AS FAR AS STEAM switchers go, the Pennsylvania Railroad B6-class 0-6-0 may be the most recognized locomotive in model railroading. The humble little steamer could likely have been found at any freight yard anywhere on the railroad, from New York to St. Louis. Images of it dotted the pages of the Railroad Man’s Magazine (later […]
THE POSTWAR LIONEL GG1 is one of the most widely venerated toy trains ever made. Popular in its original incantation, it spawned similar, non-scale-sized copies by Williams, MTH, and now K-Line. K-Line has made some key modifications to its GG1, which puts this new O gauge version at the front of the pack. K-Line has […]
ON MY VISITS to O gauge layouts I see more and more amusement parks and carnivals. On both railroads that fit the definition of hi-rail and on those that are toy-like, I see the rides, shows, animals, and performers associated with these wonderful attractions. Custom building a carnival or circus is great if you have […]
A POWERFUL BEAM of light piercing the nighttime sky and the mournful cry of a foghorn. These sensations are familiar to anyone who has been near a lighthouse. You never forget the sight of that blinding light emanating from the crown of a tall, sleek tower. Lighthouse-related collectibles are hot these days, and thanks to […]
THE RAILKING SD90MAC is another one of those modern behemoths that tight-curve operators would never be able to run if MTH hadn’t hit it with the old Shrink Ray Gun. The RailKing SD90MAC measures 143/4 inches coupler to coupler, or 59 feet long in O scale. That’s a full five inches short compared to an […]
WEAVER MODELS HAS produced a superb model of what must be classified as one of the finest-looking 4-8-4 Northern locomotives of the era of steam power. In the 1920s, the Rio Grande needed some new engines to supplement the line’s heavy 4-8-2 Mountain types that were handling longer and heavier passenger trains through the Rocky […]
HAVE YOU EVER seen the Boston Marathon on television, with thousands of runners madly dashing for the front once the gun goes off? Well, that’s how S gauge operators will be acting when they get a look at the new Fairbanks-Morse Train Master from American Models. Surprisingly, it took almost half a century for S […]
THE ATLAS O PRATT truss bridge, in both single- and double-track versions, is an impressive railroad structure. The plastic bridge, made of zigzagging girders with a simulated wooden deck, would be the centerpiece on most layouts. But what impressed me also made me pause. And when I poured dozens of girders out of the kit […]
THE DREYFUSS HUDSONS look fast standing still and they backed up their speedy image with superb performance. In the 1930s, the New York Central streamlined 10 of the line’s famed 4-6-4 Hudsons as part of an upgrade of the railroad’s premier express, the 20th Century Limited. But despite their celebrity status, in time the locomotives […]
LOOKING AT THE SHIPPING list citing the box’s contents as a New York Central Hudson, my first words were, “Been there, done that.” After all, seemingly dozens of the Central’s classic 4-6-4 Hudsons have been produced by Lionel, MTH, K-Line, and Williams, in scale, semi-scale, and toy-like versions. There are even more Hudsons out there […]
AMONG THE LATEST in Lionel’s LionMaster line of traditional-sized locomotives is an exceptionally sharp rendering of a Union Pacific-style 4-6-6-4 Challenger, painted and lettered for the Western Maryland Railroad. Although in real life that Appalachian coal hauler used a different style of 4-6-6-4 locomotive, Lionel’s model will probably please everyone but the most die-hard, rivet-counting […]
ONE OF THE MOST recognized American locomotives is the bullet-faced Norfolk & Western J-class 4-8-4 Northern. Between 1941 and 1950 the railroad, which stubbornly supported steam locomotives while other roads embraced diesels, built 14 J and J-1 class locomotives, keeping them on the active roster until 1959. The notable exception to retirement was no. 611, […]
