Pan Am Railways In March of 2006, Guilford Transportation Industries’ rail properties were rebranded under the name Pan Am Railways, sharing the trade name of the well-known airline, which GTI had purchased out of bankruptcy in 1998 and continues to operate under the Pan Am brand. Guilford Rail System Guilford Transportation Industries dates from 1977, […]
The Union Pacific Railroad is the last major U.S. rail system whose name has never changed, dating from its charter in 1862 to build the nation’s first transcontinental, westward from Omaha, Neb.. Also notable for their longevity are the railroad’s shield-shaped emblem from 1886, and yellow color scheme on its passenger cars and locomotives from […]
A cranky, old toy train locomotive with a terrible growl, a hot-running motor, and anemic power may be trying to tell you something. Before deciding to retire it, though, check the clearance in the armature brushplate bushing. A worn or defective bushing often results in one or more of these locomotive maladies. The solution is […]
Restoring an old toy train can be great fun, and once the project’s done, it can give you a great feeling of accomplishment. Restoring your own items also can save money when compared with buying an original or a completed restoration in equivalent condition. One of the keys to a successful restoration, though, it picking […]
Finding older Lionel and American Flyer cars in good shape at a bargain price can be a challenge, because over the years, collectors have scooped up many of the really clean pieces. That’s no reason to despair, though – many of those grimy $5 and $10 cars you find at shows and shops are actually […]
For better or worse, the wheels of O and large scale trains seem to attract more grease and grime than those of HO and N scale pieces. Perhaps it’s the size of the trains, perhaps the shape of the wheels, or perhaps it’s carbon that gets deposited during operation, but either way they get filthy […]
When it comes to replacing a broken traction tire on a steam locomotive, it helps to have a sense of humor. That and a third hand. I don’t have a third hand to lend you, but I can offer you the tips below to get a leg up on this friction-fraught task. Traction tires have […]
Fig. 1: Pry off the original smoke unit cover with a screwdriver to gain access to the inside. Fig. 2: Remove the heater coil and smoke unit lining, both of which will be replaced in the conversion. Fig. 3: After scrapping and cleaning out all the pellet residue, make sure the air hole is not […]
A westbound BNSF freight train rounds the Tehachapi Loop in Southern California. Howard Ande The product of the Sept. 22, 1995 merger of the parent companies of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Burlington Northern Railroad, BNSF is one of the west’s two giant railroad systems. Its 32,000-mile network (24,000 owned route […]
A Norfolk Southern coal train curves through Falls Mills, W.Va. John P. Locke, III Norfolk Southern is the product of the June 1, 1982 merger of Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway. The two railways operated as separate subsidiaries under parent company Norfolk Southern Corporation until December 31, 1990, when Norfolk & Western became a […]
A westbound Canadian Pacific freight curves along the Mississippi River at Maple Springs, Minn. Matt Van Hattem The Canadian Pacific Railway operates a network of 13,600 route miles that stretches across Canada from Montreal to Vancouver, with lines reaching south into Chicago and the major population centers of the northeast U.S. In between its lines […]
A northbound Kansas City Southern coal train rolls through Neosha, Ark. George R. Cockle Kansas City Southern operates 3,100 track miles in 10 central and southeastern states. The railroad stretches from its namesake city south through its hub of Shreveport, La., to Port Arthur, Texas, which it reached in 1897, and from New Orleans through […]
