Broadway Limited HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD45 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $399.99 Era: 1965 to present Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com Electro-Motive Division SD45 features: Two prototype-specific short hood variations Separately-applied wire grab irons, lift rings, and other details Etched-metal radiator fans and grills Light-emitting-diode lighting with […]
Read More…
Similar to the EMD RS1325, the Alco S5 locomotive is one of those locomotive designs that seemed like a good idea at the time, was engineered well, ran well, but almost no one wanted to purchase. The manufacturer needed to update its aging lineup of 660-hp S3 and 1,000-hp S4 end cab switchers […]
Read More…
The best-selling first-generation Electro-Motive diesel locomotives came from the switcher, cab unit, and road switcher product lines. The company that would dominate locomotive construction from the 1940s through the 1970s had humble beginnings, contracting the construction of motor cars at other companies’ plants in the 1920s. The Electro-Motive Corp. was purchased by General Motors in […]
Read More…
The biggest steam switcher stood head and shoulders above the rest. In the steam era, switch engines came in basically three sizes: 0-4-0, 0-6-0, and 0-8-0. They ranged from diminutive shop switchers — typically 0-4-0s, pretty much a pre-1900 machine — to huge switchers such as Indiana Harbor Belt’s three U-4a class 0-8-0s […]
Read More…
Northern Pacific’s Banana Nut Bread immediately caught my eye as a recipe worth re-creating. The railroad wanted to waste as little as possible, so using overripe bananas in a banana bread was a sensible idea. It also reused milk that had gone sour (though you don’t need to keep old milk in your fridge—see tips […]
Read More…
Missouri-Kansas-Texas locomotives were modernized under the watch of President Matthew Sloan in the 1930s. They were mostly built before World War I, with higher boiler pressures and superheaters. As a light-rail granger road set in mostly prairie country, Katy needed only modernized engines. Premier mainline power was 154 Mikados and 62 Pacifies, with yard work […]
Read More…
Facts & features Name: Vermont Rail System Scale: HO (1:87) in standard, narrow (3-foot), and dual gauges Size: 22’-103⁄4” x 25’-7” Prototypes: Vermont Rail System, Rutland Railroad Locale: Vermont Era: 1960s to present Style: Walk-in Mainline run: 96 feet point-to-point, 106 feet loop Minimum radius: 24” Minimum turnout: no. 4 (yards), no. 6 (main) Maximum […]
Read More…
Electro-Motive Division GP7 from Athearn Genesis Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $219.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $319.99. Add $10 for Primed for Grime models. Era: 1949+ (varies on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Electro-Motive Division GP7 features: Body-mounted McHenry knuckle couplers […]
Read More…
Get your old trains running again! It’s time to take them out of the boxes and have some fun. In this chapter from Beginner’s Guide to Repairing Lionel Trains, Ray L. Plummer offers advice on how to do it. Get your old trains running again “Old electric train” – that’s what it says on the […]
Read More…
We’ll take a look at five details you can add to transition-era cabooses. Some details are railroad-specific, while others apply to many railroads. When in doubt, refer to prototype photos. The steam-to-diesel transition era, roughly 1940 to 1960, is the most popular modeling era. There are several reasons for this. Many people who model this […]
Read More…
“Bloody Nose” Alco PA1 from American Z Line Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: 1958+ Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com “Bloody Nose” Alco PA1 features: prototype specific details 7mm can motor dual flywheels directional controlled light-emitting diode lighting six-axle trucks with blind middle axle blackened metal wheels traction […]
Read More…