Steam from Milwaukee Road class A 4-4-2 No. 2’s cylinder cocks envelops a bystander just outside Chicago Union Station as the Hiawatha begins its dash to Minneapolis in 1935. Alexander Maxwell photo […]
Original Hiawatha departing Chicago
Era: 1920 - 1945
Scratchbuild a pickle car
Pickle cars have a unique look, and they served a unique purpose. Cucumbers brined onboard in vats as they traveled from farm field to processing plant. I thought a pickle car would look at home on my layout. My version is loosely based on period photos; it’s not a scale model of a specific car. […]
Broadway Limited N Reading T-1 4-8-4
An unusual steam locomotive, born of wartime necessity, has joined Broadway Limited Imports’ N scale lineup. The Reading Co. class T-1 4-8-4 Northern, converted from 2-8-0 Consolidation locomotives near the end of World War II, mostly handled fast freight, but also pulled passenger and coal trains. In 1945, wartime restrictions kept Reading from buying new […]
Streamlined steam
In the late 1930s and early 1940s the venerable Lehigh Valley streamlined several of its named passenger trains. This is the John Wilkes, decked in Cornell red, near Glen Onoko, Pa., in 1939. Wayne Brumbaugh photo […]
Jack Routledge’s HO scale Alberta Pacific Ry.
As part of our 90th anniversary celebration, we’re featuring never-before-published articles from our archives on Trains.com. This story is from 1994. Products mentioned in the article may no longer be available. I’ve had an active interest in model railroading for more than 45 years. My ultimate goal was to build a layout of my own […]
Kitbash a pulpwood load
Since I own the P.T. Tubifo Lumber Co. engine for my railroads’ lumber company, I thought I’d add a pulpwood car for it to haul. I started the project with Kalamazoo flatcar and added bulkheads made from Evergreen styrene. During my work travels, I saw some weeds on the side of the road and initially […]
Gary Wronkiewicz’s American Flyer layout
At a glance Name: Gary Wronkiewicz’s S gauge layout Dimensions: 10 x 16 feet Track: GarGraves flextrack (diameters range from 40 to 80 inches) Switches: Gilbert American Flyer Motive power: Gilbert American Flyer, S-Helper Service Rolling stock: Gilbert American Flyer Controls: Gilbert American Flyer No. 12B transformer Accessories: Gilbert American Flyer, Marx Structures: Atlas O, […]
Burlington’s other Zephyrs deserve a spotlight
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, commonly known as the Burlington Route, had many other Zephyrs. While not as prestigious as the Pioneer, Twin Cities, Mark Twain, Denver and California Zephyrs, these other streamlined trainsets and services, famously named after the Greek God of the West Wind, deserve a spotlight. Sam Houston Zephyr Fort […]
The Pickering & Sierra RR layout in multiple scales
Facts and features Name: Pickering & Sierra RRScale: HO (1:87.1), HOn3, dual gauge, and HOn21⁄2 (dummy)Size: 20′-7″ x 23′-3″ Prototype: freelanced, inspired by Pickering Lumber Co. and Sierra Ry.Locale: Sierra Nevada mountainsEra: 1920s to 1940sStyle: walk-inMainline run: 220 feetMinimum radius: 17″ (logging)Minimum turnout: No.4Maximum grade: 4%Benchwork: open gridHeight: 36″ to 57″Roadbed: plywood and HomasoteTrack: […]
Scenic Limited in the Royal Gorge
A 4-6-0 and 4-8-4 lead Denver & Rio Grande Western’s westbound Scenic Limited into the Royal Gorge west of Canon City in 1942. William Moedinger photo […]
Fast freight
A Santa Ana freight works upgrade on the eastbound main at Summit, Calif., on Cajon Pass on Dec. 28, 1940. Edwin A. Vail photo […]
What industries for an Idaho model railroad in the 1940s?
Q: I am looking for suggestions for industries for an Idaho model railroad in the 1940s. I’m working on building an HO scale 10 x 11-foot around-the-walls model railroad. I have decided to model a small town in rural Idaho along the Union Pacific in 1942. I am looking for a few plausible industries to […]
