MTH HO Scale 4-6-4 Hudson Locomotive - Streamlined NYC Empire State

HO RTR 4-6-4 with PS3, NYC/Empire State #1



Written By:
Ken Hulsey
Source: Steamlocomotives


MTH has released, what might be, one of the finest examples of the famed New York Central's 4-6-4 streamlined, 'Hudsons', in HO gauge. This locomotive is painted in the railroad's 'Empire State' paint scheme, and is a must have for all railroad modelers and enthusiasts.



In total 275 of these powerful passenger locomotives were built for the NYC by the American Locomotive Company between 1926 and 1938. Of these engines, 13 were streamlined in the now infamous, "bathtub" casing that was designed by the Case School of Science in Cleveland, OH.

NYC locomotive 5344 was the first to receive the streamline treatment, in fact, it was the first American steamer to ever be streamlined, having its shroud installed in 1934.

In 1935 No. 5344 was assigned to the New York Central's premiere passenger train, the 20th Century Limited, which ran between Toledo and Chicago. This locomotive would remain on the head end of the 'Limited' until 1945, when a collision with a truck at a grade crossing, would cause the engine to have to have it's streamlining removed.

Locomotives 5426 and 5429, were streamlined with a stainless steel cowling to match the "Empire State Express" train. Both locomotives would wear this cowling until 1950.

Ten 'Hudsons' , numbers 5445 through 5454, were graced with the famed streamline design created by Henry Dreyfuss that matched the new cars of the New York to Chicago "Twentieth Century Limited" which was one of America's most famous luxury trains.

Classic Railroad Photos - Rio Grande Steam In The 1940s

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Photos By: Lucius Beebe

Every railfan and railroad modeler know how important photographs from the 'golden age' of steam are. For the railfan, the images from a bye-gone age can help to keep the great history of railroading alive. To the railroad modeler, such images can be an invaluable tool. Allowing the craftsman to travel back in time, so that he can recreate such scenes on his own miniature main-line.

I don't think that will be necessary to sing the praises of one of the greatest railroad photographers of all time, Lucius Beebe, here. Just about everybody knows about his life-long dedication to preserving images of American trains on film for posterity.

Today, I have two fine examples of Beebe's work for you to enjoy. The first image (above) is of one of the Denver and Rio Grande Western's famed 4-8-4's on the head end of the lines No. 3 passenger train, the 'Westerner', on the out-skirts of Littleton, Colorado, circa 1940.

Locomotive No. 1705 is a prime example of the Grande's fleet of 4-8-4 'Northerns' that were kept polished and in perfect running condition at all times. Though these amazingly beautiful locomotives were the primary power for the lines top passenger trains, they were also often times used in freight service as well.

In our second photograph, Beebe was able to catch an interesting looking member of the Rio Grande's steam locomotive fleet, 4-6-2 light Pacific No. 802, barreling down the tracks between Colorado Springs and Denver.

To the observer, 802 would seem to have more than it's fair share of domes. Hey, in the varying grades of the Rocky Mountains, you can never have enough sand to improve traction.

Behind this interesting locomotive is the Grande's No. 10 passenger train, an unnamed local, consisting of a mail-storage car, two coaches, and a Pullman lounge.

Again, this image is circa 1940-1941.

Two classic images from the age of steam captured by the camera of Lucius Beebe.

More to come!

Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 FEF-3 Locomotive - Union Pacific

Athearn HO Scale FEF-3 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive w/DCC & Sound, Union Pacific /Black #820

Product Features

HO Sound Equipped Steam
For use with your scale model railroad

Product Description

== Key Features == / / * Boiler backhead with full details and printed gauges / * Individually applied detail parts like piping, valves and generators / * Adjustable cab windows and opening doors / * Cab hatches can be opened and closed / * See-through running boards / * Blackened metal wheels / * 22" recommended minimum radius / * Pilot has opened and closed positions / * Factory installed DCC sound board with dual speakers / * Decoder automatically senses the power supply (works with both DC and DCC systems) / * Smoke unit ready with no soldering needed / * Includes hand-held remote control unit for DC operation / / == Specs == / / * DCC:Yes / * SOUND:Yes / * WHEEL CONFIGURATION:Northern / * COUPLER STYLE:Knuckle / * RTR/KIT:Ready To Run / * MIN. RADIUS:22" recommended

The FEF was a series of three types of 4-8-4 steam locomotives owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railway. The classes were: FEF-1; FEF-2; FEF-3. "FEF" was an acronym for the wheel arrangement, "four-eight-four."

During the late 1930s, the rising trainloads started to exceed the limits of the then in use 4-8-2's, which were the mainstay of the UP passenger operations. One day, in 1937, with UP President William Jeffer's business car in the rear, a "7000" Cass 4-8-2 demonstrated the lack of steaming power inherent in the type. Even when the train was waiting for rescue, dialog by telegram was sent to Alco in Schenectady, with a view of something better. The result was a superb class of forty-five locomotives.

The first twenty locomotives, numbered 800-819, were delivered by Alco in 1937. The "800"s as a whole followed - like Northumbrian 108 years earlier - the simplest possible arrangement of only having two outside cylinders. Fitting Alco's lateral motion devices to the leading coupled wheels eased the negotiation of curves. Complicated accessories often spoilt the basic simplicity of so many US locomotives, but UP resisted most of them, resulting in an elegant, uncluttered appearance. Despite frequently moving at speeds over 100 mph (161 km/h), the forces and stresses on the coupling and connecting rods were kept within acceptable limits. There were thus excellent results, and there were many reports of reaching the design limit of 110 mph (177 km/h).

The second batch of fifteen was delivered in 1939. Theses had several improvements, including larger cylinders, better tractive effort, taller driving wheels, and smoke deflectors on the sides of the smokebox. The greatest change, however, was the provision of a fourteen wheeled “pedestal” or “centipede” tender, in place of the twelve wheeled ones of the first twenty locomotives. Thus, the first locomotives became known as "FEF-1," whilst these were known as "FEF-2."

Except for the use of some substitute materials, the final batch of ten were nearly identical to the FEF-2. After World War II, coal supplies were affected by a series of strikes. In order to safeguard operations, UP converted the 800s to oil burning, and a 6,000 US gallons (23,000 l; 5,000 imp gal) tank was fitted in the bunker space. Otherwise, few modifications were needed to insure years of mainline service. These were the last steam locomotives delivered for the UP. 844, the last of the FEF-3 class, is the longest continuously operating 4-8-4 engine in the world, and the only one never retired by a Class I railroad. Like many of the "late era" steam locomotives, their final design was cut short by the advent of new monarchs of the rails, diesels. Although it is stated that the UP FEF series was designed to safely operate at 120 mph (190 km/h), no one really knows how fast the final 4-8-4 could go.

Other HO Scale 4-8-4 Northern Locomotives: Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - American Freedom Train #4449 / Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific (War Baby) / Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 J Class Northern Locomotive - Norfolk & Western / Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 Nothern "800" Locomotive - Union Pacific / Bachmann 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive - HO Scale - Santa Fe

Other Union Pacific HO Scale Items: Athearn HO Scale C44-9W Locomotive - Union Pacific / Bachmann HO Scale Pacific Flyer Electric Train Set - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale GE AC4400 Locomotive - Union Pacific / Trainline HO Scale Alco FA-1 Locomotive - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 Nothern "800" Locomotive - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale 50ft Combo Door Box Car - Union Pacific

Union Pacific News Articles: The Union Pacific Increases Speed Through Malvern, Arkansas With Grade Crossing Improvements /Union Pacific Railroad Sets Monthly Record Moving Loaded Agricultural Unit Trains / Union Pacific Railroad's Pipeline Express Service Reaches 25,000 Rail Car Milestone / Railroad Photo Gallery - Union Pacific GP40-2 1368 (Ex Rio Grande) / The Diesel Railroad Locomotive - From Box Cabs And The SD40 To The SD70 And Gensets

Intermountain Railway Company HO Scale AC-12 4-8-8-2 Locomotive - Southern Pacific

Intermountain Railway Company HO 4-8-8-2 AC-12 Locomotive -Southern Pacific #4292

Southern Pacific Railroad's AC-12 class of cab forward steam locomotives was the last class of steam locomotives ordered by Southern Pacific. They were built by Baldwin Locomotive Works during World War II, with the first, number 4275, entering service on October 27, 1943, and the last, 4294, on March 19, 1944.

SP used the AC-12s for a little over a decade with the first retirements occurring on April 5, 1955, and the last on September 24, 1958. All but one of this class, number 4294, was scrapped.

In steam locomotive design, a cab forward design will typically have the driver's compartment placed immediately forward of the firebox at the very front of the engine while the fireman's station remains on the footplate behind the firebox (for obvious reasons). This type of design was widely, though not commonly, used throughout Europe in the first half of the 20th century, often in conjunction with an enclosed body design and/or streamlining.

In contrast however, the best known example of the cab-forward design in the United States, the Southern Pacific Cab-Forward (also known as "Cab-in-fronts") placed the cab at the front by the simple expedient of turning the entire locomotive, minus the tender, by 180 degrees, an arrangement made possible by burning fuel oil instead of coal.

The cab forward design was widely used by the Southern Pacific Railroad, which developed it to deal with the peculiar problems of its routes. The 39 long tunnels and nearly 40 miles (64 km) of snow sheds of the Sierra Nevada Mountains could funnel dangerous exhaust fumes back into the crew compartment of a conventional locomotive. After a number of crews nearly asphyxiated, someone had the idea of running his locomotive in reverse. This meant that the tender was leading the train, which introduced new problems. The tender blocked the view ahead and put crewmen on the wrong sides of the cab for seeing signals. The tenders were not designed to be pushed at the lead of the train, which limited speeds. Southern Pacific commissioned Baldwin Locomotive Works to build a prototype cab-forward locomotive, then ordered more before the prototype had even arrived.

All of the cab-forwards were oil-burning locomotives, which meant there was little trouble involved putting the tender at what would normally be the front of the locomotive. The oil and water tanks were pressurized so that both would flow normally even on uphill grades. Visibility from the cab was superb, such that one crewman could easily survey both sides of the track. There were concerns about what would happen to the crew in the event of a collision, and at least one fatal accident occurred on the Modoc Line when a moving locomotive struck a flat car. Turning the normal locomotive arrangement around also placed the crew well ahead of the exhaust fumes, insulating them from that hazard. One problematic aspect of the design, however, was the routing of the oil lines; because the firebox was located ahead of the driving wheels (instead of behind them, the usual practice), oil leaks could cause the wheels to slip. A nuisance under most conditions, it resulted in at least one fatal accident. This occurred in 1941 when a cab-forward with leaking steam and oil lines entered the tunnel at Santa Susana Pass near Los Angeles. The tunnel was on a grade, and as the slow-moving train ascended the tunnel, oil on the rails caused the wheels to slip and spin. The train slipped backwards and a coupler knuckle broke, separating the air line, causing an emergency brake application and stalling the train in a tunnel that was rapidly filling with exhaust fumes and steam. The oil dripping on the rails and ties then ignited beneath the engine cab, killing the crew.

No other North American railroad ordered cab-forward locomotives. Built to deal with difficult terrain, these remarkable locomotives became an easily recognizable symbol of the Southern Pacific. One example of the type, Southern Pacific 4294, is kept at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California. It is a 4-8-8-2 locomotive and is the only one to escape being scrapped.

Other AC-12 4-8-8-2 Locomotive Items: Railroading On DVD! - Southern Pacific Cab Forward Collection

Other Southern Pacific Items: Athearn HO Scale SD70M Locomotive - Southern Pacific / Athearn HO Scale AC4400 Locomotive - Southern Pacific / MTH HO Scale GS-4 4-8-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific/ Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - American Freedom Train #4449 / Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific (War Baby) / Athearn HO Scale C44-9W Locomotive - Southern Pacific / Athearn HO Scale GP40-2 Locomotive - Southern Pacific / Athearn HO Scale Bay Window Caboose - Southern Pacific

Other Intermountain Railway Company Items: Intermountain Railway Company HO Scale F7 Locomotive - Rock Island / Intermountain Railway Company 40ft Box Car - Burlington Northern

Lionel O Scale 4-6-6-4 Challenger Locomotive - Rio Grande

Lionel O Scale Lionmaster 4-6-6-4 Challenger Locomotive - D&RGW

Product Features

LEGACY Control System
CrewTalk dialog and TowerCom announcements
Wireless Tether connection between locomotive and tender
Dual powerful maintenance-free motors with momentum flywheels
Authentically detailed cab interior

Product Description

Bringing realism to train enthusiasts like only Lionel can do, the LionMaster Challenger is offered for the first time ever with the LEGACY Control System and LEGACY RailSounds. Beautifully detailed and decorated in the Denver & Rio Grande Western livery, this fully-featured locomotive gives you the opportunity run a classic steam giant on your 0-31 and wider radius track. Close your eyes and blast that RailSounds whistle—it’s easy to imagine that the real Grande Challenger is under your control! For additional railroading realism and excitement we suggest pairing your Challenger with new D&RGW-decorated freight cars. A 40’ flatcar with real wood-deck and an all-new pipe load, and a steam-era double-sheathed boxcar. Whatever you choose to run with this outstanding locomotive, realism has never looked so good on O-31!Gauge: Traditional O Gauge Dimensions: Length: 29" RailLine: Denver & Rio Grande Western Minimum Curve: O-31

The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (reporting mark DRGW), generally referred to as the Rio Grande, originally the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, is a former U.S. railroad, having been absorbed into a larger system — Southern Pacific Transportation Company — as the result of a merger. The D&RGW served mainly as a transcontinental bridge line between Denver, Colorado, and Salt Lake City, Utah, and a major origin of coal and mineral traffic, with a motto of Through the Rockies, not around them. The Rio Grande was the epitome of mountain railroading, operating the highest mainline rail line in the United States, the over 10,240 feet (3,120 m) Tennessee Pass in Colorado, and the famed routes through the Moffat Tunnel and the Royal Gorge. At its height, around 1890, the D&RG had the largest operating narrow gauge railroad network in North America. Known for its independence, the D&RGW operated the last private longhaul passenger train in the United States, the Rio Grande Zephyr.

Other Lionel O Guage Items: Lionel O Scale Electric Train Set - B&O - Just In Time For Christmas! / Lionel O Scale Electric Train Set - Rio Grande Flyer- Just In Time For Christmas! / Lionel O Scale Electric Train Set - Polar Express - Just In Time For Christmas!

Other Rio Grande Items: Bachmann G Scale Electric Train Set - Durango & Silverton / Bachmann On30 Scale Electric Train Set - Rio Grande / Atlas HO Scale TM 70T 3-Bay Open Hopper - Rio Grande / Walthers HO Scale 30' GTW Caboose - Offset Coupla - Rio Grande / Bachmann HO Scale 2-6-2 Prairie Locomotive - Rio Grande / Trainline EMD GP9 HO Scale Locomotive - Rio Grande

Railroading On DVD! - Southern Pacific Cab Forward Collection

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Pentrex Railroad Videos And Books

I have honestly been a train nut since I was a baby. My childhood home was about two blocks away from where the Southern Pacific joined up with the Union Pacific in Whittier, California. Both railroads were separate entities back then, but they did merge together in my hometown to share trackage, linking the Los Angeles suburbs with Orange County.

Since I regularly watched local freights, from both the SP, and UP, in the comfort of my car seat, and then later on, the back seat of my folks car, I have had a love for both railroads. A love that still exists today, though, now both railroads are one entity, the Union Pacific.

Growing up in Southern California, in the 1970s, I never got a chance to witness the majesty that was the Southern Pacific's vast line of varying steam locomotive power. All I had were pictures in books, and those occasional film clips on Captain Kangaroo. Not much to go on, but I was still enamoured with steam.

There were, of course, toy trains, and I had plenty of those.

The one style of locomotive that I didn't like as a child, were SP's cab forward locomotives. I always thought they looked funny. "They were backwards, for Christ's sake!" To me, they didn't have the sex appeal of UP's 'Challengers' and 'Bigboys.'

As people grow older, their tastes generally change, and I am no exception. My dislike for the cab forward locomotive changed as well. I began to admire the locomotives for their unique style, and raw power.

This new 'love' for the AC-12 and their kin, came to a head two years ago, when I laid eyes on locomotive 4294 in the California State Railroad Museum. What a magnificent monster, a true giant.

Now, I have been in the cab of a Bigboy, the one in Pomona, and in comparison, the AC-12 is a sport scar. I know it was an optical illusion, but the 4294 looked bigger indoors than the Bigboy did outdoors. I know which one is actually larger. I just want to mention that 4294 looks spectacular displayed in the Sacramento museum, all polished, it is something to behold, I tell you.

Throughout my reading, I have heard the tales from rail fans who lived during the heyday of steam that spent many a free hour near Donner Pass, watching SP train after SP train being pulled by cab forwards.

Secretly, I envied them. I too wanted to see those monster locomotives in action. Alas, that will never happen.

In my railroad video collection I have several DVDs that feature classic steam locomotives in action. None of these have any footage of Southern Pacific cab ahead units. That always bummed me out.

I was delighted today, when I came across Pentrex's channel on Youtube, and learned that they had a video available with nothing but SP's cab forwards.

The DVD is called "Southern Pacific Cab Forward Collection". Here is the vids synopsis from Pentrex's website:

The Complete Story of SP’s Mighty 4-8-8-2 Articulated Locomotives!

For nearly 47 years, the Southern Pacific Railroad relied upon its massive AC-type steam locomotives to haul freight and passenger trains throughout California and neighboring states. Built to provide the power and flexibility demanded by the mountainous passes they traversed, these giants were constructed with their cab in front of the boiler, thus earning them the name Cab Forwards. The last Cab Forward revenue train ran in 1956, after which all but one were scrapped. From then on, film coverage of these AC-class engines was eagerly sought, hard to locate, and highly prized. Now, after years of research, Pentrex has assembled an awesome collection of footage and still images of SP AC-1s through AC-12s spanning the years 1927 to 1956.

You’ll see Cab Forwards in service on the Overland Route, the San Joaquin Line, the Sunset Route, the Coast Route, the Shasta Route, and the Modoc Line. You’ll thrill to incredible images of Cab Forwards in the snow, on grades, bridges, and scenic valleys; running with mid-train and rear-end helpers; teamed with Black Widow F-units and GS-class helpers; and in meets with other CF’s. The locomotives shown include nearly every class of Articulated Consolidation SP ever rostered: the Baldwin-built Cab Forwards and the Lima-built 3900 class AC-9s. Historic stills of the original cab forwards, the Baldwin-built MC, MM, and AM class engines, are also featured. Plus, author Dr. Bob Church and photographer Stan Kistler provide insightful insiders’ views. This is the most comprehensive record of the legendary Cab Forwards ever presented on film and it belongs in every railfan’s collection!

DVD Special Features:

Chapter Menus provides instant access to program segments.

1 Hour 30 Minutes, plus 15 Minutes Bonus Footage
In Color and Black & White, with Hi-Fi Sound and Narration
Full-screen (4x3) Format
No region code; can be played in NTSC DVD players worldwide
Packaged in Sturdy Vinyl Clamshell Case
ISBN: 1-56342-212-3
UPC: 7-48268-00495-7
Produced by Pentrex 2007

As I am saving up my lunch money to one day buy a scale model of an AC-12, I believe that I will have to purchase this one, you know, for reference material.

Other Articles By Ken Hulsey: Why Is The CSX Intermodel Yard In Atlanta Named 'Hulsey'?......And Does Anybody Know? / Classic Locomotives, Including SP #4449 & SP&S #700, Featured On Portland Holiday Trains / Railroad Job Postings For December 2009 / The Cajon Pass Railroad Museum - The Birth Of A Dream / The Diesel Railroad Locomotive - From Box Cabs And The SD40 To The SD70 And Gensets / Railroad History - Fun Facts - The Modern Era (1980-Present) / Railroad History - Fun Facts - The Post-War Era (1945-1980) / Railroad News - Cumbres & Toltec - Photographers Special With K-36 Plow & Flanger

See Other Southern Pacific Items: Athearn HO Scale AC4400 Locomotive - Southern Pacific / MTH HO Scale GS-4 4-8-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific/ Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - American Freedom Train #4449 / Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific (War Baby) / Athearn HO Scale C44-9W Locomotive - Southern Pacific / Athearn HO Scale GP40-2 Locomotive - Southern Pacific / Athearn HO Scale Bay Window Caboose - Southern Pacific

MTH HO Scale GS-4 4-8-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific

MTH HO Scale Ready To Run 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive w/PS3 - Southern Pacific -Daylight - #4453

Product Description

This is an MTH 80-3114-1 Southern Pacific (#4453) 4-8-4 GS-4 Steam Locomotive Small Lettering with Proto-Sound 3.0. Features include Die-Cast Boiler and Tender Body, Die-Cast Metal Chassis, Authentic Paint Scheme & Cab Numbers, RP-25 Metal Wheels Mounted On Metal Axles, Directionally Controlled Constant Voltage Headlight, Operating MARS Light, Prototypical Rule 17 Lighting, Detailed Truck Sides, Detailed Cab Interior, Opening Cab Roof Hatch, Powerful 5-Pole Precision Flywheel Equipped Motor, (2) Scale Kadee Compatible Couplers, Metal Handrails and Decorative Bell, Decorative Metal Whistle, Sprung Drive Wheels, Synchronized Puffing ProtoSmoke? System, Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments, Detailed Tender Undercarriage, Interchangeable Traction Tire-Equipped Drive Wheels, On-Board DCC Receiver, and it Operates On Code 70, 83, & 100 Rail Curves. Also features a Wireless Drawbar, Engineer and Fireman Figures, Operating Marker Lights, Lighted Number Boards, Operating Tender Back-up Light, Proto-Sound 3.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring: Passenger Station Proto-Effects, it Measures: 15 3/4" x 2 1/4" x 1 1/2", and Operates On 22" Radius Curves.DCS Sound Features include Independent Whistle & Bell Volume Control, Quillable Whistle Effects, Passenger Station Sound Effects, Labor/Drift Chuffing Sound Control, 9 Independent Volume Control Settings, 16 Adjustable Chuff Rate Settings, 3 Adjustable Smoke Intensity Settings, Adjustable Brake Sound Effects, Adjustable Wheel "Clickity-Clack" Sounds, 15 Programmable Custom Sounds, Sound Mute, Whistle/Horn on/off, Bell On/Off, Start-up/Shut-down, Engine Sound Volume, Forward Signal Sound, Reverse Signal Sound, Coupler Slack Sound, Crossing Signal w/City Horn, Extended Start Up, Extended Shut Down, Labor Chuff, Drift Chuff, Single short whistle toot, Coupler Close, 4 Idle Sequence Sound Effects, Brakes auto/off, Cab Chatter auto/off, Clickety-Clack auto/off, and Train Wreck. DCS Locomotive Feature

The GS-4 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive that served the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1941 to 1958. They were built by the Lima Locomotive Works and were numbered 4430 through 4457. GS stands for "Golden State" or "General Service."

The GS-4 had a slightly different appearance than that of the GS-3, most drastically the dual-headlight casing (top headlight was a mars light) on the silver smokebox. Another change in appearance was the cab, which was changed to a fully-enclosed, all-weather cab, a feature not commonly found on steam engines. It retaned the skyline casing on the top of the boiler, skirting on the sides, an air horn, teardrop classification lights, and whistles. They received the orange and red "Daylight" paint scheme.

The GS-4s were designed for high-speed passenger service and were used on Southern Pacific's premier passenger trains, the Coast Daylight, San Joaquin Daylight, Lark, Cascade, Golden State and Sunset Limited, as well as many other Southern Pacific name trains. During wartime and also in the first years after the war some of the GS-4 locomotives were painted entirely black, and it wasn't until 1948 that all engines were painted into Daylight colors again. Starting in March 1950, they were gradually painted black again and also had their side skirtings removed for easier maintenance, and were re-assigned to the San Jose-San Francisco commute trains, freight service and the occasional San Joaquin Daylight (the GS-4 locomotives remained on that train as late as 1956 which made the San Joaquin Daylight the last streamliner train to be pulled by steam on the Southern Pacific) until new diesels arrived and they were retired. The last GS-4 engines were deskirted and painted into black in 1956, and after the last GS-4 pulled a passenger train in 1957, the GS-4s spent the last year of operation in front of freight trains along the coast and valley routes and finally were retired in 1958. GS-4 number 4443 pulled one of the final movements of steam on the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1957.

Other HO Scale MTH Locomotives: MTH HO Scale 2-10-0 Russian Decapod Locomotive - Santa Fe / MTH HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-6 Locomotive - Western Pacific

Other HO Scale GS-4 4-8-4 Locomotives: Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - American Freedom Train #4449 / Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific (War Baby)

Other HO Scale 4-8-4 Northern Locomotives: Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 J Class Northern Locomotive - Norfolk & Western / Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 Nothern "800" Locomotive - Union Pacific / Bachmann 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive - HO Scale - Santa Fe

Other HO Scale Southern Pacific Items: Athearn HO Scale C44-9W Locomotive - Southern Pacific / Athearn HO Scale GP40-2 Locomotive - Southern Pacific / Athearn HO Scale Bay Window Caboose - Southern Pacific

MTH HO Scale 2-10-0 Russian Decapod Locomotive - Santa Fe

MTH HO Scale 2-10-0 Russian Decapod Steam Locomotive w/PS2.0 - S - Santa Fe

Product Description

Here is a MTH 20-80008A Santa Fe 2-10-0 Russian Decapod Steam Engine w/ProtoSound 2.0. For more information on this product, see the product specifications on the manufacturer's website.The Trainz SKU for this item is S11441691.Manufacturer: MTHModel Number: 20-80008AScale/Era: O scaleModel Type: Steam Loco

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 2-10-0 is a locomotive with two leading wheels, generally in a radially swinging leading truck, and ten coupled driving wheels, five on each side. This arrangement was often named Decapod, especially in the United States, although this name was sometimes applied to locomotives of 0-10-0 "Ten-Coupled" arrangement.

The first Decapods built for the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1867 proved too rough on the track because of their long coupled wheelbase, so one pair of drivers were removed. No more followed for 19 years, until the Northern Pacific Railway bought two for use on the switchbacks over Stampede Pass, while the 2-mile (3.2 km) tunnel was being built. In low-speed service where high tractive effort was critical, these Decapods were successful. Small numbers of other Decapods were built over the next twenty years, mostly for service in steeply graded mountainous areas where power at low speeds was the requirement. The type did not prove as popular as the successful Consolidation (2-8-0) type. Among Decapod users was the Santa Fe Railway. The engines were tandem compounds but their ongoing reversing limitations became the genesis of the 2-10-2 wheel arrangement.

The first boost in the number of Decapods occurred when Imperial Russia ordered approximately 1,200 Decapods from American builders during World War I. When the Bolshevik revolution occurred in 1917, 857 had already been delivered, but more than 200 were either awaiting shipment or were in the process of construction. These stranded locomotives were adopted by the United States Railroad Administration (USRA), the body created by the Government to oversee and control the railroads during the War, converted to American standards, and put to use on American railroads. Small and light-footed, these Russian decapods proved popular with smaller railroads, and many of them remained in service long after the USRA's control of the railroads ceased. Many indeed lasted until the end of steam on those railroads.

Swengel suggested the 2-10-0 arrangement was 'obsolete' by 1916, when the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) commenced an experiment with a 2-10-0 locomotive at its Juniata plant. Most 10 coupled engines constructed for U.S. railroads during World War 1 were of the USRA 2-10-2 arrangement, but the PRR committed to 122 of the 2-10-0s. Swengel argued this commitment to the 2-10-0, nicknamed "Deks", was controversial even in 1916, but it was even more so in 1922 when the PRR placed additional orders. The PRR was soon the biggest user of Decapods in the United States. The type was ideally suited to the Pennsy's heavily graded Allegheny Mountains routes, which required lugging ability according to tractive effort, not speed according to horse power.

The PRR bought 598 2-10-0s including 123 built at its own shops. In one of the largest locomotive orders ever, the rest came from the Baldwin Locomotive Works. The PRR 2-10-0s weighed 386,100 lb (175.1 t) and developed 94,024 lbf (418.2 kN) of tractive effort with an axle loading of over 70,000 lb (32 t). The engines steamed at 250 psi (1.72 MPa) and had a relatively large superheater. The grate area of about 70 sq ft (6.5 m2) was on the small side, but a mechanical stoker partly compensated for this. The debate about whether the PRR's 2-10-0s were the best of their kind, predicted Swengel, "must remain a great unknown."

The PRR decapod, class I1s, was unlike the Russian decapod; it was huge, taking advantage of the PRR's heavy trackage and high axle loading, with a fat, free-steaming boiler that earned the type the nickname of 'Hippos' on the PRR. Two giant cylinders (30½ x 32 inch) gave the I1s power and their giant tenders permitted hard and long workings between stops. They were unpopular with the crews, for they were hard riding. Indeed, one author described them as the holy terror of the PRR. The last operations on the PRR were 1957.

A small number of other Decapods were ordered by other railroads; those built for the Western Maryland Railroad were the largest ever built, at almost 420,000 lb (190 t) weight.

Baldwin developed two standard 2-10-0s for railroads with low axle-load requirements. The heavier version sold to the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad (#250–265), and the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway (#800–805). The lighter version sold to the Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad (#401–403), Georgia, Florida and Alabama Railway, the Great Western Railway, the Osage Railway, Seaboard Air Line Railroad, and the Durham and Southern Railway, who bought three — Nos. 200–201 in May 1930 and No. 202 in September 1933.

Thirteen Decapod locomotives survive in the USA, including two Baldwin standards, six Russian Decapods and one PRR I1s. Two, Great Western Railway 90 at the Strasburg Rail Road, and one Russian decapod at the Illinois Railway Museum, are operational. One Decapod survives as a static exhibit at the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer, North Carolina(Seaboard Airline 2-10-0 #544)

Other HO Scale MTH Locomotives: MTH HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-6 Locomotive - Western Pacific

Other HO Scale Santa Fe Items: Bachmann HO Scale Rail King Electric Train Set - Santa Fe / Athearn HO Scale EMD GP38-2 Locomotive - Santa Fe / Athearn HO Scale PS-2 Covered Hopper - Santa Fe / Athearn 50ft Ice Reefer Box Car - Santa Fe (Scout) / Athearn HO Scale Cupola Caboose - Santa Fe / Athearn HO Scale GP60M Locomotive - Santa Fe / Athearn Genesis F45 HO Scale Locomotive - Santa Fe / Bachmann 2-10-4 Texas HO Scale Locomotive - Santa Fe / Bachmann 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive - HO Scale - Santa Fe / Proto 2000 Diesel EMD F7A-B Set Powered - HO Scale - Santa Fe / Bachmann HO Scale FT Locomotive - Santa Fe / Walthers HO Scale F7 Locomotive - Santa Fe

Bachmann G Scale Electric Train Set - Durango & Silverton

Bachmann G Scale Ready To Run Electric Train Set - Durango & Silverton

Product Features

4-6-0 steam locomotive with operating headlight smoke and speed-synchronized sound
Reefer car and bobber caboose
8'2" x 4'3" oval of track
Power pack and speed controller
Illustrated Bach Man instruction manual and DVD format video instructions

From the Manufacturer

After founding the town of Durango, Colorado in 1880, then Denver and Rio Grande Railway began construction of a rail line the following year that connected their new community to nearby Silverton. Designed primarily to haul gold and silver from the San Juan Mountains, it is estimated that more than $300 million in precious metals have traveled the line throughout its history.

The Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG) is a narrow gauge heritage railroad in the U.S. State of Colorado that operates over the 45 miles (72 km) of 36-inch (914 mm) track between Durango in La Plata County and Silverton in San Juan County. The railway is a federally designated National Historic Landmark and is also designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The trackage was originally built between 1881 and 1882, by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, in order to carry silver and gold ore mined in the San Juan Mountains. The line was an extension of the D&RG narrow gauge from Antonito, Colorado to Durango. The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad operates the line from Antonito to Chama, New Mexico. The line from Chama to Durango has been abandoned and removed. The line from Durango to Silverton, however, has run continuously since 1881, although it is now a tourist and heritage line hauling passengers, and is one of the few places in the United States which has seen continuous use of steam locomotives. In March 1981, the Denver & Rio Grande Western sold the line and the D&SNG was formed.

Some of the rolling stock dates back to the 1880s. The trains run from Durango to the Cascade Wye in the winter months and run from Durango to Silverton during the summer months.

Other G Scale Electric Train Sets: Bachmann G Scale Electric Train Set - North Pole Special

Other Rio Grande Train Sets: Bachmann On30 Scale Electric Train Set - Rio Grande / Lionel O Scale Electric Train Set - Rio Grande Flyer- Just In Time For Christmas!

Other Rio Grande Related Items: Atlas HO Scale TM 70T 3-Bay Open Hopper - Rio Grande / Walthers HO Scale 30' GTW Caboose - Offset Coupla - Rio Grande / Bachmann HO Scale 2-6-2 Prairie Locomotive - Rio Grande / Trainline EMD GP9 HO Scale Locomotive - Rio Grande

Durango & Silverton News Items: Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Announces Winter Train Schedule

Bachmann N Scale 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive - Santa Fe

Bachmann N Scale Ready To Run 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive w/52' Tender - Santa Fe

Product Features

4-8-4 steam locomotive with operating headlight
52' tender

Product Description

Bachmann's N Scale Northern 4-8-4 Steam Locomotive and 52' Santa Fe Tender. / For train collectors age 8 and over. / / FEATURES: For use with all N scale equipment. / Northern 4-8-4 lighted steam locomotive. Motor w/worm and chassis / side frames. / Die cast motor cover and loco weight. / Locomotive is black w/A.T.& S.F. in white on the sides of the cab. / Chrome drive wheels and rods. / Black 52' tender w/Santa Fe 3780 in white on the sides, and traction / tires. / Locomotive has a lifetime limited warranty. / Bachmann quality since 1833. / Instruction sheet included. / Train pieces come embedded within a styrofoam tray, which slides into / a windowed cardboard box. / / INCLUDES: One Bachmann N Scale Norhtern 4-8-4 Steam Locomotive / One Bachmann N Scale 52' Santa Fe Tender / / REQUIRES: N Scale Train Track / Maintenance Equipment / Adult Supervision / / SPECS: Scale: N 1:160 / Locomotive Size- Tender Size- / Length: 5-1/4" (13.3cm) Length: 4" (10.1cm) / Width: 3/4" (1.9cm) Width: 3/4" (2cm) / Height: 1-1/4" (3.2cm) Height: 1" (2.5cm)

The 4-8-4 was first used by the Northern Pacific Railway and the type was thereafter named "Northern". Most railroads used this name, but a number adopted different titles, including Confederation (Canadian National), Golden State (Southern Pacific), Niagara (New York Central and NdeM), Pocono (DL&W), Wyoming (Lehigh Valley Railroad), Dixie (NC&StL), Big Apple (Central of Georgia Railway), Greenbrier (Chesapeake and Ohio Railway), Western (D&RGW), Potomac (Western Maryland Railway) while the RF&P gave each of its three classes a separate title: General, Governor and Statesman.

Although locomotives of the 4-8-4 wheel arrangement were used in a number of countries, those developed outside the Americas included various design features which set them apart from North American practice. The United States, Canada and Mexico were the home of the American 4-8-4, and scaled down examples of the type were exported by two American builders for metre gauge lines in Brazil.

The Northern type evolved in the United States soon after the Lima Locomotive Works introduced the concept of “Lima Super Power” in 1925. The Northern Pacific Railway prototype was built by Alco in 1927 to Super Power principles, with a four-wheel trailing truck to carry the weight of a very large firebox designed to burn low quality lignite coal. But the potential of supporting a firebox with a 100-square-foot (9.3 m2) grate on a four-wheel trailing truck was quickly seen, as given the additional weight of approximately 15,000 lb (6.8 t) over the two-wheel truck, the four wheel truck could carry an additional 55,000 lb (25 t) engine weight. So the difference of 40,000 lb (18 t) was available for increased boiler capacity, or in other words, the power plant of the locomotive.

The Northern type came at a time when nearly all the important design improvements had been proven, such as the superheater, mechanical stoker, outside valve gear, the Delta trailing truck and the one-piece bed frame of cast steel with integral cylinders, which did so much to advance the application of roller bearings on locomotives since it gave the strength and rigidity to hold them in correct alignment. Indeed, in 1930 the Timken Company used a 4-8-4 with roller bearings an all axles, which they classified Timken 1111, to demonstrate the value of their roller bearings over nearly every main line in the United States. It was subsequently sold to the Northern Pacific Railway.

The stability of the 4-8-4 enabled it to be provided with driving wheels up to 80 inches (2.0 m) diameter for high speed passenger and fast freight operation, and with the latest lateral control devices, the type was flexible on curves. The increased boiler size possible with this type, together with the high axle loads permitted on main lines in North America, led to the design of some massive locomotives, with all up weights exceeding 350 tons.

The Northern type was purchased by 36 railroads in the Americas, including 31 railroads in the United States, three in Canada, one in Mexico and two in Brazil. In all, there were less than 1,200 engines[2] of this type, compared with approximately 2,500 Mountain types and 6,800 Pacific types built in the United States. By far the largest fleet was owned by the Canadian National Railway and its subsidiary the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, with 203 engines. Other major owners were the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad with 85, the Southern Pacific Railroad with 74, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway with 65, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad with 56, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad with 53, and the Union Pacific Railroad with 45. The Pennsylvania Railroad did not own any 4-8-4 steam locomotives but, the Pennsy had an electric 4-8-4. This was the PRR R1 electric.

Bachmann HO Scale Pacific Flyer Electric Train Set - Union Pacific

Bachmann Trains Pacific Flyer Ready-to-Run HO Scale Train Set - Union Pacific

Product Features

0-6-0 steam locomotive and tender with operating headlight
2 Freight cars and off-center caboose
36" circle of snap-fit E-Z Track
Power pack and speed controller
Illustrated instruction manual

From the Manufacturer

Assembly and breakdown of trains in the railway yard is tough work, but this 0-6-0 steam switcher is ready to get the job done. Assemble your consist, clear the yard and move your freight to its final destination with the Pacific Flyer.

Product Description

NEAT GIFT: Pacific Flyer HO - scale Electric Train Set by Bachmann. SAVE BIG! Realistic 0-6-0 steam-type locomotive Train Set is ready to roll with everything you need to get going. Body-mount E-Z mate couplers; 11-Pcs. of steel E-Z Track creates a 36" circle; Curved plug-in terminal / rerailer; Locomotive and tender (9 1/2 x 2"h.); Boxcar (6 x 2 1/4"h.); Gondola (6 x 1 1/4"h.); Steel off-center caboose (5 1/4 x 2 1/4"h.); Power pack with speed dial. 120V, 60 Hz., 24W. 40" track leads. 6 1/2' AC plug-in cord. Set weighs 5 lbs., 2 ozs. For engineers 14 and up. Order this great gift today! Bachmann Pacific Flyer HO-scale Train Set

The Union Pacific Railroad was incorporated on July 1, 1862 in the wake of the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862. Under the guidance of its dominant stockholder Dr. Thomas Clark Durant, the namesake of the city of Durant, Iowa, the first rails were laid in Omaha, Nebraska. The Union Pacific Railroad was joined together with the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869 hence creating the first transcontinental railroad in North America. Subsequently, UP took over three Mormon-built roads: the Utah Central Rail Road extending south from Ogden, Utah, to Salt Lake City, the Utah Southern Railroad extending south from Salt Lake City into the Utah Valley, and the Utah Northern Railroad extending north from Ogden into Idaho; and it built or absorbed local lines that gave it access to Denver and to Portland, Oregon, and the Pacific Northwest. It acquired the Kansas Pacific (originally called the Union Pacific, Eastern Division, though in essence a separate railroad). It also owned narrow gauge trackage into the heart of the Colorado Rockies and a standard gauge line south from Denver across New Mexico into Texas (both parts of the Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway).

UP was entangled in the Crédit Mobilier scandal of 1872. Its early troubles led to bankruptcy during the 1870s, the result of which was reorganization of the Union Pacific Railroad as the Union Pacific Railway on January 24, 1880, with its dominant stockholder being Jay Gould. The new company also declared bankruptcy, in 1893, but emerged on July 1, 1897, reverting to the original name, Union Pacific Railroad. Such minor changes in corporate titles were a common result of reorganization after bankruptcy among American railroads. This period saw the UP sell off some of its holdings; the Union Pacific Railway, Central Branch became the Central Branch of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Southern Branch was acquired by the newly-incorporated Missouri Kansas Texas Railroad in 1870. However, the UP soon recovered, and was strong enough to take control of Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in 1901 and then was ordered in 1913 by the U.S. Supreme Court to surrender control of the same. UP also founded the Sun Valley resort in Idaho in 1936, the UP engineering department in Omaha designed the first ski chairlift that summer. The MP and MKT both came back into the UP fold in the 1980s. In 1996, UP finally acquired SP in a transaction envisioned nearly a century earlier.

The headquarters of UP has been in Omaha, Nebraska since its inception. Currently they are housed in the Union Pacific Center, completed in 2003. Other important UP facilities in Omaha have included the Union Pacific Railroad Omaha Shops Facility and the Harriman Dispatch Center.

Other HO Scale Electric Train Sets: Bachmann HO Scale Rail King Electric Train Set - Santa Fe / Athearn HO Scale Iron Horse Express Electric Train Set - BNSF

Other Union Pacific HO Scale Items: Athearn HO Scale GE AC4400 Locomotive - Union Pacific / Trainline HO Scale Alco FA-1 Locomotive - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 Nothern "800" Locomotive - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale 50ft Combo Door Box Car - Union Pacific /

Bachman HO Scale 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive - Rock Island

Bachmann HO Scale Ready To Run 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive w/Tender & Smoke, Rock Island #2121

Product Features

Features operating headlight and smoke
Extra smoke oil included

Product Description

This HO Scale 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive and Tender / (Rock Island #2121) is by Bachmann Trains. / / FEATURES: Compatible with any HO scale electric track and equipment. / Working headlight on the locomotive. / Locomotive is painted black with a silver front boiler section and / gold bell and whistle. 2121 in white on each side. / Tender is painted black with the Rock Island logo in red and white. / Tender carries a realistic coal load. / Standard black plastic couplers. / Black and silver metal drive wheels on locomotive; black plastic / wheels on tender. / Working smoke unit with included smoke oil. / Operation manual provided. / Lifetime limited warranty on Bachmann locomotives. / / INCLUDES: One HO Scale 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive and Tender (Rock Island). / / REQUIRES: HO Scale Train Equipment / / SPECS: Scale: HO 1:87 / Locomotive Size - Tender Size - / Length: 5-1/4" (133mm) Length: 4-1/4" (108mm) / Width: 1-3/8" (35mm) Width: 1-3/8" (35mm) / Height: 2" (51mm) Height: 1-5/8" (41mm) / sdw 6/13/02 / ir/kh

The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RR) (reporting marks RI, ROCK) was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock.

Its ancestor, the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad Company, was incorporated in Illinois on February 27, 1847, and an amended charter was approved on February 7, 1851, as the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. Construction began October 1, 1851, in Chicago, and the first train was operated on October 10, 1852, between Chicago and Joliet. Construction continued on through La Salle, and Rock Island was reached on February 22, 1854, becoming the first railroad to connect Chicago with the Mississippi River.

In Iowa, the C&RI's incorporators created (on February 5, 1853) the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company, to run from Davenport to Council Bluffs, and on November 20, 1855, the first train to operate in Iowa steamed from Davenport to Muscatine. The Mississippi river bridge between Rock Island and Davenport was completed on April 22, 1856.

In 1857, Abraham Lincoln represented the Rock Island in an important lawsuit regarding bridges over navigable rivers. The suit had been brought by the owner of a steamboat which was destroyed by fire after running into the Mississippi river bridge. Lincoln argued that not only was the steamboat at fault in striking the bridge but that bridges across navigable rivers were to the advantage of the country.

The M&M was acquired by the C&RI on July 9, 1866, to form the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company. The railroad expanded through construction and acquisitions in the following decades.

Other Rock Island Items In HO Scale: Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation HO Scale Locomotive - Rock Island

Other 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotives In HO Scale: Bachmann HO Scale 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive - Canadian National

Bachmann HO Scale 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive - Canadian National

Bachmann HO Scale Ready To Run 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive w/Tender & Smoke, Canadian National #6012

Product Features

Features operating headlight and smoke
Extra smoke oil included

Product Description

This HO Scale 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive and Tender / (Canadian National #6012) is by Bachmann Trains. / / FEATURES: Compatible with any HO scale electric track and equipment. / Working headlight on the locomotive. / Locomotive is painted black with a silver front boiler section and / gold bell and whistle. 6012 in gold on each side. / Tender is painted black with the Canadian National logo in red and / gold. / Tender carries a realistic coal load. / Standard black plastic couplers. / Black and silver metal drive wheels on locomotive; black plastic / wheels on tender. / Working smoke unit with included smoke oil. / Operation manual provided. / Lifetime limited warranty on Bachmann locomotives. / / INCLUDES: One HO Scale 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive and Tender (Canadian National). / REQUIRES: HO Scale Train Equipment / / SPECS: Scale: HO 1:87 / Locomotive Size - Tender Size - / Length: 5-1/4" (133mm) Length: 4-1/4" (108mm) / Width: 1-3/8" (35mm) Width: 1-3/8" (35mm) / Height: 2" (51mm) Height: 1-5/8" (41mm) / sdw 6/13/02 / ir/kh

In the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 2-6-0 has a pair of leading wheels followed by six driving wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul.[1] In the United States, this type of locomotive was widely built from the early 1860s to the 1920s.

Although locomotives of this wheel arrangement were built as early as 1852, these first examples had their leading axles mounted directly and rigidly on the frame of the locomotive rather than on a separate truck or bogie. In these early 2-6-0s, the leading axle was merely used to distribute the weight of the locomotive over a larger number of wheels. It did not serve the same purpose as the leading trucks of the Americans or Ten-Wheelers that had been in use for at least a decade.

The first 2-6-0 with a rigidly mounted leading axle was the Pawnee, built for heavy freight service on the Philadelphia & Reading. In total, about 30 locomotives of this type were built for various railroads. While they were generally successful in slow, heavy freight service, the railroads that used them didn't see any great advantages in them over the 0-6-0 or 0-8-0 designs of the time. Essentially, this design was an 0-8-0 with the lead axle unpowered.

The first true 2-6-0 wasn't built until the early 1860s, the first few being built in 1860 for the Louisville & Nashville railroad. The design that we know today required the invention of a single-axle swivelling truck. Such a truck was first patented by Levi Bissell in 1858. The New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Company built their first 2-6-0 in 1861 as the Passaic for the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The Erie Railroad followed in 1862 with the first large order of this locomotive type. In 1863, Rogers built what some cite as the first 2-6-0 built in the United States for the New Jersey Railroad and Transportation Company. It is likely that the locomotive class name Mogul derives from a locomotive built by Taunton in 1866 for the Central Railroad of New Jersey; that locomotive was named Mogul. However it has also been suggested that, in England, it derived from the engine of that name, built in 1879 by Neilson and Company for the Great Eastern Railway.

Canadian National Railroad News Items: Talks Between CN And Locomotive Engineers' Union In Canada Break Off With No Settlement / CN Receives Strike Notice From Union Representing Locomotive Engineers In Canada / CN To Implement Wage Increase And Milage Cap For It's Canadian Engineers / CN Reaches 20th Voluntary Mitigation Agreement (VMA), Makes Substantial Strides In EJ&E Integration

Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 J Class Northern Locomotive - Norfolk & Western

Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 Class J Locomotive w/Dog House on tender, Norfolk & Western / w extra water tank car #608

Product Features

DCC ready
Operating headlight
Separately applied detail parts
Alligator cross heads

Product Description

The Class J 4-8-4 was the last mainline steam locomotive to run in the United States. Designed for optimum speed, the “J” once reached 115 mph during a land speed test until a hesitant engineer closed the throttle.

The design of the Js was completely universal. They were equipped with 300 psi boilers, 70" drivers, and roller bearings on all wheels and rods. The 70" drivers and 300 psi boiler allowed for a higher tractive effort. When operating at maximum psi, the Js delivered 80,000 lbf of tractive effort-the most powerful for 4-8-4 wheel arrangement locomotive without a booster. The engineers designed the J class not to pull freight, but passengers, and at a high speed. The 70" drivers were very small for a locomotive that was to pull trains at over 100 mph. To overcome this, the wheelbase was made extremely rigid, lightweight rods were used, and the counterbalancing was extremely good. As delivered, the Js had duplex (two) connecting rods between the primary (second) and third drivers, but in the 1950s N&W's engineers apparently decided they could do without these and 611 and at least one other Class J were rebuilt with a single connecting rod. The negative effect of the J's highly engineered drivetrain was that it made the locomotives very picky about good trackwork. Her counterbalancing and precision mechanics were so state of the art that it is often said that the J's top speed is only limited by the nerves of the engineer. Judging by their performance in hauling a 10 car 1050 ton train at speeds in excess of 110mph over Pennsylvania Railroad's "racetrack", the Fort Wayne Division, while on loan, it is hard to argue that claim.

The Js were the pride of the N&W, pulling passenger trains such as "The Powhatan Arrow", "Pocahontas", and "Cavalier", as well as ferrying Southern Railway's "Tennessean" between Monroe, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee. While on test on the Pennsylvania Railroad, number 610 proved that a J could pull ten cars at 110 mph along a section of flat, straight track. Despite the power and speed capabilities the Js were among the most reliable engines, running as many as 15,000 miles per month, even on the mountainous and relatively short route of the N&W.

Other HO Scale Norfolk & Western Locomotives: Bachmann Spectrum HO Scale 4-8-2 Mountain Locomotive - Norfolk & Western / Broadway Limited HO Scale 2-6-6-4 Class A Locomotive - Norfolk & Western

Other HO Scale 4-8-4 Northern Locomotives: Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - American Freedom Train #4449 / Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 Nothern "800" Locomotive - Union Pacific / Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific (War Baby) / MTH HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-6 Locomotive - Western Pacific / Bachmann 4-8-4 Northern Locomotive - HO Scale - Santa Fe

Bachmann Spectrum HO Scale 4-8-2 Mountain Locomotive - Norfolk & Western

Bachmann Spectrum HO Scale 4-8-2 Mountain Locomotiv w/DCC & Sound, Norfolk & Western #118

Product Description

This Norfolk & Western USRA Heavy Mountain 4-8-2 Steam Locomotive (#118) is a / DCC Sound-Equipped Spectrum® Model by Bachmann®. / Suitable for Ages 8 & Older. / / FEATURES: Equipped with DCC On Board® technology, which allows you to / digitally control the direction, speed, and lighting of this / locomotive using Bachmann's E-Z Command® Digital Command Control / System (BACU4402), or any NMRA-compliant DCC system. / The decoder itself features the following: / * 2 and 4 digit addresses / * advanced consisting / * dimmable lighting / * settable acceleration, decleration, / starting speed, and much more! / 100% backwards-compatible with standard DC (non-digital) layouts. / Equipped with a 28-speed step decoder. / Main track programming. / Also equipped with a state-of-the-art Digital Sound Decoder that's / based on SoundTraxx® Tsunami® Digital Sound Technology. The / decoder has been designed with a powerful Digital Signal / Processor (DSP) and: / * Supports extended address mode for assigning any / locomotive number up to 9,999 / * Supports advanced consist addressing / * Supports "Operation Mode Programming," allowing CVs to / be changed on the mainline without using a programming / track / The automatic dual mode decoder is set to operate immediately / using either a 12 volt DC power pack or NMRA-compatible / DCC command station. / Many advanced throttle features including: / * Programmable acceleration, deceleration and starting / voltage for prototypical starting and stopping / * Use of standard and alternate speed tables / The 16-bit sound processor provides: / * Adjustable volume control of each sound effect individually / * 1-watt audio amplifier / * Auto-Exhaust allows chuff to be synchronized to the locomotive / speed without the complexity of a synchronizing cam / All of the steam sound effects have been re-mastered and re-digitized / for the best audio possible: / - Steam Exhaust Chuff - Airpump / - Bell - Dynamo

The Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) (reporting mark NW), a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence.

The company was famous for manufacturing steam locomotives in-house at the Roanoke Shops as well as their own hopper cars. Around 1960, N&W was the last major American railroad to convert from steam to diesel motive power.

In the mid 20th century, N&W merged with long-time rival Virginian Railway in the Pocahontas coal region and grew even more in size and profitability by mergers with other rail carriers including Nickel Plate Road and Wabash in adjacent areas to form a system serving 14 states and a Canadian province between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River and Great Lakes with more than 7,000 miles (11,000 km) of trackage.

In 1982, the Norfolk & Western Railway was combined with the Southern Railway, another profitable carrier, to form the Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS), but it continued paper operations until it was merged into the Southern (by this point renamed Norfolk Southern Railway) in 1997.

See Also: Broadway Limited HO Scale 2-6-6-4 Class A Locomotive - Norfolk & Western / Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation HO Scale Locomotive - Rock Island

Broadway Limited HO Scale 2-6-6-4 Class A Locomotive - Norfolk & Western

Broadway Limited HO Scale Blue Line 2-6-6-4 Class A Locomotive w/Sound, Norfolk & Western #1235

Product Description

HO Blue Line 2-6-6-4 Class A w/Sound, N&W #1235

In the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotive wheel arrangement, a 2-6-6-4 is a locomotive with a two-wheel leading truck, two sets of six driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck. All 2-6-6-4s have been articulated locomotives, of the Mallet or related simple articulated type.

The 2-6-6-4 was a fairly late development, a product of the superpower steam concept, introduced by the Lima Locomotive Works, which encouraged the use of large fireboxes supported by four-wheel trailing trucks. Such a firebox could sustain a rate of steam generation to meet any demands of the locomotive's cylinders, even at high speed. High speeds were certainly among the design goals for a 2-6-6-4; most of the type were intended for use on fast freight trains.

The first 2-6-6-4s built in the United States were for the Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railroad, and these were not high speed locomotives but rather heavy mountain luggers. They received three in 1934 and four more in 1937.

The final class of 2-6-6-4s was the Norfolk & Western Railway's Class A, built starting in 1936. 43 were built until 1950. They were the largest and most powerful 2-6-6-4s, capable of 6,300 drawbar horsepower (4.7 MW) at 45 mph (72 km/h) and able to run at over 70 mph (110 km/h), but were also capable of lugging heavy unit coal trains. They were used until dieselisation in 1959. One locomotive, Norfolk & Western 1218, was preserved and in 1987 was restored to running order, running on frequent excursions until 1991. Today it is on display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

Bachmann G Scale Electric Train Set - North Pole Special

Bachmann Trains North Pole Special Ready-to-Run Large Scale Train Set

Product Features

4-6-0 steam locomotive with operating headlight smoke and speed-synchronized sound
3 Festive holiday cars
8'2" x 4'3" oval of track
Power pack and speed controller
Illustrated Bach Man instruction manual and DVD format video instructions

From the Manufacturer

The holidays just aren’t complete without a train under the tree, and making sure there is plenty of cheer for everyone is the North Pole Special. Our exclusively-named North Pole and Southern Railway magically transports its precious cargo of Christmas gifts around the world, delivering with them the happiness and hope the season brings.

Product Description

The holidays just aren’t complete without a train under the tree, and making sure there’s plenty of cheer for everyone is the North Pole Special. Bachmann's exclusively-named North Pole & Southern Railway magically transports its precious cargo of Christmas gifts around the world, delivering with them the happiness and hope the season brings.

Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - American Freedom Train #4449

Bachmann Trains HO Scale 4-8-4 Locomotive - 1976 American Freedom Train -Gs4 #4449

Product Features

DCC equipped for speed, direction and lighting
Dual mode NMRA decoder with 8-pin plug
Die-cast chassis and drive wheels
Can motor

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The GS4 was a streamlined 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive built by the Lima Locomotive Works. The GS4 served on the Southern Pacific Railroad from 1941 to 1958. From August 1975 until December 1976 Southern Pacific GS4 4449 was painted in a patriotic red, white and blue scheme and along with several other steam locomotives pulled the American Freedom Train celebrating the American Bicentennial.
E-Z Mate Mark II couplers

Product Description

This 1976 American Freedom 4-8-4 GS4 Steam Locomotive (#4449) is a / DCC-Equipped HO Scale Model by Bachmann®. / Suitable for Ages 8 & Older. / / FEATURES: Equipped with DCC On Board® technology, which allows you to / digitally control the direction, speed, and lighting of this / locomotive using Bachmann's E-Z Command® Digital Command Control / System (BACU4402), or any NMRA-compliant DCC system / Equipped with a 28-speed step decoder / Operating headlight and backup light / Die cast chassis / Can motor / Metal side rods and wheels / E-Z Mate® Mark II couplers with metal coil springs / Wire railings and coupler cut levers / For use with all NMRA/NEM - compliant DCC systems / / INCLUDES: One 4-8-4 GS4 1976 American Freedom Locomotive & Tender / / SPECS: Scale: HO 1/87 / Overall Size - / Length: 15-5/8"" (398mm) / Width: 1-1/2"" (38mm) / Height: 2-1/2"" (64mm) / / tlw 12/5/07 / ir/jxs

The United States has seen two Freedom Trains. The 1947-49 Freedom Train was a special exhibit train that toured the United States in the later half of the 1940s. A similar train called the American Freedom Train toured the country for the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1975-76. Both trains were painted in special red, white and blue paint schemes, and both toured the 48 contiguous states with displays of Americana and related historical artifacts. The two trains took different routes around the 48 states, but they both stopped for public displays in each of them.

A second Freedom Train, The American Freedom Train, toured the country in 1975–1976 to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. This 26-car train was powered by three newly restored steam locomotives. The first to pull the train was former Reading Company 4-8-4 #2101. The second was former Southern Pacific 4449, a large 4-8-4 steam locomotive that is still operating in special excursion service today. The third was former Texas & Pacific 2-10-4 #610, which pulled the train in Texas.

Within the train's 10 display cars were over 500 precious treasures of Americana. Included in these diverse artifacts were George Washington's copy of the Constitution, the original Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland's dress from The Wizard of Oz, Joe Frazier's boxing trunks, Martin Luther King's pulpit and robes, and even a rock from the moon.

Over a 21 month period from April 1, 1975 to December 31, 1976 more than 7 million Americans visited the train during its tour of all 48 contiguous states. Millions more stood trackside to see it go by.

The train's tour began April 1, 1975 in Wilmington, Delaware. The train then traveled northeast to New England, west through Pennsylvania, Ohio to Michigan, then around Lake Michigan to Illinois and Wisconsin. From the Midwest, the tour continued westward, zigzagging across the plains to Utah and then up to the Pacific Northwest. From Seattle, Washington, the tour then traveled south along the Pacific coast to southern California. The train and crew spent Christmas 1975 in Pomona, California, decorating the locomotive with a large profile of Santa Claus on the front of the smokebox above the front coupler. For 1976, the tour continued from southern California eastward through Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, then turned north to visit Kansas and Missouri before traveling through the Gulf Coast states and then north again to Pennsylvania. The tour continued southeast to New Jersey then south along the Atlantic coast before finally ending December 26, 1976 in Miami, Florida. The last visitor went through the train December 31, 1976.

See Also: Bachmann HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-4 Locomotive - Southern Pacific (War Baby) / MTH HO Scale 4-8-4 GS-6 Locomotive - Western Pacific

Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 Nothern "800" Locomotive - Union Pacific

Athearn HO Scale FEF-3 Locomotive 4-8-4 w/DCC & Sound, Union Pacific /Black #838 ATHG9209

Product Features

HO Sound Equipped Steam
For use with your scale model railroad

Product Description

"Features * Boiler backhead with full details and printed gauges * Individually applied detail parts like piping, valves and generators * Adjustable cab windows and opening doors * Cab hatches can be opened and closed * See-through running boards * Blackened metal wheels * 22"" recommended minimum radius * Pilot has opened and closed positions * Factory installed DCC sound board with dual speakers * Decoder automatically senses the power supply (works with both DC and DCC systems) * Includes hand-held remote control unit for DC operation * Smoke unit ready with no soldering needed Overview The Genesis 4-8-4 FEF Northern

The FEF was a series of three types of 4-8-4 steam locomotives owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railway. The classes were: FEF-1; FEF-2; FEF-3. "FEF" was an acronym for the wheel arrangement, "four-eight-four."

During the late 1930s, the rising trainloads started to exceed the limits of the then in use 4-8-2's, which were the mainstay of the UP passenger operations. One day, in 1937, with UP President William Jeffer's business car in the rear, a "7000" Cass 4-8-2 demonstrated the lack of steaming power inherent in the type. Even when the train was waiting for rescue, dialog by telegram was sent to Alco in Schenectady, with a view of something better. The result was a superb class of forty-five locomotives.

The first twenty locomotives, numbered 800-819, were delivered by Alco in 1937. The "800"s as a whole followed - like Northumbrian 108 years earlier - the simplest possible arrangement of only having two outside cylinders. Fitting Alco's lateral motion devices to the leading coupled wheels eased the negotiation of curves. Complicated accessories often spoilt the basic simplicity of so many US locomotives, but UP resisted most of them, resulting in an elegant, uncluttered appearance. Despite frequently moving at speeds over 100mph (160kp/h), the forces and stresses on the coupling and connecting rods were kept within acceptable limits. There were thus excellent results, and there were many reports of reaching the design limit of 110mph (176kp/h).

Except for the use of some substitute materials, the final batch of ten were nearly identical to the FEF-2. After World War II, coal supplies were affected by a series of strikes. In order to safeguard operations, UP converted the "800"s to oil burning, and a 6,000 gallon (27m3) tank was fitted in the bunker space. Otherwise, few modifications were needed to insure years of mainline service. These were the last steam locomotives delivered for the UP. 844, the last of the FEF-3 class, is the longest continuously operating 4-8-4 engine in the world, and the only one never retired by a Class I railroad. Like many of the "late era" steam locomotives, their final design was cut short by the advent of new monarchs of the rails, diesels. Although it is stated that the UP FEF series was designed to safely operate at 120mph, no one really knows how fast the final 4-8-4 could go (Steve A. Lee, Manager of Union Pacific Steam Program).