IN THE MODERN era few locomotives have been as successful as the EMD SD45. This 3,600-horsepower, C-C truck diesel took America’s railroads by storm, and more than 1,600 of all versions of this unit were sold between 1965 and 1975. If the unit had an undoing, it was its high-maintenance 645-series prime mover – a […]
PECOS RIVER BRASS has turned its scale-like attention to three-rail locomotives and now rolling stock. The company has produced a rugged, well-detailed 50-foot boxcar that is exactly what many modelers want: a large freight hauler and a great platform for railroad graphics, too. The model itself is a superb rendering of a car that is […]
A NEW ENTRANT into the three-rail market, Pecos River Brass has stuck its toe in the water of the three-rail pond, found it inviting, and has dived in with an exceptionally sharp-looking Santa Fe Hudson. The Santa Fe rostered just 16 4-6-4 Hudson locomotives, but don’t let the low number suggest that they didn’t leave […]
INDUSTRIAL RAIL, a relative newcomer to the ranks of O gauge manufacturers, has added some spice to its commendable line of O-27 rolling stock – its first motorized unit. The Industrial Rail handcar is a spunky little gizmo crewed by two small guys who spend their whole day cruising layouts looking for track to repair […]
STEAM VERSUS diesel, Godzilla versus Mothra, great taste – less filling. These are some of the significant battles of our time. Almost on cue, MTH Electric Trains and Lionel have released two O gauge locomotives that will challenge all but the gentlest of curves and the sturdiest of bridges. MTH offers the first three-rail model […]
WHEN I REVIEWED MTH’s reproduction of the 400E steamer two years ago, I praised it as a fun and economical way to get into Standard gauge. That didn’t set well with some folks, who, presumably had originals for sale. Well, I’ll run the risk of stirring up things again by suggesting that the MTH 260E […]
THE WEAVER division of Quality Craft Models has fielded another terrific O gauge diesel road switcher: The Alco RS-11/RSD-12. Introduced in 1956, the Alco DL701 (RS-11) and DL702 (RSD-12) were designed to replace the RS-3 in the firm’s product line. The venerable RS-3 road switcher sold more than 1,300 in all its variations, and the […]
AND NOW FOR something completely different. While I wouldn’t call Ace Trains’ E/1 4-4-4 tank locomotive the Monty Python of the toy train world, for us in the colonies it is very British, very different – and charming. Combine one cup American prewar tinplate, a tablespoon of modern reproduction, two cups of British Hornby trains, […]
IN 1887, a New England railroad added a trailing truck to a common American-type 4-4-0 locomotive to better distribute its weight when crossing bridges. Thus was born the Atlantic-type steamer. The Atlantic’s 4-4-2 wheel arrangement allowed for a larger firebox and improved performance. The 4-4-2s also pulled heavier trains faster than the old 4-4-0s. The […]
I FIRST SAW a photo of a Lionel nuclear reactor years ago in Tuohy and McComas’ book Lionel: A Collector’s Guide and History, Vol. V: The Archives. The reactor prototype looked slick, but there were no clues to what it did or how it was supposed to do it. Fast forward to December 2000. Opening […]
SET YOUR WHIMSEY meter on full! The Park Avenue trolley is a nifty tin-lithographed motorized unit that will look right at home running on just about any prewar-style layout or around the Christmas tree. The trolley is simple enough. It has a nicely designed and produced lithographed shell with a trolley pole. The lithography is […]
THE NORTH WESTERN’S E-4 class Hudson represents the high water mark of locomotive streamlining. In fact, when Superman’s creator coined the phrase, “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive,” I suspect he had an engine like the North Western’s E-4 class Hudson in mind! The 4-6-4 locomotive was powerful and unique in […]
