MTH Premier line O gauge Pennsy GG1

PERHAPS THE MOST lasting symbol of the electrification era of American railroads is the Pennsylvania Railroad’s GG1 locomotive. To steal a phrase from a 1930s boxing movie, the GG1 electric is the “Winnah and still heavyweight champeen” of prototype American electric locomotives. Like the New York Central Hudson steamer, the hobby will most certainly see […]

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Williams O gauge postwar anniversary set

ROARING INTO VIEW from those thrilling days of yesteryear is the latest re-creation of a postwar icon from Williams Electric Trains: the Alco FA set. Williams continues to reproduce popular trains from Lionel’s past at prices substantially lower than mint-condition originals. The latest example is a reproduction of the Alco FA A-A diesel set that […]

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K-Line watchman’s shanty

K-LINE’S WATCHMAN’S SHANTY would be a good-looking accessory even if it didn’t do anything. The shack looks convincing (though I can’t say that I’ve ever seen two doors on a gateman’s shack). It has interior and exterior illumination and frosted windows to hide the mechanical innards and preserve the magic. But the fun kicks in […]

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Lionel O gauge Canadian Pacific Grain Train set

COLORFULLY DECORATED TRAINS, cold Molson ale, and Shania Twain are by far my favorite Canadian exports. I know some people won’t share my enthusiasm for all three, but I’m willing to venture that at least one piques your interest. Based on the contents of their Canadian Pacific Grain Train boxed set, I’d think that the […]

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MTH Premier line O gauge Milwaukee Road Little Joe

GROWING UP ON the east coast of Florida, I found Rocky Mountain electrification to be a pretty arcane subject. Whether the locomotives were those large, boxy things that evoked the pages of Tom Swift and his Electric Locomotive, or streamlined, dual-cab models that suggested they were some sort of super funky F units, these unusual […]

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MTH Premier line O gauge Pennsylvania RR H3 class 2-8-0

IT WAS THE DAWN of time. Electrification hadn’t strayed far from Thomas Edison’s lab. In the 1880s mechanical coal stoker was a wild fantasy of overworked firemen. Balloon stacks ruled the rails, and the Pennsylvania was still struggling to make its claim as the Standard Railroad of the World. It was in this dark era […]

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