ScaleTrains.com HO scale GE C39-8 diesel An HO scale General Electric C39-8 diesel-electric locomotive gets the ScaleTrains.com Rivet Counter treatment. As with the N scale version that I reviewed in the August 2019 issue, this HO scale locomotive features roadname- and road number-specific detail. Our review sample also came equipped with an ESU LokSound V.5 decoder […]
MRC Throttlepack 9950 The green plug on the back of the cabinet features terminals for track power and accessories. The Throttlepack 9950 isn’t a new face in the Model Rectifier Corp. power pack lineup. However, the train controller, designed for N, HO, O, and G scales, now has the ability to operate Digital Command Control […]
Norfolk & Western C630 No. 1134 at Roanoke, Virginia. Rick Johnson C630 •YEARS BUILT: 1965-1969 •MANUFACTURERS: Alco, Montreal •OPERATED ON: Atlantic Coast Line, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Chesapeake & Ohio, Louisville & Nashville, Norfolk & Western, Pacific Great Eastern, Pennsylvania Railroad, Reading, Southern Pacific, others •NAMES: C630, M630 •QUANTITY: 133 •HORSEPOWER: 3,000 •KNOWN FOR: The […]
DDA40X Original DDA40X is on display in Omaha, Nebraska. Jim Wrinn DDA40X •YEARS BUILT: 1969-1971 •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Union Pacific (special order from UP) •NAME: Centennial, named to mark the 100th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah. •QUANTITY: 47 •HORSEPOWER: 6,600 •KNOWN FOR: The most successful of UP’s twin-engine freight […]
Metra No. 166 leads a train at Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2011. Jim Wrinn F40PH-series •YEARS BUILT: 1976-1988 •MANUFACTURERS: Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, GMD of Canada •OPERATED ON: Amtrak, GO Transit, MBTA, Metra, Via Rail Canada •NAMES: F40PH, F40PHR, F40PH-2, F40PH-2M, F40PH-2C, F40PHM-2C; nicknames, Winnebago, Screamer, Thunder Box, Thunder Wagon •QUANTITY: 486 •HORSEPOWER: 3,000 •KNOWN […]
Lancaster & Chester GP38-2 type locomotives hauling a passenger train special. Jim Wrinn GP38/AC/-2 •YEARS BUILT: 1966-1986 •MANUFACTURER: EMD/GMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: GP38, GP38AC, GP38-2; nicknames: Geep, High Hood (for SR and N&W), Wide Nose (for CN) •QUANTITY: 3,231 (967 GP38, GP38AC), (2,264 GP38-2) •HORSEPOWER: 2,000 •KNOWN FOR: […]
Wisconsin Central No. 7525 at the Illinois Railway Museum. Jim Wrinn SD45/-2 series •YEARS BUILT: 1966-1975 •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: Hustle Muscle, Flares, Speed Machines, Tunnel Motor (for SD45T-2) •QUANTITY: 1,695 (1,312 SD45, SDP45), (383 SD45-2, SD45T-2) •HORSEPOWER: 3,600 •KNOWN FOR: Angled radiators at the rear on […]
BNSF Railway SD70 series SD70ACE No. 8762 pulls a Norfolk Southern train in Indiana. Jim Wrinn EMD-built SD70 series locomotives •YEARS BUILT: 1993-present •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: SD70, SD70I, SD70M, SD70MAC, SD75I, SD75M, SD70M-2, SD70ACe, SD70ACe-P4, SD70ACe-P6, SD70ACe-T4, and SD70-ACe-T4P4; nicknames: Big Mac, Mac, Grinstein, Flags, Flares […]
Canadian Pacific Train Master No. 8905 at ExpoRail in Montreal, Quebec. Jim Wrinn Train Master •YEARS BUILT: 1953-1956 •MANUFACTURER: Fairbanks-Morse •OPERATED ON: Canadian National; Canadian Pacific; Central of New Jersey; Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; Pennsylvania Railroad; Reading; Southern; Southern Pacific; Virginian; Wabash •NAMES: Train Master, H-24-66 •QUANTITY: 127 •HORSEPOWER: 2,400 •KNOWN FOR: Poor performance at […]
Canadian Pacific Evolution series ES44AC No. 8888 in Wisconsin. Jim Wrinn Evolution series •YEARS BUILT: 2003-present •MANUFACTURER: General Electric •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: ES40DC, ES44DC, ES44AC, ES44C4, ET44AC, ET44C4 •QUANTITY: 7,325 as of Dec. 31, 2017 •HORSEPOWER: 4,400 •KNOWN FOR: Primary freight locomotive of the early 21st century in […]
U25B No. 3100 calls Orange Empire Railway Museum home. Jim Wrinn U25B •YEARS BUILT: 1959-1966 •MANUFACTURER: General Electric •OPERATED ON: Santa Fe, Burlington, Chesapeake & Ohio, Erie Lackawanna, Great Northern, Louisville & Nashville, Milwaukee Road, New York Central, New Haven, Pennsylvania Railroad, Frisco, Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, Rock Island, Wabash •NAME: U-boat •QUANTITY: 478 •HORSEPOWER: […]
Union Pacific U50 No. 45 at Kearney, Nebraska, in September 1970. Francis Wiener, T. Hoffman Collection U50 •YEARS BUILT: 1963-1965, 1969-1971 •MANUFACTURER: General Electric •OPERATED ON: Union Pacific, Southern Pacific •NAMES: U50 and U50C; nicknames, Twin Diesels, Double Diesels, Whirlybirds, Choppers, Stalkcutters, Rock Crushers •QUANTITY: 66 •HORSEPOWER: 5,000 •KNOWN FOR: Large cab with curved nose; […]
