Intermodal equipment If you’re trackside, odds are you’re going to see an intermodal train. Intermodal made up 49% of the 34 million units of freight carried by U.S. railroads last year, more than four times higher than coal, the next largest commodity. Odds are that intermodal train will mostly have railcars owned by TTX, a […]
Lionel Catalog Volume 1 for 2024 is filled with plenty of treasures. What’s there? How about fantastic locomotives loaded with tons of special effects and realistic details as well as lots of superb pieces of scale rolling stock and entertaining operating cars of all sorts? And plenty of spectacular and enjoyable train sets for modelers […]
Five forgotten locomotives no one wanted: Producing a locomotive is a massive endeavor. From design to testing to production, each model is the summation of thousands of hours of labor from dedicated engineers, builders, and everyone in between. However, in spite of the scale of this undertaking, sometimes it just doesn’t work out. Maybe the […]
Backdrops are an important part of any model railroad. Whether you use drywall, tempered hardboard, or some other material, backdrops help operators and visitors focus on the layout and not other distractions in the room. If you’re looking for something beyond basic sky blue, and painting isn’t your game, then this backdrop round-up is for […]
When it comes to detail parts, often we find ourselves sourcing the same buildings, fences, or houses. If you’re not confident in your model building skills developing a unique scene without premade structures can be a challenge. Recently, Mr. Muffin’s Trains (Atlanta, Ind.) has started selling Schomberg Scale Structure kits, formerly sold under the Schomberg […]
The evolution of model railroad scenery products has been fun to watch. In prior generations, molded-Styrofoam mountains and scenery mats with dyed green sawdust were considered the norm. Today, we’re blessed with a variety of tools and products that make our layouts look more like what we see when we’re standing trackside. In this article, […]
Trains take a detour The whir of an electric switch motor fills the air as a dwarf signal flashes from red to green. Beneath a blinding headlight, four locomotives advance stiffly along a tight connecting track as the rails squeal in protest. A dark figure emerges from a pickup truck waiting in the gathering darkness, […]
EMD may be the most famous locomotive manufacturer in the history of railroading. Despite that success, there are models in the the EMD history books which arrived to little fanfare and few orders. The following are six notable examples of EMD locomotives that, for one reason or another, no one wanted. EMD Model 40 The […]
Storing locomotives Changing traffic levels affect the amount of equipment in operation, from freight cars to locomotives. When events occur such as a softening of the economy, losing a major contract to haul goods, or the end of a cyclical demand such as a grain harvest, a railroad will occasionally have to store equipment when […]
Some questions we get frequently are: “How do I lubricate my locomotives?” followed by “What type of lubrication should I use on them?” Here are some answers. And remember, when it comes to oil and grease on locomotives or other rolling stock, less is more. Fortunately, there’s a quick and easy answer for what to […]
Automatic knuckle couplers have been a part of model railroading for more than 60 years. Not only do these couplers look more like what you see on full-size locomotives and freight cars, they’re easy to install and use. You can learn more about them in my articles on HO and N scale couplers on Trains.com. […]
The dynamics of dynamic braking A half-century ago, when diesel locomotives were replacing steam engines, a revolutionary breakthrough — dynamic braking — was making freight operations safer and more efficient. Dynamic braking is the method of train braking whereby the kinetic energy of a moving train is used to generate electric current at the locomotive […]
