It’s a warm Oct., 1, 2013, morning as CSX train K931-01 is coming off the Plymouth Subdivision in its namesake Michigan city with 52 empty stone hopper cars from Lansing behind BNSF No. 4992. In the distance, CSX No. 2741 waits for open track. Photo by Chris Paciocco […]
This is an O gauge set that wouldn’t normally be making a second appearance in reviews. We covered Lionel’s Polar Express in the January 2005 issue of Classic Toy Trains. It was a good model of the train in the movie Polar Express, and we had high hopes it would be a natural draw for […]
Dreams come true. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a big dream, but when I first saw the Woodland Scenics Built-&-Ready line of O gauge structures I hoped it would soon include industrial facilities as well as downtown-type retail shops (browse through the Woodland Scenics HO structures in shops and you’ll see the possibilities). I even turned […]
FULL SCREEN Mark Llanuza The headlights of an eastbound Metra train slice through the rain and heavy fog setting in over Elgin, Ill., in November of 2012. FULL SCREEN Mark Llanuza An early morning mix of rain and sleet greets commuters as they board a Metra train at the Bartlett, Ill., station in 2012. FULL […]
Bachmann N scale F7A and B units Bachmann Trains is introducing an N scale model of one of the most iconic locomotives ever built, equipped with a Digital Command Control decoder. The N scale locomotives, which come in A and B versions, have sharp paint jobs, are powered by can motors with dual brass flywheels, […]
Athearn Trains HO scale GE ES44AC GEVO diesel locomotive A mainstay of today’s main lines, the General Electric Evolution Series (GEVO) ES44AC is now available as part of the Athearn Genesis line of superdetailed HO scale locomotives. We tested a BNSF and a Union Pacific version. Both models feature prototype-specific detailing and a SoundTraxx Digital […]
Walthers HO scale Magnolia Hotel Price: $34.98 Manufacturer Wm. K. Walthers Inc. 5601 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53201 www.walthers.com Era: late 1800s to 1950s Comments: The Magnolia Hotel is one of the latest structure offerings from Walthers. The injection-molded plastic kit, part of the Cornerstone Main Street USA series, features a decorative peaked-roof cornice […]
ExactRail HO scale TrentonWorks 67′-11″ bulkhead flatcar Price: $38.95 Manufacturer ExactRail 251 W. River Park Dr., Ste. 300 Provo, UT 84604 www.exactrail.com Era: 2005 to present Road names: TTX (“Forward Thinking” herald or black rectangle herald with three white or five yellow reflective stripes). Multiple road numbers per scheme. Comments: A common modern-era bulkhead flatcar […]
Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale 50-foot boxcar An HO scale model of a 70-ton double-door boxcar used by western railroads to transport wood products and other freight is now available from Atlas. The 5,077-cubic-foot-capacity boxcar is based on a prototype built by FMC during the mid- to late 1970s and features a one-piece injection-molded […]
In the December 2013 issue, author Jim Kottkamp shows you how to build a functional workbench. He has generously shared his drawings of this project. The link will download a PDF file. […]
Chicago might have more trains, and St. Louis a big shiny arch, but Kansas City is the ton-mile king, with over 1 billion tons passing through the city (or above it, on flyovers) in 2003. That is 15 percent more tons than Chicago. What is remarkable about K.C. is its sheer growth, from 378 million […]
Norfolk & Western’s Clinch Valley Line by Ed Wolfe, Charles Wilson, Jr., and Paul Mandelkern HEW Enterprises, 116 Oakview Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 1521; 432 pages, 384 b/w and 48 color photos; hardcover, 8.5 x 11 in.; $65.00 Ed Wolfe has established himself as an outstanding researcher and writer in Appalachian railroad history with five different […]
