Editor’s Note: Former Classic Trains Senior Editor J. David Ingles rode the Georgia Railroad mixed train with his wife, Carol, on Oct. 22, 1975. Wednesday morning was dawning clear but crisp as we left the motel, and our taxi driver had no trouble making the 7-mile trip to the Harrisonville Yard “passenger station” […]
Cabooses (no, not cabeese) were a common occurrence on freight trains throughout most of the 1900s, yet we rarely see them today. Why is that? When did they stop operating? Where did they go? And lastly, how can I model the last days of the caboose on my layout? Why? In one word: technology. Advances […]
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With school back in session, the sun setting earlier, and the first hints of autumn showing up in the trees, it also means we’re getting back to peak model railroading season. Are you searching for some workbench projects to keep you busy this fall and winter? Here are five cabooses you can model. I just […]
In late August 2023, Atlas announced that it is entering the Z scale freight car market. The company’s debut car will be the Evans 53-foot double-plug-door boxcar, which it also offers in N, HO, and O scales. The Master Line model is scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2024. Road names in the […]
I’m heartened to see Amtrak intends to explore a 200-mph Dallas-Houston passenger rail service in cooperation with Texas Central Partners. Having driven I-45 between the two megacities, I can vouch for its clear need and likely success. Not all of Amtrak’s plans have succeeded as envisioned, unfortunately. One, in particular, comes to mind: the short-lived […]
The Atlas HO scale EMD GP40 is back for another run, this time with ditch lights on select road names. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno as he points out the features on the four-axle road switcher, demonstrates some of the light and sound features, and switches cars on the Jones Island section of […]
The Atlas HO scale EMD GP40 is back for another run, this time with ditch lights on select road names. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno as he points out the features on the four-axle road switcher, demonstrates some of the light and sound features, and switches cars on the Jones Island section of […]
To our younger readers, HO scale locomotives with smoke units may seem like a recent development. In reality, the feature dates back to the end of World War II when American Flyer began producing 1:87.1 steam locomotives with smoke. Since that time, companies have continued to offer HO locomotives with smoke units. Admittedly, some manufacturers […]
If you have LEGO trains, you probably have LEGO train track. Different kinds of LEGO train track have appeared in train sets from the very beginning and have evolved to the gray track that we have today. What parts can you buy in the store today? Come along on this journey as I share all […]
Asked who my main influence has been as a writer, my reflexive answer is always “David P. Morgan.” The great editor’s inspiring use of language is what, in my opinion, made Trains magazine so important to generations of readers. And although I’d never be foolish enough to compare anything I write to that of D.P.M., […]
A Pullman-Standard 4427 high-side three-bay covered hopper is making its debut in the Atlas O Premier line. The model, acquired when Atlas O purchased select M.T.H. tooling in March 2021, features plastic and die-cast metal construction and a mix of molded and separate, factory-applied detail parts. Prototype history The PS 4,427-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper […]
