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A thrilling ride on a high-steed steam locomotive is featured in this article from June 1950 Trains Magazine by then-Editor David P. Morgan. Engineer Valentine Ureda pulls up the drop seat within the door of his Hudson’s vestibuled cab, wipes it off with cotton waste, then pauses for a logical question: “Ever ride a steam […]
Q: I’m building a layout based on the early Burlington Northern in Idaho. I’ve seen a number of photos of renumbered locomotives and cabooses. Most have white numbers and reporting marks, but I’ve seen a few prototype photos online with the data in black. Did BN have a standard font and size for renumbering equipment, […]
Kadee HO scale 50-ton flatcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $54.99 Era: 1942+ (as decorated) Manufacturer: Kadee Quality Products Co., 673 Ave. C, White City, OR 97503; 541-826-3883; kadee.com Kadee HO scale 50-ton flatcar features: 33” ribbed-back metal wheels with raised foundry data mounted on plastic axles Body-mounted Magne-Matic No. 158 scale “whisker” couplers in narrow […]
News & Products for the week of June 2nd 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of June 2nd, […]
Railroading — and its echoes — remain all around us, deeply embedded in language, culture, technology, and attitudes. It is less visible today than even 50 years ago, but it is there if you take a look. Or listen, because trains have been a major part of the American cultural soundtrack. There is music about […]
Broadway Limited N scale EMD NW2 Scale: N (1:160) Price: Stealth (no sound), $189.99; with dual-mode Paragon4 sound decoder, $259.99 Era: 1939 to 1970s (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; 386-673-8900; broadway-limited.com Broadway Limited N scale EMD NW2 features: All-wheel electrical pickup Body-mounted knuckle […]
While growing up in Cleveland and Buffalo after World War II, a close encounter with a 4-6-4 Hudson-type locomotive was just a train ride away. My first memory was as a four-year-old. My family had taken the New York Central to Chicago, and as we walked forward at La Salle Street Station, I was […]
Rare elsewhere, the 4-8-0 was Norfolk & Western’s top freight engine until 1910, when the first articulateds arrived. Out of an original fleet of 286 Twelve-Wheelers, by 1954, three dozen remained, including 1906-built 475, switching at Potts Valley Junction on the Radford Division. Today this engine hauls tourists, and sometimes freight, at the Strasburg Rail […]
I’m trying to troubleshoot a Lionel No. 624 Chesapeake & Ohio NW2 diesel switcher from the 1950s. The motor seems to short out, even after I spent time cleaning out the dried grease from long ago. All I get now is a grinding noise, and the locomotive barely moves. What do you think is the […]
On July 23, 1966, New York Central set a new U.S. railroad speed record when jet-powered RDC M-497, dubbed the Pride of the New York Central, hit 183.85 mph on a 24-mile tangent section of 26-year-old joined rail between Butler, Ind. and Stryker, Ohio. The RDC sported cylindrical wheels in place of normal tapered-tread wheels, […]
Walthers HO ACF 5250 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Era: 1960s to 2000s Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO ACF 5250 covered hopper features: 36” turned-metal wheels on plastic axles All-new tooling from rails to roof Based on prototypes used to haul plastic […]
Q: What website is best for finding prototype photos of freight cars to help with realistic weathering? — Jim Veronico A: Though some websites are certainly better than others, I’m reluctant to declare a single website as the “best” for finding prototype freight car photos. Over the years, I’ve found that using multiple sites helps […]
