The Pennsylvania Railroad today

The Pennsylvania Railroad

Bill Metzger This Map of the Month appeared in the February 2006 issue of Trains magazine. Mention the Pennsylvania Railroad and iconic images come to mind immediately: passenger trains rocketing down a four-track electrified main line; limiteds scooping water on the fly from track pans; impossibly long coal drags; and mammoth engineering projects, from Horseshoe […]

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Union Pacific predecessors

Union Pacific predecessors map thumbnail

Jeff Wilson and Robert Wegner This Map of the Month appeared in the October 2004 issue of Trains magazine. It’s fitting that the largest U.S. railroad today, the Union Pacific, was born as part of a grandiose plan — to build the nation’s first transcontinental railroad. From that not-so-humble beginning, UP has grown into the […]

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A gallery of miniature conifers

tree on garden railroad

A gallery of miniature conifers: Nothing gives a sense of scale and believability to a garden railway quite as well as miniature trees. When it comes to really small trees that translate well to our railroad landscapes, conifers (cone bearing, needled evergreens) seem to have the most representatives in the miniature woody-plant kingdom. I will […]

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Jon Brooks fabulous O gauge pike video

Jon Brooks’ L-shaped O gauge layout is loaded with operating accessories from the past and present. The story of his latest railroad is featured in the February 2010 issue of Classic Toy Trains magazine, and also the star of this video he posted on youtube.com Sit back and watch the action! […]

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Athearn HO scale Modern Yard Tractor

Athearn Trains HO scale yard tractor

Athearn Trains HO scale yard tractor Athearn has recently released the Yard Goats, which are used to move Trailer chassis and Trailers from one spot to another in warehouses, container yards, etc. This is a model that has been a long time in the making and the final result is that it is outstanding. Anyone […]

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Jon Brooks fabulous O gauge pike video

Jon Brooks’ L-shaped O gauge layout is loaded with operating accessories from the past and present. The story of his latest railroad is featured in the February 2010 issue of Classic Toy Trains magazine, and also the star of this video he posted on youtube.com Sit back and watch the action! […]

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Atlas O Angel Train starter set

SPECIALTY TRAIN SETS ARE NO STRANGERS TO THE WORLD OF TOY TRAINS. In a broad sense, the specialty sets try to target a segment of the populace that might not otherwise buy a toy train set. So if someone has a train and likes it, he or she may show it to friends and pass […]

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RailKing O gauge FP45 diesel by MTH

THE SANTA FE WAS ONE RAILROAD THAT DID PASSENGER SERVICE RIGHT, all the way to the end of private passenger train operations. An interesting side angle to the story is that the Santa Fe developed a group of railroaders that knew a thing or two about running fast trains between Chicago and the Pacific Coast. […]

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Bachmann DC Controller

Bachmann DC Controller

Bachmann DC Controller It’s been around. It’s been used. It’s in Bachmann train sets currently made, and is worth $50.00 MSRP. It is the Bachmann DC Controller. The original controller was a big, black, red throttle that was huge, and chunky. It had a flip dial, so you could turn it like a knob, or […]

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Broadway Limited HO scale CSX AC6000 diesel locomotive

Broadway Limited HO scale CSX AC6000 diesel locomotive

Broadway Limited HO scale CSX AC6000 diesel locomotive This mighty locomotive is a real muscle for your layout. Capable of 80 cars alone, it’ll do the job without any helper. AC6000 features a powerful can motor, eight-wheel pickup/ drive, features excellent slow speed and smooth-rolling high speeds. It can go full throttle with a full […]

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Intermountain Railway HO scale SP AC-12 Cab Forward

Intermountain Railroad HO scale SP AC-12 Cab Forward

Intermountain Railroad HO scale SP AC-12 Cab Forward First let me say that the Southern Pacific Cab Forward is my favorite Steam Engine, no matter what the scale. I once received a birthday card sent from Mr. Cab Forward! After purchasing two first run Cab Forwards when they hit the market, and spending countless hours […]

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