In his article “The First PA’s” in the Winter 2008 issue of Classic Trains, author Peter A. Hansen examines Alco’s first postwar passenger diesels, Santa Fe Nos. 51L, 51A, and 51B. Here are scenes of Santa Fe PA’s in action from Herron Rail Video’s DVD program “Glory Machines, Vol. 5.” […]
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THERE WAS A SHORT TIME when the influence of General Motors’ automotive engineering was felt in the real world of locomotion. The two most significant of those designs were the Aerotrain streamliner and the BL2 diesel road switcher. The concept behind the BL2 was, more or less, to take the mechanicals of an F unit […]
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Q My 5-year-old grandson asked me, “Where do engineers go to the bathroom?” I told him that locomotives probably have a restroom similar to those on airplanes. What restroom facilities are available on locomotives, and where are they located? Who runs the train in his absence? Are comfort breaks governed by either federal or union […]
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Rapido HO scale TurboTrain With a recorded speed of 170.8 mph, the TurboTrain remains the fastest passenger train to run on North American rails, and that was 40 years ago. The Rapido HO TurboTrain includes a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder and is available in all the different prototype versions. For this review […]
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HO scale locomotives Northern Pacific Electro-Motive Division F7 diesel locomotives. “Main Street of the Northwest” slogan. Five-pole skew-wound motor with flywheels, prototype-specific details, and magnetic knuckle couplers. Sound-equipped units have individual sound boards installed in both A and B units. A unit only: without sound, $139.98; with sound, $209.98. A-B set: without sound, $279.98; with […]
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Walthers is pleased to officially announce its newest HO Scale name train – the world-famous 20th Century Limited. Like its famous prototype, the First Edition 20th Century Limited is completely “New from Diesels to Lookout Lounge!” For the first time, modelers can build a complete and affordable Century fleet with authentic replicas of the 1948 […]
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Oso Railworks, Inc. of Hamilton, Montana, is pleased to announce that it hasacquired Seattle-based NorthWest Short Line in its entirety. All of NWSL’s operations will bemoved to Hamilton, MT, where production of NWSL’s entire product line will continue. NorthWest Short Line has a 50-year tradition of excellence, producing precisiondrivetrain components and wheelsets in virtually all […]
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Atlas O F2A in O scale With the distinctive rumble of a 567 diesel engine, this O scale F2A replicates the sounds of a first-generation EMD F unit. The Atlas O model features a QSI Quantum sound system with programmable effects in both DC and Digital Command Control (DCC) modes. The prototype. Beginning with the […]
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Athearn Trains HO scale EMD SD60M A well-proportioned HO scale SD60M diesel locomotive with a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder with sound, detailed cab interior, and separately applied details is now part of the Athearn Genesis line. This newly tooled model (this isn’t an upgraded Rail Power Products shell) is based on the General […]
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(Updated Aug. 15) – MTH Electric Trains and Model Korea Trading Co. (formerly Korea Brass) announced that the companies have resolved their longstanding legal battle in a settlement that includes a cash payment and the transfer of some tooling for Broadway Limited HO locomotives to MTH. Also resolved were two other cases involving a patent […]
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My first introduction to O gauge diesel switchers occurred sometime back in the late 1950s or early ’60s. My Uncle Chuck was the manager of a Moore’s Automotive store in Hamilton, Ohio, and they sold Lionel trains during the holidays. This was a major plus in the kid world of the time. On some dimly […]
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Atlas N scale GP30 Built by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division, the GP30 diesel locomotive was known for its good looks and great performance. This new N scale GP30 lives up to its prototype. Part of the Atlas Classic series, the N scale model is available in a DC or Digital Command Control (DCC) version. The […]
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