CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Lynn Nystrom, a fireman and engineer with Union Pacific’s steam program, died last week at a Cheyenne hospital. He was 69. Nystrom, a Vietnam veteran, worked in law enforcement before joining the Rock Island as a special agent in 1968. He joined UP as a switchman/brakeman in 1989. Nystrom’s family has requested […]
Section: News & Reviews
Video: InterMountain HO scale AC-12 Cab-Forward 4-8-8-2
See and hear the Digital Command Control (DCC) and sound equipped InterMountain AC-12 Cab-Forward. We ran the HO scale locomotive on our layout using a Model Rectifier Corp. Digital Command Control (DCC) system. You can also read a full review of this model. […]
Sloan Cornell, steam tourist railroad pioneer, dies NEWSWIRE
INDIANA, Pa. — Sloan Cornell, one of the pioneers of the steam tourist railroad industry, died on April 20 at age 85. Cornell had a lifelong interest in steam locomotives, owning and operating half a dozen over the years. He built his first steam railroad, the Penn View Mountain Railroad, on his farm near Blairsville, […]
American Mainline rail clamps for code-332 rail

Marc Horovitz Rail clamps for code-332 railAmerican Mainline (AML)33268 Central AvenueUnion City CA 94587Prices: Standard (#G102-01), $20/10; Universal (#G102-02), $20/10; Over joiner, (#G102-03), $20/10; Power clamp (#G102-05), $4/4 Web site: www.americanmainline.com Brass clamps with stainless-steel screws for securely joining rails Pros: Will securely and immovably join rails; relatively simple installation; can, in most circumstances, be […]
Bachmann Forney 2-4-4T

Vital statistics 1:20.3 scale, gauge-1 Forney 2-4-4TBachmann Industries1400 E. Erie Ave.Philadelphia PA 19124Price: $1,150Web site: www.bachmanntrains.com 1:20.3-scale model of a Sandy River Forney; available lettered for SR&RL or unlettered; available with inside or outside frames, wood cab or steel cab; plug-and-play electronics for DC, DCC, and R/C; flywheel motor; all-wheel electrical pickup; detailed cab interiors, […]
Bachmann Thomas the Tank Engine train set

Large scale, gauge 1, ready-to-run Thomas the Tank Engine train setBachmann Trains 1400 E. Erie AvenuePhiladelphia PA 19124Price: $385Web site: www.bachmanntrains.com Non-scale-specific toy-train set; locomotive, two passenger cars, track, transformer, all necessary wiring, instruction book and product DVD included. Locomotive: 0-6-0T with blind center drivers; see-through spoked wheels; non-working front and rear lights; removable cab […]
G-Scale Graphics RailBoss for 2.4Ghz R/C

Alan Olson Enhanced RailBoss for 2.4Ghz R/CG-Scale Graphics4118 Clayton Ct.Fort Collins CO 80525Price: $95 + $7 s&hWeb site: www.GScaleGraphics.net Train-control system to be used in conjunction with third-party R/C set Pros: Ease of installation and operation; clear instructions; simple programming; lower cost than other systems; adds endless possibilities for both manual and automated operationCons: None […]
RR-Concepts “Yard Master”

Kevin Strong “Yard Master” automated control boxRR-Concepts1357 Hodges Rd.Oceanside CA 92056Price: $55Web site: www.rr-concepts.com Automatic control box for controlling switches, station stops, reverse loops, point-to-point operations, signals, or various combinations; based on magnetic triggers Pros: Versatile control allows for many different applications; simple wiring; clear instructionsCons: Abrupt station stops; signal control uses common ground and […]
The Making of Tom Miller’s Fabulous F-scale Layout

Kevin Strong The Making of Tom Miller’s Fabulous F-scale LayoutPacific Vista Publishing, LLCPO Box 220 Newberg OR 97132Running time: Approx. 3 hoursPrice: $34.95 plus shippingWeb site: www.pacificvistapublishing.com If you’ve been reading the model-railroad press over the past two years, you’ve undoubtedly encountered an article on Tom Miller’s 1:20.3-scale indoor railroad (Garden Railways featured it in […]
Trainmax “Bark Box”

Subscriber extraSee Vance Bass’ video of this device! Vance Bass Trainmax “Bark Box”R&R Train Company2459 OdinNew Orleans LA 70122Price: $100-$125, depending on model (+ s&h)Web site: www.trainsales.com/barkbox.htm Smokebox resonator to enhance exhaust sound of live-steam locomotives; available for a number of popular gas-fired locomotives Pros: Remarkable increase in volume and depth of steam exhaust sounds; […]
Micro-Mark HO scale Wheel Tuner

Micro Mark HO scale Wheel Tuner For around $10, I can’t think of anything that improves the rolling characteristics of freight cars better. I’ve recently upgraded some of my older rolling stock to metal wheelsets. Invariably the replacements are slightly different in width causing some binding, similarly some RTR stuff also has varying degrees of […]
Intermountain Railway Co. HO scale AC-12 steam locomotive

Intermountain Railway Co. HO scale AC-12 steam locomotive An AC-12 4-8-8-2 articulated Cab-Forward locomotive is the prototype of this ready-to-run HO model from InterMountain. The HO AC-12 has a high level of accurate detail and is available with a SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder that operates on DCC and DC layouts. Prototype. […]