In the first and second generation of dieselization, Alco was the perennial odd man out. Although legendary for its steam locomotive designs and one of the first builders to dabble with diesel power, its diesel locomotives never really attained more than niche status with America’s railroads. The company quietly exited locomotive production in 1969. But […]
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In this “head shot” of the MTH O gauge Alco RS-11, you can see the top red light that illuminates with a change in direction while the center light flashes and the bottom light is a steady headlight. Enjoy this locomotive in action by watching the video. […]
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If you’ve been in model railroading long enough, you may recall back in the 1960s seeing ads from the Wm. K. Walthers Co. showing some cute little heavyweight passenger cars all resting on a single truck. Even though dyed-in-the-wool rivet counters might scoff, you could tell by the crook at the corners of their mouths […]
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In the toy train world, there is no mightier locomotive than the New York Central Hudson. Turbines and Berkshires or Pacifics and Challengers might turn heads, but they’re country cousins compared to the Hudson. Today we examine the “Lionel Vision line 700E Hudson.” Pairing the terms “Vision line” and “700E” is a bit confusing, because […]
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GenSet diesel locomotives are revolutionary in that they have multiple lower horsepower prime movers that kick in as more power is needed. A GenSet seemingly upsets the conventional wisdom of four or five decades that a switcher needs to have at least 1,000 horsepower for one-size-fits-all switching duties. A GenSet has the same concept, but […]
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In the toy train world, there is no mightier locomotive than the New York Central Hudson. Subscribers can see this locomotive in action by watching the streaming video below. […]
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The MTH O gauge GenSet is immaculately detailed from the brake air line on the pilot to the air conditioner on the roof. […]
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Layout designer: Kent Johnson Scale: O Layout size: 4 x 8 feet Track type: Lionel FasTrack Minimum curve: O-36 Originally appeared in the September 2009 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Click on the link to download a PDF of this track plan. Track plan Parts list […]
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Just like the original section of our project railroad, our preferred method of transferring a track plan to a flat tabletop uses a computer to download and print out the full-scale template of the Readers’ Choice Railroad so we can easily tell how track, accessories, and some scenery elements work on our 3 x 8-foot […]
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The Readers’ Choice Railroad adds street trackage and urban switching with this 3 x 8-foot extension to our O gauge layout […]
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