Scarce Lionel refrigerator and cattle cars

Scarce Lionel refrigerator and cattle cars are still out there. I know because I found a couple of them; being helpful put me in contact with the owners. 

It was an April evening when I returned home to find this message on my answering machine: “I have a train set that was purchased in 1941. Can you tell me what it’s worth?” I recognized the voice as belonging to an acquaintance that knew I collected Lionel trains. “Nice of the guy to call,” […]

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50 years ago in railroad history: April 1959

Classic Trains logo

50 years ago in railroad history … A supplement to the Classic Trains Online Look Back e-mail newsletter TRAINS magazine devotes its April 1959 issue to an investigation titled “Who Shot the Passenger Train?” The landmark issue examines the (mostly unhealthy) state of the rail passenger business and proposes solutions. . . . [All feature […]

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Building the Milwaukee Road Beer Line

Watch the Model Railroader staff build this model train layout. The HO scale Milwaukee Road Beer Line project layout series ran in the January through May 2009 issues of Model Railroader magazine. Build the Milwaukee Road Beer Line part 1 Benchwork section Build the Milwaukee Road Beer Line part 2 Attaching feeder wires Build the […]

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Galveston Railroad Museum flood damage

Galveston Railroad Museum

Magma Arizona 2-8-0 No. 5, with No. 555 on its Vanderbilt tender, and Galveston Railroad Museum Executive Director Morris S. Gould. Gregory DL Morris A wood boxcar shows damage from flooding caused by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Gregory DL Morris The Galveston Railroad Museum suffered about $8 million in damage in September 2008 when […]

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Railway preservation projects and funding in England

Flying Scotsman

The tender for the famous Flying Scotsman and the frame reside in the shop at the National Railway Museum in York, England, in September 2008. The boiler is under repair at another location. Trains: Jim Wrinn England has the good fortune to obtain money for railroad preservation projects from the Heritage Lottery Fund (through its […]

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HO scale E7A diesel locomotive by Proto 2000 from Walthers

HO scale E7A diesel locomotive by Proto 2000 from Walthers Available in a version with a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder, the upgraded Proto 2000 from Walthers HO scale E7 sounds as good as it looks. The model is a worthy depiction of its streamlined prototype, which led signature passenger trains, including the […]

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Atlas HO scale Middlesex Manufacturing Co.

Atlas HO scale Middlesex Manufacturing Co. Price: $39.95 ManufacturerAtlas Model Railroad Co.378 Florence Ave.Hillside, NJ 07205www.atlasrr.com Comments: This new warehouse kit (no. 0721) is the latest addition to the Atlas Master Line of buildings. The kit has a footprint of 51/2″ x 15″ and features separately applied windows, eight chimneys, a loading dock, and window […]

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Bullfrog Snot traction-tire maker

Bullfrog Snot traction-tire maker Price: $24.95 (1 oz. jar, enough for hundreds of applications) ManufacturerFrogs Frills and Daffodils21951 CosalaMission Viejo, CA 92691www.bullfrogsnot.com Comments: The name may make it sound like a joke, but it’s Snot.Bullfrog Snot is a one-part, self-curing liquid plastic designed to be applied to the tread of model locomotive wheels. When it […]

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SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Command Control sound decoder

SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Command Control sound decoder “That sounds good!” was the enthusiastic response of my Model Railroader colleagues when I was programming and testing the SoundTraxx Tsunami diesel sound decoder in the MR workshop. I certainly agree. What’s more, the TSU-1000 Digital Command Control decoder, no. 827101 with the sounds of Electro-Motive’s 567 diesel […]

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Sunset Models HO scale M-6 Mogul 2-6-0

Sunset Models HO scale M-6 Moguls 2-6-0 Accounting for a total of 72 locomotives, class M-6 Moguls were among the most numerous 2-6-0s on the Southern Pacific. The brass HO scale M-6 from Sunset Models has a high level of detail and is available with a dual-mode QSI Quantum sound decoder for sound effects on […]

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