The Rock Island used a variety of diesel power on its Chicago suburban trains, but Alco RS3s predominated. In 1966, maroon RS3 499 has just departed La Salle Street Station with three cars. Duane Darnell photo […]
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Gn3 Denver & Rio Grande Western track plan Name: Denver & Rio Grande Western Layout designer: John Johnson Scale: Gn3 (1:22.5 proportion) Size: 20 x 55 feet Theme: D&RGW Locale: Colorado Era: 1950s Style: Continuous-run display Mainline run: 300 feet Minimum radius: 8 feet Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 4 percent Benchwork: Plywood on […]
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Name: Milwaukee & Northwestern Wisconsin Division Layout designer: Chuck Sable Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 13’-8” x 24’-0” Prototype: Chicago & North Western Madison and Lancaster Subdivisions Locale: Southern Wisconsin Era: 1955-1980 Style: Around the walls Mainline run: 100 feet Minimum radius: 24” (main), 22” (branch) Minimum turnout: no. 6 (main), no. 4 (industries) Maximum grade: […]
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Name: Red Oak Layout designer: staff of Model Railroader Scale: N (1:160) Size: 3′-0″ x 6′-8″ Prototype: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR Locale: Red Oak, Iowa Era: early 1960s Style: island, portable Mainline run: 15 feet Minimum radius: 13″ Minimum turnout: Peco no. 6 medium Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the January 2015 Model […]
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Name: Aksarben Road/ATSF Wishbone Division Layout designer: John Armstrong Scale: O (1:48) Size: 26 x 32 feet Theme: freelanced short line and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe branch line Locale: Colorado and New Mexico Era: Sunday, May 27, 1951 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 202 feet Minimum radius: 42″ (Aksarben), 48″ (Santa Fe) Minimum turnout: no. […]
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New York Central 4-8-4 Niagara 6023 is near the end of its short life as it rambles through Millbury Junction, Ohio, (7.5 miles east of Toledo) with nine-car mail-and-express train X-78 in September 1955. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
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Westinghouse and partner Baldwin fielded an experimental 4,000 h.p. B-B+B-B gas-turbine-electric in 1950. Dubbed the “Blue Goose” because of its paint scheme (and perhaps for its unusual appearance), No. 4000, pictured at Chicago on the Chicago & North Western, generated no orders. Wallace W. Abbey photo […]
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Exploring the wonderful world of Lionel Trains: Accessories Colorful and innovative accessories have entertained us for a century […]
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Name: Nickel Plate Road, St. Louis Division Layout designer: Tony Koester Scale: HO (1:87) Size: 24′-6″ x 60′-6″ Theme: high-speed flatlands railroading Locale: west-central Indiana, east-central Illinois Era: fall 1954 Style: multi-deck Mainline run: 500 feet Minimum radius: 42″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (yard), no. 8 (main) Maximum grade: 1.5 percent Originally appeared in the […]
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Name: Jemez & Rio Grande (“The Chili Line”) Layout designer: Jim Gore Scale: On30 (1:48 proportion on 30″ narrow gauge track) Size: 12 x 16 feet Prototype: Denver & Rio Grande Western Santa Fe Division Locale: northern New Mexico Era: October 1951 Style: island style layout with continuous run Mainline run: 64 feet Minimum turnout: […]
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In the December 2014 Model Railroader, Seth Neumann and Chris Drone wrote an article about using radio-frequency identification (RFID) and a computer to track rolling stock and new possibilities for operation. Prototype railroads have been using scanning technology since the late 1960s. Automatic Car Identification (ACI) used an optical reader and a color-coded plate to […]
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