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One of the great things about model railroading is the ever-increasing durability of available products. Most new or recent locomotives, rolling stock, and track, will likely yield many years of enjoyable use, with minimal maintenance required. However, to ensure a long lifespan for your collection, some basic TLC will always be needed. By keeping on …
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For Ted Klein, the model railroad industry was a lifelong passion. From his modest beginnings overseeing a small section in a local hardware store, to his transformation of that same business into one of the largest and most well-known model railroad retailers in the world. In this article, we’re looking at the story of the …
Operating across the Great Lakes and Northeastern regions of the United States, the New York Central Railroad (NYC) served as a primary trunk route from Boston and New York to the Midwest and Chicago. Along with other large railroads such as the Pennsylvania and Union Pacific, it is generally regarded as one of the greatest …
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Era Overview Following the explosive growth of railroad technology and routes during the Pioneer Era, the Golden Era (1910 – 1940) was arguably the finest era of classic railroading. Trains had solidly established themselves as America’s primary transportation method, and it was during this time that the United States would hit it’s peak of 254,000 …
One of the great things about model railroading is the flexibility we have in terms of what we can do with our layouts – we can create the feel of any time, place, or season. From the arctic cold of northern Canada, to the sunny beaches of south Florida. As we enjoy the warm weather …
A few months ago we outlined the basic hallmarks of the 5 key eras of railroading history. In this new series, we’ll be taking a closer look into 4 of these eras, examining what types of rolling stock, locomotives, industries, and scenery items would best fit these periods on your model railroad. For our first …
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) was one of the most prominent East Coast freight haulers of the 20th Century. Operating in eight states at its peak, this historic railroad built a legacy which still impacts freight transportation to this day. The first operations of a company which would eventually become part of the mighty …
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The Prototype Following World War II, the Canadian National Railway embarked on an ambitious modernization program for it’s passenger services, purchasing a fleet of new lightweight coaches and sleeping cars for long distance routes. Although the new cars were successful, the program was never fully realized due to metal shortages following the war, and CN …
Continue reading “Exclusive Preview – The Kato CN Transcontinental Set”
As model railroaders, we put a lot of time, effort, and money into building something special. If you’re like us, you’ve probably spent years developing a collection of structures, scenery items, and of course, rolling stock to fit your needs. While the goal is always to include as many of these items as possible on …
Continue reading “8 Essential Rules for Storing Model Trains “
The Prototype The Pullman-Standard Car Manufacturing Company was the result of a merger between the original Pullman Car Company (a pioneer in passenger comfort and rail dining) and the Standard Steel Car Company in 1929. This came at a crucial transition period in passenger car development. Until this point, most passenger cars were being constructed …