This coal hopper, seen in Butler, Wis., has a main body built from aluminum and a center sill made of steel. Freight-car makers use non-conductive materials to separate the metals and prevent galvanic corrosion. Steve Sweeney Q There are aluminum-body Talgos and aluminum-body coal cars, both with steel center sills. High school chemistry teaches that […]
Name: Iowa Interstate RR Grimes Line Layout designer: James McNab Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 12′-0″ x 18′-8″ Prototype: IAIS Grimes Industrial Track Locale: Greater Des Moines, Iowa Period: September 2008 Style: linear walkaround Mainline run: 52 feet Minimum radius: 22″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Originally appeared in Great Model Railroads 2015. Click […]
The former Baltimore & Ohio tower at Keyser, W.Va., seen here in 2004 under CSX ownership, was a classic “armstrong” mechanical interlocking plant. The pipes travel along the tracks, where levers and cranks transfer the motion to switches, locks, and derails. Concrete pedestals support the pipe lines and other hardware. Historic American Engineering Record photo […]
Herzog freight cars are often seen in track maintenance and repair projects, such as this ballast train. Mike Yuhas Q I have seen private freight cars on the major railroads carrying the logo and letters for “HERZOG.” Who owns them and what do they carry? – L. Frank Herman, Springfield, Ill. A You likely saw […]
FULL SCREEN Brandon Townley A Loram crew sprays water to prevent fires from forming, following the rail-grinding process on Norfolk Southern’s Sandusky District in Chatfield, Ohio. FULL SCREEN David Honan Westbound manifest train M-LAUPAS passes through this dramatic scene on Montana Rail Link’s 4th Subdivision at Hope, Idaho, on Aug. 31, 2014. FULL SCREEN Mitch […]
Grand Prize winner: A reflection of a BNSF Railway engine in water droplets near Old Monroe, Mo., on the BNSF K-Line. Barry Gaston This year we are publishing our 77th volume, so it seemed fitting to call the 2017 Trains Photo Contest “Lucky 7.” As always, you can interpret our theme in any way you […]
Name: Los Angeles Junction Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 5′-0″, x 9′-6″ Prototype: Los Angeles Junction Ry. Era: present day Style: shelf Mainline run: not applicable Minimum radius: 24″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none The track plan originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download a […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page To get to the National Model Railroad Association’s (NMRA) 2016 national convention in Indianapolis, Ind., MRVP’s Ben Lake and Model Railroader magazine’s Dana Kawala hopped aboard Amtrak’s Hiawatha and Iowa Pacific’s Hoosier State. Enjoy Ben’s narrated journey to Indiana’s capital city, and then […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page On a recent trip to the United Kingdom, MRVP Contributing Editor Charlie Conway enjoyed a delightful trackside chat with Richard Foster, Editor of Model Rail magazine. While a cavalcade of British trains raced by, Charlie and Richard discussed a number of modeling and […]
Name: Geneva Subdivision Layout owner: Daryl Kruse Scale: N (1:160) Size: 25 x 48 feet Prototype: Union Pacific (ex-Chicago & North Western) Locale: Northern Illinois Era: Present Style: single deck Mainline run: 160 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Turnouts: no. 10 (mainline), no. 8 (secondary and yard track) Maximum grade: 0.5 percent Benchwork: open-grid Height: 55″ […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Inspired by a recent Drew’s Trackside Adventures, MRVP’s David Popp aimed to design a layout that highlights the amazing scenery and railroad operation found in Canada’s Thompson and Fraser River Canyons. Ben Lake takes that scheme even further with this 3D rendering of […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Inspired by a recent Drew’s Trackside Adventures, MRVP’s David Popp aimed to design a layout that highlights the amazing scenery and railroad operation found in Canada’s Thompson and Fraser River Canyons. Ben Lake takes that scheme even further with this 3D rendering of […]
