Q I heard the term “nitrogen blanket” in reference to a tank car. Could you explain what this is and what types of tank cars have these nitrogen blankets? – Mike Riley, Manchester, Mo. A The term “nitrogen blanket” refers to a padding (or a layer) of nitrogen gas put into a tank car to: […]
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Pennsy T1 comes to life in a St. Louis shop
ST. LOUIS – Gary Bensman walks through Continental Fabricators in St. Louis, holding a washout plug for the boiler of Pennsylvania Railroad T1 No. 5550. Bensman grips the plug much like a judge would hold a gavel, as he holds court over the fabrication of the boiler for a locomotive class whose last member of […]
New model trains for the week of March 29, 2018
Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale AEM-7 electric locomotive HO scale locomotives AEM-7 electric locomotive. New road numbers: Amtrak (as delivered or Acela) and NJ Transit. Three numbers each. New fictional paint schemes: Milwaukee Road, Pennsylvania RR, and Reading Co. Two road numbers each. Operating pantographs, separately applied wire grab irons, and Accumate couplers. Direct-current […]
First trestle crossing
The first trestle crossing of the season, but trouble may be ahead! […]
First trestle crossing
The first trestle crossing of the season, but trouble may be ahead! […]
Realistic weathering tips for freight car models
This view of the Daneville Yard on Pelle Søeborg’s HO scale Union Pacific layout shows a variety of equipment with weathered roofs. He completed all of the weathering with powdered pastels, hobby paints, and an airbrush Years ago, when I became interested in weathering model trains, I found it extremely difficult to find roof photos, […]
Sponsored Product Review: WalthersMainline HO scale SD70ACe with ESU Sound
WalthersMainline HO scale Norfolk Southern SD70ACe A modern-era mainstay, the SD70ACe diesel-electric locomotive is back on HO scale rails from Wm. K. Walthers Inc. in a selection of new prototypical road names and paint schemes from Walthers Trains. First reviewed in the June 2016 Model Railroader, the HO scale locomotive is part of the value-priced […]
Vol. 324: “To the point”
This “Trackside with Trains” photo contest result comes from March 8, 2018. The theme was “To the point.” Trackside with Trains was a regular, periodic contest among Trains website visitors from the earlier 2000s until October 2018. Anyone in the world who wanted to participate, could, and with rare exception, have their images judged […]
Visit the TooMuchFun Railroad
Name: Victor Thies Railroad Name: TooMuchFunRailroad Location: Mission Viejo, Calif Scale: G Theme: An eclectic railroad spanning eras, themes and mystical lands Description: A fun video and script of the TMFRR with narration and music. […]
Grandt Line to close
Grandt Line, a manufacturer of architectural details, structure kits, and freight cars in several popular modeling scales, will close in June after more than 60 years in business. The company was founded by the late Cliff Grandt in the San Francisco bay area. His children Dave, Liz, and Phyllis operated the business after Cliff’s passing […]
New model trains for the week of March 22, 2018
Atlas Model Railroad Co HO scale Electro-Motive Division GP39-2 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP39-2 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes: Wisconsin & Southern (35th anniversary lettering, one road number), CSX (dark blue and yellow), Delaware & Hudson (blue, gray, and yellow), Reading Co. (green and yellow), and Union Pacific (red sill stripe). Two […]
Computer desktop wallpaper from the May 2018 Model Railroader
Click on the links at left to download this image sized appropriately for your computer screen. On a late fall afternoon, a New York Central Niagara departs Ellison with an express while a Pennsylvania RR E6 Atlantic picks up a cut of cars. Paul Kahne shot the photo on Lee Gasparik’s O scale Pennsylvania & […]
