Headed north on the Southern main line

Norfolk & Western J-Class 4-8-4 No. 611 rolls north on the Southern Railway main line, Aug. 22, 1982 during the engine’s three-day move from its restoration in Birmingham, Ala., to its birthplace in Roanoke, Va. The engine has an eight car train high above the James River. William D. Middleton photo […]

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Auxiliary tender and steam generator cars

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These two cars at Steamtown National Historical Site look similar but had different uses. Hank Ickes Q In the yard at Steamtown National Historical Site in Scranton, Pa., are two cars that I couldn’t identify. Do you know what purpose these cars had? — Hank Ickes, Arlington, Va. A One is an auxiliary tender or […]

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Video Bachmann HO three truck Climax

The Bachmann Spectrum three-truck Climax geared locomotive includes a SoundTraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder. Watch us run the HO scale model on the Model Railroader club train layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. You can also read a complete review of this locomotive model. […]

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Video Bachmann HO three truck Climax

The Bachmann Spectrum three-truck Climax geared locomotive includes a SoundTraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder. Watch us run the HO scale model on the Model Railroader club train layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. You can also read a complete review of this locomotive model. […]

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Bachmann Trains HO scale Climax locomotive

Bachmann HO scale Climax steam locomotive

Bachmann HO scale Climax locomotive Angled connecting rods whir away and the chuffing sounds of the exhaust become louder and more rapid as the Climax slowly but steadily climbs the hill. Is this a scene from the Appalachian backwoods? No, it’s the Bachmann Spectrum three-truck Climax on our HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy layout. […]

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Bachmann HO scale USRA 0-6-0 steam locomotive

Bachmann HO scale USRA 0-6-0

Bachmann HO scale USRA 0-6-0 steam locomotive This product is worth the little money you spend! That’s probably the reason why Bachmann put this product in their train sets. This model has handrails and plastic whistles and bells and e-z mate couplers. It costs around 50 to 30 dollars depending on where you buy it. […]

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Cab-forward cab interiors

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Q In a Southern Pacific cab-forward steam locomotive, is the engineer on the right side of the cab? If so, does he have to reach back to man the throttle, reverse gear, air brakes, etc.?— Ralph Podas, Columbus, Ohio A Builders of these locomotives redesigned the cabs entirely so that crews would face the correct […]

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Model Power HO scale 0-4-0 steam locomotive

Model Power HO scale 0-4-0 steam locomotive

Model Power HO scale 0-4-0 steam locomotive It’s hard not to laugh as you watch this small locomotive speed around the track at high speeds. This lightweight, but tough switcher is a cheap model, costing just a little bit over $45. This engine is a half-accurate representation of an 0-4-0 switchers, that worked the smaller […]

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3rd Rail O gauge Brass 2-10-10-2

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Land of the giants O gauge brass 2-10-10-2 from 3rd Rail In the January 2010 issue, we reviewed Lionel’s O gauge version of a Santa Fe 2-10-10-2, which in the world of real railroading was pretty much a failure. Today we are reviewing 3rd Rail’s O gauge version of a Virginian Ry. 2-10-10-2 that in […]

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Ask Trains from December 2010

Q I’ve read that when some railroads sent their steam locomotives in for a complete overhaul, they changed the main drivers to a disc type. Why would they do this?— Alex Jamieson, Chatham, Ont. A Changing to disc-type drivers was done on a case-by-case basis. The older style spoke drivers had a tendency to break […]

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