Development of the railroad tank car

The first tank car. This replica of a Densmore-type tank car is on display at the ACF Industries plant in Milton, Pa.

The invention of the tank car coincided with the discovery of oil in northwestern Pennsylvania in the 1860s. Oilmen quickly discovered that hauling oil to market in horse-drawn wagons or floating barrels down local streams wasn’t going to do the job as oil production ramped up. The oil industry needed to find a way to […]

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Rhode Haven

Name: Rhode Haven Scale: HO Size: 18′-4″ x 22′-6″ Prototype: freelanced, with New Haven influence Locale: New England Era: 1930s to 1940s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 140 feet Minimum radius: 32″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 21/2 percent Originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download […]

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Carrabasset & Dead River

Name: Carrabasset & Dead River Scale: HOn2½ Size: 28 x 28 feet Prototype: free-lanced, based on Maine two-foot gauge prototypes Locale: coastal and interior Maine Period: 1941 Style: around-the-walls walkaround Minimum radius: 18″ Maximum grade: 3 percent Originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download a PDF […]

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Franklin & South Manchester

Name: Franklin & South Manchester RR Scale: HO (1:87) Size: 23 x 42 feet Prototype: free-lanced, based on Boston & Albany, Boston & Maine, and New York, New Haven & Hartford Locale: New England Period: 1935 Style: walkaround Minimum radius: 30″ Maximum grade: 2 percent Scenery construction: hydrocal on nylon screen over plywood forms Originally […]

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Scarce Lionel refrigerator and cattle cars

Scarce Lionel refrigerator and cattle cars are still out there. I know because I found a couple of them; being helpful put me in contact with the owners. 

It was an April evening when I returned home to find this message on my answering machine: “I have a train set that was purchased in 1941. Can you tell me what it’s worth?” I recognized the voice as belonging to an acquaintance that knew I collected Lionel trains. “Nice of the guy to call,” […]

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Colorado & Southern Ohio Creek Extension

Name: Colorado & Southern Ohio Creek Extension Scale: On3 and On21/2 (1:48) Size: 28′-3″ x 29′-8″ plus 28′-0″ branch (Ruby-Irwin) Prototype: On3 Colorado & Southern with freelanced On2½ Elk Mountain Timber Co. Ry. Locale: Gunnison County, Colo. Period: late summer of 1942 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 100 feet Minimum radius: 37″ with easements Minimum turnout: […]

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Old Colony & South Shore RR

Name: Old Colony & South Shore RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24′-6″ x 33′-6″ with an 8′-0″ x 16′-6″ staging area Prototype: Boston & Maine RR Locale: New England Era: 1920 to 1940 Style: walkaround Mainline run: 200 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 1 percent Originally appeared in Great Model […]

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John Allen’s Gorre & Daphetid track plans

Track plans See the track plans of John Allen’s Gorre & Daphetid, along with a operating schematics. ABOUT THIS ARTICLE Appeared in: January, 2009 issue of Model Railroader Magazine John Allen’s Gorre & Daphetid track plan 1 John Allen’s Gorre & Daphetid track plan 2 John Allen’s Gorre & Daphetid track plan 3 John Allen’s […]

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Housatonic Valley Ry.

Name: Housatonic Valley Ry. Scale: N (1:160) Size: 8 x 9 feet Prototype: freelances Period: 1930s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 43 feet Minimum radius: 9.5″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the August 2008 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track plan by clicking here. […]

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Pennsylvania RR

Name: Pennsylvania RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 21′-6: x 30’0:” Prototype: Pennsylvania RR Locale: eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey Era: 1940s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 25″ Minimum turnout: no.6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the August 2008 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track […]

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The Schuylkill Iron Works

Track plan at a glance Name: Schuylkill Iron Works Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4 x 21 feet Theme: Freelanced heavy industry Era: Late 1920s Style: island Mainline run: 50 feet Minimum radius: 15″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the March 2008 issue of Model Railroader. Also appeared in 102 Realistic […]

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The Greenbrier Branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio

Track plan at a glance Name: Greenbrier Branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio Scale: HO and HOn3 (1:87.1) Size: 15 x 24 feet Prototype: C&O, Greenbrier Logging Co. Period: 1930s to 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 80 feet standard gauge, 30 feet narrow gauge Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent […]

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