Big Skies & Iron Rails, Hauling Freight

With our intrepid railfan Tom Danneman behind the camera, even a seemingly mundane manifest or general merchandise freight train stands out amidst the beautiful backdrop of the American West. Enjoy the striking natural views, complemented by the various sizes, shapes, and colors of modern freight trains traversing Big Skies & Iron Rails! Be sure to […]

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Atlas HO scale Electro-Motive Division MP15DC

Atlas HO scale Electro-Motive Division MP15DC. An Atlas Model Railroad Co. end-cab diesel locomotive decorated for First Union Rail visited our HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy layout. Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno talk about the features on this Master Line model. New paint schemes (all with ditch lights) on […]

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Santa Maria Valley No. 205 at Work

Newly restored Santa Maria Valley 2-6-2 number 205 is under steam at the Albany and Eastern Railroad shops as the crew readies the locomotive for a photo charter the following day. We’ll follow the 205 as she is pressed into revenue freight service for a day, March 17, 2022. The Albany and Eastern operates 64 […]

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Soo Line No. 1003 Photo Special

In coordination with the Kalmbach Media sponsored TrainFest hobby show in Milwaukee, Wisc., the Steam Locomotive Heritage Association used the opportunity to fire up their 1913-built American Locomotive Company, Class L-1 2-8-2 steam engine, Soo Line No. 1003. This photo special routed over the tracks of regional railroad Wisconsin & Southern — all to the […]

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Artwork or nuisance: Graffiti on O gauge trains

Graffiti on o gauge cars lionel hopper

Graffiti on O gauge trains typically has a polarizing effect: One either loves or hates it. But there’s no denying the painting on model subways, rolling stock, and even diesel locomotives can make contemporary equipment come to life. Items produced and marketed by Lionel, along with some developed by Atlas O and MTH Electric Trains, […]

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N scale General Motors Diesel Division GP40-2W from Atlas

Screen capture of product review video.

An N scale General Motors Diesel Division GP40-2W from Atlas recently toured our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy State Line Route layout. Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno talk about the features on the locomotive and take it for a tour of the “Mini Myrt.” Paint schemes on the four-axle road unit […]

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The Lionel Union Pacific Rocket Booster Train

Lionel Union Pacific Rocket Booster Train

The Lionel Union Pacific Rocket Booster Train is finally out, and as an aerospace engineer formerly employed by NASA, this set hit home! I knew I had to have it the second I saw it advertised in the Lionel 2022 Volume 1 catalog! The set isn’t a work of science fiction, either. The prototype Rocket […]

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Operating the layout — State Line Route in N scale, Episode 26

Operating the layout | In the previous Episode 25 (Car routing with JMRI OperationsPro), you saw the crew prepare the State Line Route N scale model railroad for an operating session. Now, host David Popp walks you through the prototypical actions as they transpire over the simple, yet engaging layout! Enjoying this coverage of our […]

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Union Pacific Silvis Donation Special

In November 2022, a special train left Cheyenne, Wyo., bound for the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America’s steam shops in Silvis, Ill. The move marked the end of one era and the beginning of a new one, as the Union Pacific, the only Class I railroad in North America with a steam program, decided to […]

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Five Burlington Northern kitbashes

Color photo of caboose painted light gray with small windows and rooftop air conditioners.

Kitbashing is a facet of the hobby many model railroaders enjoy. Full-size railroads modify equipment, too. As I was combing through my photo collection and images in our David P. Morgan Memorial Library, I found five Burlington Northern kitbashes. Hopefully one or more of these cars will inspire your next modeling project. Want more Burlington […]

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Locomotives short lines like to use

Photo of center-cab locomotive with seven car train

Locomotives short lines like to use: Shortline railroads have long fascinated me. Perhaps it’s because I had a front-row seat to the startup of one in my hometown in December 1996. Maybe it’s because some are real underdog stories. Seeing a railroad turn a line or lines plagued by years of deferred maintenance into a […]

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