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Columns High Green A series on model railroad layout construction and design. Ian MacMillan will take us through the design and process on his HO scale Amoskeag Northern. History in Motion Learn interesting historical information about railroads and railroading. By M.R. Snell Along the Line Take a tour of the New Jersey Division and see how this high quality, 24x40 foot layout operates. Also learn how each intricate section of this layout was carefully developed and constructed. By Nick Wilson Fresh Tracks A column about youths who enjoy railroading. Nick Wilson got involved with the Teen Association of Model Railroaders while reading a Model Railroader one day. He is now the founder of the Western New York Division. By J.D. Santucci Hot Times on the High Iron J. D. Santucci (a.k.a. "Tuch") began his railroading career in 1978 as a trainman on the Missouri Pacific. After a round of lay-offs in 1985, Tuch embarked on a railroad odyssey, working in many different situations for different roads. This column tries to explain some of the nuts and bolts of the job and also demonstrates what we have to deal with on a regular basis from within and without the industry. Tuch currently works through freights out of Chicago for Canadian National/Illinois Central. Reviews Looking for an addition to your collection, or maybe a gift for a friend? Read all about the latest railroad releases from popular publishers each month. By Claude Gaudet Shop Notes Claude Gaudet began his railroading career with Canadian National in 1978 as an apprentice diesel mechanic in the main shop facility in Montreal. Since then, his work has lead him to consulting work in nearly every aspect of locomotive and rolling stock maintenance. Read each month as we learn what it's like to keep those trains rolling day in and day out! By Scott Clay Track and Time Ever wonder what it's like being the "new guy?" Union Pacific employee Scott Clay is a new Foreman Class 2 in the yard in West Chicago, Illinois. Join him each month as he shares his experiences working on the railroad. Model Railroading An Easy Kitbash of Canadian “Sweep” in HO A while back I was browsing through some railroad photos on the Internet when I found a great view of a Canadian National “Sweep.”  What’s a “Sweep?” It’s a real-life kitbash consisting of an SW1200RS cab and frame mated with a GP9 body, including the main generator, cooling fans, and traction motor blowers, all riding on Flexicoil trucks. Arcade and Attica Railroad 44-tonners in G Scale For me, it was love at first sight. The A&A owned two different 44-tonners, and also a 65-tonner. Each was quite similar in appearance, but each also had their special traits. I wanted one of each. Celebrating the Holidays “Along the Line” Now that the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder, it’s a sure sign that the holiday season is fast approaching. The railroads have celebrated the holiday season in their own way for many years. Model Railroad Classics: Bowser Manufacturing This is the story of Bowser Manufacturing's early years, and the difficulties encountered in designing and manufacturing a quality HO scale locomotive kit in the 1940s and early 1950s. Operation Lifesaver On Your Model Railroad I model Conrail, a railroad that was very active in the Operation Lifesaver program. My HO scale Conrail New Jersey Division features examples of specially constructed and decorated equipment for the Operation Lifesaver Program (OLI). Contests: First Annual Layout Design Contest Results FINALLY! The long awaited results of our first annual Layout Design Contest are in. Congratulations to Mathew Lappin who contributed three prize winning designs ranging from urban switching to industrial shortline to busy secondary. The Chessie System from Cumberland to Pittsburgh Growing up in the Pittsburgh area in the late sixties and early seventies, I was exposed to a variety of railroading at a very early age. Seeing that unique bright yellow paint scheme on the locomotives as they passed by had made me into an instant Chessie System fan. The Westchester Northern: A Heavy Electric Shortline in an Apartment Living Room Heavy electric railroading has always been a favorite of mine. Growing up in Yonkers, the New York Central's third rail and the New Haven's overhead wire electrified divisions were ever-present in my youth. Modeling Modern Defect Detectors One of the trackside icons of modern railroading is the defect detector. Known by various names such as HBD (Hot Box Detector) or DED (Dragging Equipment Detector), detectors can monitor one or more mechanical conditions on passing trains, thus making them an invaluable tool for railroads. Making Those Odd Cars Work To Your Advantage So you're driving home from the hobby shop and beating yourself up about the new car you just bought. Sure, it looked really cool in the store... that's why you bought it! But now you're coming to grips that it just plain doesn't fit your modeled era or locale. As you drive, you ponder its future to remain in the box or on a shelf, or maybe you can sell it to one of your friends... Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT While visiting Boston on December 21 to document the PCC trolleys run by MBTA, my friend Josh Weis and I paid a visit to the Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT. Prototype Review: Walthers™ Budd Passenger Cars My observations regarding Walthers new line of HO-scale Budd passenger cars are based upon some admittedly specific interests. I will attempt to relate as much information as possible regarding each of the Walthers models - both in their "as built" configuration and the Amtrak version. Railfanning Buffalo Central Terminal Thick fog still blankets much of the city, but families with children, rail enthusiasts and men and boys with cameras gladly add their bodies to a line snaking 200 feet four abreast from the base of Buffalo’s New York Central Terminal. By the end of this event – a two-day model train show – only 3,000 paying visitors walk into the cathedral-like art deco station. Some blamed the weather, the economy or both. But the scene is still baffling compared to the one from just 10 years ago, long after the last passenger trains departed and local government officials had written off the building as too expensive to redevelop or demolish. It was left to rot. Until now. Rising From the Ashes: Chicago Aurora & Elgin 309 For car 309 it has been a long road of recovery from the damage it received on that fiery morning in March 1971. Most of its recovery is due to Randy Hicks, whose participation in this car’s renewal began when he was in college and has lasted for more than half of his life. Now, 33 years later, this labor of love has nearly reached its fulfillment. Railroad Revival in the Catskill Mountains Passenger service ceased in 1954, and freight service ended in 1976. Despite this cessation of service 30 years ago, some 60 miles of the line remains intact today under local government ownership. The Boston & Maine on the eve of Guilford In rail the railroad world, as in life, what’s here today may not be around tomorrow. So it’s always a good idea to enjoy what’s in front of you while you can. Back in 1983, it was apparent that the purchase of the Boston & Maine by Guilford Transportation Industries would bring some big changes to New England’s largest locally-owned railroad. My Day Working on the Boston & Maine Railroad Our family business was Sanel Auto Parts in Manchester, NH, founded by my grandfather and later operated by my dad. Bob Adair worked for my dad and knew I liked trains. His dad Aubrey Stuart Adair Sr. (his nickname was “Stoody”) worked for the Boston & Maine. Somehow my dad arranged for me to spend a Saturday working in Manchester Yard with Stoody. Metra: Shuttling Commuters in Chicagoland Chicago and commuter trains have gone hand in hand for years, fitting enough for the world’s railroad capital. While somewhat diminished from the height of activity in the 20th century, commuter trains still play a vital role in moving Chicagoland residents to and from work and play. The Wolsztyn Experience - Steam Lives in Poland Fifty years after their use fell off dramatically; there is still a place where it’s possible to operate a steam locomotive in regular daily service. I have just returned from Wolsztyn, Poland, where I spent a week running and firing steam locomotives hauling scheduled, commercial passenger trains with paying customers in the seats. Photography 101: Lessons in Western New York I’ve often sat in a dark room late at night, staring at the glowing monitor in front of me at photos of far-away railfan spots, rare locomotives, and all-but-lost memories of the past. It seems like just yesterday that slides ruled the world, and catching rare power was purely luck. In these modern times, however, technology has taken over. York Won’t Be Timeless Forever When scouting a city for railroads it's often best to head for the historic center of a town. On the east coast it's easy, just aim for the colonial sounding streets: King, Queen, George, Duke, and the like. This is certainly the case with York, Pennsylvania, a town 265 years young, doing her picturesque best on the banks of Codorus Creek. Railroads, mountains, a bay, and a President As the dominant railroad on the island, everyone who lives there has some form of contact with the LIRR every day. The more I learn about the LIRR, the more I learn about the history of Long Island. 100 Years Young: Chicago Aurora & Elgin 308 By late summer 2005, exterior restoration of the 308 was substantially completed with final application of its 1950-era paint job. This livery was known by railfans as the "red white and blue" paint scheme, and known by the CA&E as its "Early American" livery. Getting Up Close and Personal with BNSF's Famed Crawford Hill - Thanks to the Ponderosa Ranch! Crawford Hill is located on the busy BNSF transcontinental mainline, in the northwestern part of Nebraska. Photographing most of the trains from Belmont Hill to the horseshoe curve near the town of Crawford is relatively impossible due to the lack of ready access to the railroad. This is what makes access to the Ponderosa Ranch property so valuable! Air Brakes The air brake is the standard, fail-safe, train brake used by railways all over the world. In spite of what you might think, there is no mystery to it. It is based on the simple physical properties of compressed air. So here is a simplified description of the air brake system. Tips for Preserving your Photographic Collection If you're like me, you have hundreds of slides and photos of trains you have taken over the years. Proper storage of your collection will make it more fun to look at and easier to enjoy and share with others for time to come. New York Central's 1934 West Side Improvement This is from a 1934 pamphlet describing improvements in the New York Central's freight distribution system in Manhattan. Looking Back at Metro-North's Harlem Division Built as a true commuter's route, it can trace its heritage all the way back to the original New York & Harlem horsecar line that was first chartered in 1831. Smiths Falls Alco Reprieve In the summer of 1994, scores of railfans flocked to Smiths Falls, Ontario to experience CP Rail's big Alco-powered locomotives for the last time. Railroad Slanguage Glossary The boomers spoke a language of there own, and many of the terms these imaginative and romantic travelers invented still remain in railway parlance. The following is an attempt to establish a glossary of the terms used. It is by no means complete. PCC Survivors: The MBTA's Mattapan High Speed Line Once the backbone of Boston's streetcar and subway lines, the PCC is now limited to a unique shuttle operation serving some of the south suburbs. New York Central Reprise on the Finger Lakes Since its start in 1995, annual carloads have more than doubled. The Finger Lakes Railway operates a network of branch lines that radiate out of Geneva. Newark's Best Kept Secret: The City Subway Outside of Newark, and certain transit buff circles, the City Subway is indeed "Newark's Best Kept Secret!" Running for nearly seventy years out of the basement of Newark Penn Station, the 4.3 mile line has enjoyed the protection of obscurity. The Orphan Rochester Subway Originally built by the city of Rochester, NY to help funnel interurban traffic of its busy streets, it quickly became a target of criticism and eventually, a political football. All About Work Trains Work trains are probably one of the least noticed and understood kinds of trains, especially by model railroaders. Even More Work Trains A collection of additional pictures of cars mentioned in the article on work trains. Northeastern Cabooses The "Northeastern" caboose was never called that by the railroads that used it. The term was bestowed by railfans and model railroaders because the design was used by railroads that operated in the states that are today called the "Middle Atlantic" states, nevertheless in the northeastern quadrant of the nation. Northeastern Cabooses Part 2 With the steady decline in traffic, which began soon after World War II, many railroads began to dispose of their older cabooses. Those in poor condition were sold for scrap, but surplus cabooses in good condition were sold to short lines and occasionally other Class 1 railroads that needed them. Big Trains in Big Texas From the mountains of west Texas, the plains of north Texas to the Piney Woods of east Texas, you name it, it's here.

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