A recently “discovered” Soo Line Railroad silent movie from 1919 featuring glimpses of how Colleywood / Maryville Junction looked 100 years ago. Video shot by Radio Trains. […]
Gateway to the Kettle Moraine
Era: Pre - 1920
Gateway to the Kettle Moraine
A recently “discovered” Soo Line Railroad silent movie from 1919 featuring glimpses of how Colleywood / Maryville Junction looked 100 years ago. Video shot by Radio Trains. […]
O scale USMRR Aquia Line
Click on the image to download a PDF copy of this track plan. Name: Aquia Line Layout owner: Bernard Kempinski Scale: O (1:48) Size: 31 x 32 feet Prototype: United States Military RR Locale: Virginia Era: late winter 1863 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 115 feet Minimum radius: 28″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 1 […]
Ask Trains: Why and when did rails get their shape?
Rail profiles through time from file: TRN-TC0513 Illustration: Rick Johnson Q: Why and when did rails get their profile? — Rozier Smith A: The basic shape, or profile, of rails that we see today: chucky head, thin web, and wide base, has its roots railroading as early as 1789, according to an illustration Trains printed […]
A map of the original route of the Transcontinental Railroad as it appears today
CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO ENLARGE THE MAP California to Nevada Nevada to Utah Utah to Wyoming Wyoming to Nebraska Nebraska to Iowa The first Transcontinental Railroad was a monumental undertaking by the time workers finished it in 1869. Today, tourists and enterprising photographers can visit much of what American ancestors left behind 150 years […]
Drovers’ caboose
Missouri-Kansas-Texas drovers’ caboose No. 350 shows off the car’s extra length. The cars could accommodate extra riders overseeing livestock shipments. Harold Schupp Q Where, in the train’s consist, were drovers’ cabooses placed? Were they at the rear with the regular caboose, or somewhere in the train’s consist near the stock cars? Were they used only […]
Train time at Sheffield, Illinois
On August 2, 1911, the small town of Sheffield, Ill., 22 miles west of Bureau on the Rock Island’s main line, comes to life for the midday arrival of a passenger train bound for Chicago. Roy Campbell collection […]
Pennsy K4s No. 1361 status
Pennsylvania Railroad donated K4s No. 1361 to the city of Altoona, Pa., on June 8, 1957, shortly before this photo was taken. J.J. Young Jr. Q Why was Pennsylvania K4s No. 1361 returned to Altoona, Pa., for display instead of being restored to service? – Joseph Reihing, Elizabeth, N.J. A Although the 4-6-2 is in […]
On30 Gold Creek Timber Co.
Name: Gold Creek Timber Co. Layout owners: Loren Neufeld, Jim Lemmond Scale: On30 (1:48 proportion, 30″ narrow gauge) Size: 8′-0″ x 14′-41⁄2″ Prototype: freelanced Locale: Western redwood forest Style: portable display layout Mainline run: 38 feet Minimum radius: 19″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 1 percent Benchwork: plywood tabletop Height: 64″ Roadbed: none (track […]
HO scale Leadville & Red Cliff RR
Name: Leadville & Red Cliff RR Layout owner: Bill Brown Scale: HO and HOn3 (1:87.1) Size: 25 x 40 feet Prototype: Union Pacific, BNSF Ry. (lower level); Denver & Rio Grande Western, Rio Grande Southern, and Silverton RR narrow gauge lines (upper level) Locale: central Colorado Era: present day (lower level), 1949 (D&RGW and RGS), […]
HO scale Sierra Pintada & Western RR
Name: Sierra Pintada & Western RR Layout owner: Willem Van der Hoeven Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 10′-0″ x 34′-10″ Prototype: freelanced, inspired by old-time western United States railroads Locale: Arizona Era: 1880s Style: shelf Mainline run: 40 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: shelf on consoles Height: 40″ […]
HO scale Paraqua Mountains & Shawnee River
Name: Paraqua Mountains & Shawnee River Layout owner: Pat Driscoll Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 9′-6″ x 16′-0″ Prototype: freelance Locale: southwestern United States Era: late 1800s to early 1900s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 164 ft. Minimum radius: 20” Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 7 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: 43″ to 53″ Roadbed: Homasote […]
