Building the Milwaukee Road Beer Line

Watch the Model Railroader staff build this model train layout. The HO scale Milwaukee Road Beer Line project layout series ran in the January through May 2009 issues of Model Railroader magazine. Build the Milwaukee Road Beer Line part 1 Benchwork section Build the Milwaukee Road Beer Line part 2 Attaching feeder wires Build the […]

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Galveston Railroad Museum flood damage

Galveston Railroad Museum

Magma Arizona 2-8-0 No. 5, with No. 555 on its Vanderbilt tender, and Galveston Railroad Museum Executive Director Morris S. Gould. Gregory DL Morris A wood boxcar shows damage from flooding caused by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. Gregory DL Morris The Galveston Railroad Museum suffered about $8 million in damage in September 2008 when […]

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Railway preservation projects and funding in England

Flying Scotsman

The tender for the famous Flying Scotsman and the frame reside in the shop at the National Railway Museum in York, England, in September 2008. The boiler is under repair at another location. Trains: Jim Wrinn England has the good fortune to obtain money for railroad preservation projects from the Heritage Lottery Fund (through its […]

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Abingdon Branch

Name: Abingdon Branch Scale: HO Size: 2 x 8 feet Prototype: Norfolk & Western Ry. Locale: Western Virginia Era: 1950s to early ’60s Style: shelf Mainline run: 8 feet Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 (no. 3 wye) Maximum grade: 1.5 percent Originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See a […]

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Milwaukee Road’s Beer Line (J and F configuration)

Name: Milwaukee Road’s Beer Line (J and F configurations) Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 4 x 12 feet Prototype: Milwaukee Road’s Chestnut Street Line Locale: Milwaukee, Wis. Era: 1947 Style: sectional Mainline run: 24 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See […]

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Montana Rail Link

Name: Montana Rail Link Scale: N (1:160) Size: 13′-0″ x 18′-9″ Prototype: Montana Rail Link Locale: Montana Era: current Style: walk-in Mainline run: 144 feet Minimum radius: 16½” Minimum turnouts: Peco long-(main) and medium-radius (yards) Maximum grade: 2 percent Originally appeared in the May 2009 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this […]

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HO scale E7A diesel locomotive by Proto 2000 from Walthers

HO scale E7A diesel locomotive by Proto 2000 from Walthers Available in a version with a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder, the upgraded Proto 2000 from Walthers HO scale E7 sounds as good as it looks. The model is a worthy depiction of its streamlined prototype, which led signature passenger trains, including the […]

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Atlas HO scale Middlesex Manufacturing Co.

Atlas HO scale Middlesex Manufacturing Co. Price: $39.95 ManufacturerAtlas Model Railroad Co.378 Florence Ave.Hillside, NJ 07205www.atlasrr.com Comments: This new warehouse kit (no. 0721) is the latest addition to the Atlas Master Line of buildings. The kit has a footprint of 51/2″ x 15″ and features separately applied windows, eight chimneys, a loading dock, and window […]

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Bullfrog Snot traction-tire maker

Bullfrog Snot traction-tire maker Price: $24.95 (1 oz. jar, enough for hundreds of applications) ManufacturerFrogs Frills and Daffodils21951 CosalaMission Viejo, CA 92691www.bullfrogsnot.com Comments: The name may make it sound like a joke, but it’s Snot.Bullfrog Snot is a one-part, self-curing liquid plastic designed to be applied to the tread of model locomotive wheels. When it […]

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SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Command Control sound decoder

SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Command Control sound decoder “That sounds good!” was the enthusiastic response of my Model Railroader colleagues when I was programming and testing the SoundTraxx Tsunami diesel sound decoder in the MR workshop. I certainly agree. What’s more, the TSU-1000 Digital Command Control decoder, no. 827101 with the sounds of Electro-Motive’s 567 diesel […]

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Sunset Models HO scale M-6 Mogul 2-6-0

Sunset Models HO scale M-6 Moguls 2-6-0 Accounting for a total of 72 locomotives, class M-6 Moguls were among the most numerous 2-6-0s on the Southern Pacific. The brass HO scale M-6 from Sunset Models has a high level of detail and is available with a dual-mode QSI Quantum sound decoder for sound effects on […]

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