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Era: 1946 - 1970
Photo of the Day
Union Pacific mixed train Consolidation 284 leads Union Pacific train 386, a mixed train on the road’s Idaho Northern Branch, near Smith’s Ferry, Idaho, in December 1947. R. H. Kindig photo […]
PAs on the Pony Express
An Alco PA/PB/PB consist leads the Union Pacific’s Pony Express across the desert near Victorville, Calif., in the early 1950s. The railroad’s 14 PAs and PBs were assigned to passenger service in the West. Donald Sims photo […]
HO scale Chicago & North Western Northern Memories
The layout at a glance Name: Chicago & North Western Memories Layout owner: John Mueller Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 32 x 39 feet Prototype: C&NW Locale: northern Wisconsin Era: 1953 Style: around the walls Mainline run: 230 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: L girder, open grid, and […]
HO scale Midwest & Southern Atlantic RR
The layout at a glance Name: Midwest & Southern Atlantic RR Layout owner: Dale Martell Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 8 x 22 feet Theme: freelanced Locale: Midwest to western North Carolina Era: 1954 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 78 feet Minimum radius: 24″ (main), 18″ (sidings) Minimum turnout: Peco small radius Maximum grade: 1.5 percent Benchwork: […]
The story of Squaw Valley
Downhill skiing buffs immediately think of the winter vacation destination (and site of the 1960 winter Olympics) in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains when “Squaw Valley” is mentioned. More than 50 years ago, the name Squaw Valley came to the mountains of Western North Carolina under entirely different circumstances. To set the stage, I was a […]
Unintended clearance test
At the time of their merger in 1968, both the Pennsylvania and New York Central had extensive intermodal operations, with PRR using conventional Trailer Train cars in piggyback service and NYC using Flexi-Van equipment in an early form of containerized traffic. Penn Central retained both systems initially, but Flexi-Van traffic gradually declined. By late […]
HO scale New York Central layout
This is a 45 second video of Dave Neuser’s HO scale New York Central layout set in the summer of 1953. He recorded it to showcase the backdrop buildings for the company he’d bought them from. He mixed all the separate sound effects on his Adobe Audition including the horn, the dogs barking, the birds, […]
HO scale Great Northern Ry. Cascade Division
The layout at a glance Name: Great Northern Cascade Division Layout owner: Lee Marsh Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12 x 32 feet Prototype: Great Northern Ry., Northern Pacific (trackage rights) Locale: Everett, Wash., and Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains Era: 1947 to 1951 Style: island Mainline run: 142 feet Minimum radius: 24″ (helixes) Minimum turnout: no. […]
Lionel Trains of the 1960s
Also in this issue: AN APPRECIATION FOR AN IMPERFECT DECADE, pg. 7 Lionel faced commercial and internal challenges in the 1960s THE 1960s – A DECADE OF HOPE AND UNCERTAINTY, pg. 8 Struggles to succeed in an unpredictable market STARS OF 1960, pg. 22 3535 operating security car with rotating searchlight 3376 Bronx Zoo operating […]
Remembering Santa Fe Railway locomotives
Classic Trains editors are celebrating the heritage, history, and lore of famed (and infamous) railroads. In May 2020, we celebrate the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway. Please enjoy a collection of locomotive images located in the David P. Morgan Library archives at Kalmbach Media that include the Santa Fe’s iconic locomotives and classic scenic […]
Truck’s Toy Trains: Episode 10 – P&H Construction Cars
Host John Truckenbrod and Classic Toy Trains’ Roger Carp share collector insights regarding P&H construction machinery that Lionel Corp. paired with their O gauge flatcars. Plus, they’ll also examine one of the most unusal, yet prototypical, freight cars Lionel produced! […]
