; all wheels powered; four traction tires per unit; sprung, articulated trucks for short-radius curves; sound ready; six electrical pickups per truck; large can motor […]
