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Graded on a curve: The Westie Line
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‘Amtrak Joe’ Biden makes a run for 2020
Then-Vice President Joe Biden at the newly renovated Wilmington, Del., Amtrak station dedication in March 2011. Michael T. Burkhart WASHINGTON, D.C. – “Amtrak Joe” is making another run for the White House. Former Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday he is running for President of the United States in 2020. The campaign is Biden’s third […]
Graded on a curve: The Westie Line
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Classic Toy Trains visits the world’s largest toy train meet
In April, Classic Toy Trains visited the Eastern Division Train Collectors Association meet in York, Pa. The show, held twice a year, is the largest O and S gauge meet in the world, and features 190,000 square feet of operating layouts, vendors, and toy trains! Here are some of the sights and sounds of the […]
Classic Toy Trains visits the world’s largest toy train meet
In April, Classic Toy Trains visited the Eastern Division Train Collectors Association meet in York, Pa. The show, held twice a year, is the largest O and S gauge meet in the world, and features 190,000 square feet of operating layouts, vendors, and toy trains! Here are some of the sights and sounds of the […]
How far can you travel for 15 cents?
Railroads like Illinois Terminal, Pennsy, and New York Central sent promotional material to author Matejka, and often returned his 15 cents postage as well. How far can you travel for 15 cents? As a child in the early 1960s, I was traveling all over the country from my St. Louis home, thanks to 15 cents I […]
How to check track gauge and rail alignment
So long as your rails are clean and your rolling stock is fine-tuned, it’s time to inspect your right-of-way for problems. This is the first of five quick articles on how to check for and fix common mechanical and electrical track problems with model railroad track. First, you’ll need to run a test train over […]
Track troubleshooting tips and tricks, Part 2: Avoiding derailments at turnouts
Theo Cobb illustration Theo Cobb illustration For each turnout, make sure that the check gauge — spacing between the guardrail and the frog — is correct. Paul J. Dolkos So long as your rails are clean and your rolling stock is fine-tuned, it’s time to inspect your right-of-way for problems. This is the second of […]
Track troubleshooting tips and tricks, Part 3: Checking track power
Check the track voltage using a multimeter. The voltage reading should be the same along each powered track section. Paul J. Dolkos So long as your rails are clean and your rolling stock is fine-tuned, it’s time to inspect your right-of-way for problems. This is the third of five quick articles on how to check […]
Track troubleshooting tips and tricks, Part 4: Fixing power losses through turnouts
Theo Cobb illustration So long as your rails are clean and your rolling stock is fine-tuned, it’s time to inspect your right-of-way for problems. This is the fourth of five quick articles on how to check for and fix common mechanical and electrical track problems with model railroad track. Electrical problems in turnouts and switches […]
Track troubleshooting tips and tricks, Part 5: Tune-up tips for power-routing turnouts
Some power-routing turnouts use thin metal tabs to provide contact between the stock rails and switch points. These tabs are often unreliable, especially on older turnouts, and can cause locomotives to stall. Paul J. Dolkos Theo Cobb illustration So long as your rails are clean and your rolling stock is fine-tuned, it’s time to inspect […]
In Memoriam: David A. Bontrager, 1944 – 2019
David Bontrager of Elnora, Ind., died on Feb. 24. He was 74 years old. David penned more than 130 articles for Model Railroader, Mainline Modeler, and Model Railroading magazines between 1988 and 2001. Among his contributions to MR were several HO scale diesel locomotive articles, including detailing a Burlington Northern General Electric (GE) C30-7, a […]
