Rock Island Requiem: The Collapse of a Mighty Fine Line By Gregory L. Schneider University Press of Kansas, 2502 Westbrooke Cir., Lawrence, KS 66045; 392 pages, 26 photos; hardcover, 6.125 x 9.25 in.; $37.50 This impressive volume chronicles the long, sad decline of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and illustrates how federal regulation […]
The Ligonier Valley Rail Road by Robert D. Stutzman Arcadia Publishing, 420 Wando Park Blvd., Charleston, SC 29464; 128 pages; softcover, 6.5 x 9.25 in.; $21.99 Pennsylvania is known today for having more than 50 shortline railroads within its borders, most of which are castoff segments of the Class I railroads. In the 19th and […]
The Twilight of Steam: Great Photography from the Last Days of Steam Locomotives in America By Brian Solomon Voyageur Press, 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401; 192 pages, 128 b&w photos; hardcover, 12 x 10 in.; $50.00 More than 50 years after the last steam engines ran in revenue service, the fascination […]
Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale Alco RS-3 diesel locomotive Atlas Model Railroad Co. is releasing new HO scale versions of the RS-3, Alco’s most successful road switcher. The RS‑3, powered by a 1,600-hp, 12-cylinder 244 engine, was a reliable and versatile locomotive. Though it didn’t come close to the popularity of its rival, Electro-Motive […]
Kato HO scale Amtrak Budd baggage car Price: $85 Manufacturer: Kato USA Inc 100 Remington Road Schaumburg. Ill, 60173 www.katousa.com Era: 1978 to present Comments: A typical Amtrak 73-foot streamlined baggage car has been released by Kato USA for use with the firm’s Superliner passenger cars.The model represents one of the Budd baggage cars originally […]
Model Rectifier Corp. Digital Command Control starter set For modelers interested in an easy way to try Digital Command Control (DCC) without committing to a full- featured system, Model Rectifier Corp. offers the Prodigy Explorer. This no-frills DCC system makes it easy to get a taste for DCC operation and decoder programming. Using other Prodigy […]
Bachmann Industries HO sale Norfolk Southern fleet diesel locomotives It seems model railroaders can’t get enough of the Norfolk Southern heritage fleet. Dressed in the paint schemes of fallen flag railroads, newly tooled HO scale General Electric ES44AC and Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe locomotives are now available in the Bachmann Trains Sound Value series. The accurately […]
The LionChief Plus Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 Pacific steamer is a traditionally sized locomotive with a body style familiar to most O gaugers. The resemblance to a postwar classic is purely cosmetic, however, because this version has a full suite of modern operational features and the added flexibility of being able to operate in command or […]
When I was growing up, the face of the Florida East Coast Ry. was pretty much F units and rusty-around-the-louver GP7s and 9s. Then one momentous day I was at a grade crossing (probably going home from Ernie’s Hobby Shop in Melbourne, Fla.) and it happened: Wham! It was an FEC GP40 blazing down the […]
Broadway Limited Imports N scale PA-1 and B units One of the most striking locomotives of the steam-to-diesel transition era hits the rails in N scale thanks to Broadway Limited Imports’ new release. The Alco PA-1 and PB-1 are offered separately in multiple road names, or as a set of a powered PA-1 with a […]
Athearn Trains HO scale EMD SDP45 diesel locomotives For the first time, a General Motors Electro-Motive Division SDP45 rumbles down HO scale rails as a ready-to-run plastic model. Part of Athearn Trains Genesis series, this HO scale SDP45 rivals the finest brass locomotives in terms of roadname- and road-number specific detail. I tested a version […]
Spring Mills Depot HO scale covered hopper Spring Mills Depot has released an interesting three-bay, 100-ton covered hopper that’s offered in 22 paint schemes. Of particular note, the model comes in numerous variations that have specific detailing to match the prototype paint schemes. Each of the cars is also offered in a variety of correct […]
