Celebrating “Flyer Fest”

vintage photo of train on track

Editor’s note: This manuscript was purchased in December 1990 for Model Railroader magazine. Over the years, it made its way around the office and finally landed in my hands last fall. Dave Ingles was a friend of mine, and with his passing and my becoming editor of CTT, it seemed fitting to finally share his […]

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GG1 with the Keystone

GG1 north of Aberdeen

North of Aberdeen, Md., in about 1957, a Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 speeds toward Washington with the new Budd-built Keystone consist. GG1s normally operated with the rear pantograph raised, so this view is rather unusual. James P. Gallagher photo […]

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The HO scale Southern Pacific Tehachapi Subdivision layout

A model railroad track plan

Facts and features Name: Southern Pacific Tehachapi SubdivisionScale: HOSize: 72 x 128 feetPrototype: Southern Pacific Tehachapi SubdivisionLocale: Bakersfield to Mojave, CaliforniaEra: 1950s-1960sStyle: Multi-level walkaroundMainline run: Bakersfield to Mojave: 1,500 feet; between staging yards, Goshen Jct. to Lancaster: 1,800 feetMinimum radius: main tracks, sidings and yards: 48″; branch lines and industry tracks: 36″Minimum turnout: main tracks, […]

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D&NE brass and steam

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Duluth & Northeastern Vice President and General Manager E. A. Blinn walks down the platform of the short line’s station and general offices at Cloquet, Minn., followed by Superintendent E. A. Kruger. In the background of this September 1954 scene, 2-8-0 No. 14 takes water. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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Clifton Forge hump yard

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A string of coal hoppers crests the hump at Chesapeake & Ohio’s yard in Clifton Forge, Va., in June 1955. The cars are bound for C&O’s Atlantic Ocean docks at Newport News. W. A. Akin Jr. photo […]

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Why do railroads use catenary?

Orange, black, and white model electric locomotive running under catenary.

When you think about electrified rail lines today, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. But in the first half of the 1900s, before the start of the diesel era, railroads used electrified lines to move freight and passengers. Examples in the east included the New York, New Haven & […]

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ScaleTrains HO Rivet Counter EMD GP30

Color photo of HO scale engine painted blue and black on scenic base.

An Electro-Motive Division GP30, one of the most recognizable diesels of the second generation, is now available in HO scale from ScaleTrains. The Rivet Counter line model has railroad-specific details, semi-scale Type E couplers, and all-wheel drive and electrical pickup. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the GP30 between July 1961 and November 1963. During the […]

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Don Sims covers Nevada Northern Railway

Diesel locomotive with freight train by wooden water tank

The Nevada Northern Railway might be the most remote railroad attraction in the Lower 48, and it’s also one of the most valuable. Just ask any of the thousands of people who make the trek each year out to windswept Ely, the east-central Nevada town that hosts one of our finest steam operations. Headlined by […]

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Climbing over La Mesa Model Railroad Club’s Tehachapi Subdivision

Climbing over La Mesa Model Railroad Club’s Tehachapi Subdivision | In this Trains.com Video Exclusive Layout Extra, our staff captures trackside views of both freight and passenger train forging the enormous 42 x 80-foot HO (1:87) scale public display depicting the route over Southern California’s famed Tehachapi Loop. Sit back and enjoy this extended reel […]

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Lionel postwar military switch engines

black and white catalog page

Kids of the 1950s loved Lionel’s little switch engines. The stubby proportions and whirling drive rods of these classics give them an industrious appearance as they scoot around a layout. Lionel produced them in a number of colorful and collectible variations. Did the prototypes really exist? Yes, at least in their initial releases. Lionel was […]

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