Working as a railroad fireman: It was the end of summer. Billy, Wimpy, and I had finished cleaning up after the last threshing job and watched Mr. Hedrick slowly drive the rig out to the road and head west to the winter storage building behind his blacksmith shop. The rig consisted of a Huber […]
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Electro-Motive history: From upstart to undisputed champ
Electro-Motive history: Steam was king, its supremacy uncontested, in 1922 when Harold L. Hamilton and associates rented office space at 17th and Euclid in Cleveland, Ohio, for their fledgling Electro-Motive Engineering Co. Established to design, market, and maintain gas-electric railcars for light-density passenger service, the modest enterprise could hardly be considered a threat to […]
American Z Line June 2022 locomotive announcements
American Z Line June 2022 locomotive announcements Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: Nickel Plate Road Alco PA-1, December 1947 to November 1961; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Electro-Motive Division SW1000, 1966 to 1970 Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com EMD SW1000 features: AutoLatch couplers Directional light-emitting-diode lighting Blackened […]
Atlas O 40-foot General American Transportation Corp. Airslide covered hopper
40-foot General American Transportation Corp. Airslide covered hopper Scale: O (1:48) Price: $79.95 (undecorated, $74.95) Era: 1953 to 1980s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas O, 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com 40-foot General American Transportation Corp. Airslide covered hopper features: See-through running boards and brake wheel platform Separate, factory-applied grab irons and […]
90200 isn’t just any former locomotive
CHICAGO—Non-powered control unit 90200 isn’t just any former locomotive that lost its prime mover and traction motors when converted to a glorified baggage car with cab controls. Seen here outside Amtrak’s Chicago locomotive shop on June 2, 2022, coupled to an Illinois-owned Siemens SC-44 Charger, the carbody once was number 200. It is the first […]
Athearn HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD40 diesel locomotive
Electro-Motive Division SD40 diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current with 21-pin NEM connector, $169.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 sound decoder, $269.99 Era: 1967 to 2007+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com Electro-Motive Division SD40 diesel locomotive features: Directional light-emitting-diode headlights Rubber m.u. hoses Curved […]
Athearn Genesis 13,000-gallon tank car
13,000-gallon tank car Scale: N (1:160) Price: single car, $44.99; three-pack, $124.99 Era: 1980s+ to 2018+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com 13,000-gallon tank car features: Separate, factory-applied metal grab irons and handrails Body-mounted McHenry double-shelf couplers Rubber trainline hoses Early and late body styles Uncoupling […]
Athearn Genesis HO scale Electro-Motive Division GP15-1 and GP15T diesel locomotive
Electro-Motive Division GP15-1 and GP15T diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current with 21-pin NEM connector, $219.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 sound decoder, $319.99 Era: 1977+ to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com Electro-Motive Division GP15-1 and GP15T diesel locomotive features: Uncoupling levers Trainline […]
Railfan and train-watching safety
Railfan and train-watching safety is key to any successful train-watching trip, whether it be a block away from home or a continent away. One must have situational awareness. Taking the time to know your surroundings, what looks right, what doesn’t look right is essential to ensure you have a great trackside experience. Historically speaking, rail […]
Amtrak adds Capitol Limited bike capacity
WASHINGTON—Effective immediately, each departure of the Chicago-Washington, D.C. Capitol Limited is accepting reservations for up to 12 full-size bicycles along the route of a train that parallels popular trails through Maryland, West Virginia, and southern Pennsylvania. Last Friday, Amtrak announced increased capacity through mid-September, “due to high demand.” For $20, passengers can check a bike […]
Why do Vanderbilt tenders have round tanks?
Q: Why do Vanderbilt tenders have round tanks? It seems to me that with the same principal dimensions, a Vanderbilt tender would contain less water than a rectangular tank. – Chuck Moore A: The answer is hydrodynamics. Vanderbilt tenders have round tanks because they have to hold a lot of water. The radial bands of […]
Model paved brick streets on your garden railroad
Model paved brick streets: As on most of our garden railways, trains run by a model town. Mine is based on a small midwestern town I visited every summer as a boy. I hung out on Main Street lined with shops in an array of Victorian buildings with a brick paved street. In those days, […]
