Weaver brass Rio Grande M64-class 4-8-4 Northern

WEAVER MODELS HAS produced a superb model of what must be classified as one of the finest-looking 4-8-4 Northern locomotives of the era of steam power. In the 1920s, the Rio Grande needed some new engines to supplement the line’s heavy 4-8-2 Mountain types that were handling longer and heavier passenger trains through the Rocky […]

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K-Line New York Central Dreyfuss 4-6-4 Hudson

THE DREYFUSS HUDSONS look fast standing still and they backed up their speedy image with superb performance. In the 1930s, the New York Central streamlined 10 of the line’s famed 4-6-4 Hudsons as part of an upgrade of the railroad’s premier express, the 20th Century Limited. But despite their celebrity status, in time the locomotives […]

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K-Line New York Central J-1e-class Hudson

LOOKING AT THE SHIPPING list citing the box’s contents as a New York Central Hudson, my first words were, “Been there, done that.” After all, seemingly dozens of the Central’s classic 4-6-4 Hudsons have been produced by Lionel, MTH, K-Line, and Williams, in scale, semi-scale, and toy-like versions. There are even more Hudsons out there […]

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Lionel LionMaster Western Maryland 4-6-6-4

AMONG THE LATEST in Lionel’s LionMaster line of traditional-sized locomotives is an exceptionally sharp rendering of a Union Pacific-style 4-6-6-4 Challenger, painted and lettered for the Western Maryland Railroad. Although in real life that Appalachian coal hauler used a different style of 4-6-6-4 locomotive, Lionel’s model will probably please everyone but the most die-hard, rivet-counting […]

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Lionel N&W J-class 4-8-4 Northern

ONE OF THE MOST recognized American locomotives is the bullet-faced Norfolk & Western J-class 4-8-4 Northern. Between 1941 and 1950 the railroad, which stubbornly supported steam locomotives while other roads embraced diesels, built 14 J and J-1 class locomotives, keeping them on the active roster until 1959. The notable exception to retirement was no. 611, […]

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