Note from the President Evan Cilhar
Edition 5 is a huge leap forward for Railroading in America Magazine. We have created
an executive board that consists of myself, Garrett Monnin, Max Harris, Jonah Collins, and Tim Lewis. Great thanks go out to Max for a job well done on design. Our official website is up
and the address is www.railroadinginamerica.com. You can order magazines and merchandise online from now on. We also have forums and newslines where you can read articles about current railroad news. Please be sure to check it out. Railroading in America Magazine is
looking for new interns! Visit our website for more details. We are also looking for affiliates that own train stores that would be willing to sell our products in their store. Please call 234-281-7451 for details. I would like to personally thank you for your interest and support, and see you trackside!
Railroading in America Magazine is a group of dedicated, young railroad enthusiasts bringing quality news and magazines to the railroading community since 2017.
Table of Contents Railfanning with Drones................................................................................................1-2 Super Detailing in HO Scale.........................................................................................3-4 Trains of San Diego......................................................................................................5-8 Cumbres and Toltect Shop Tour...............................................................................................9-10 Review of Lionel's SD60M........................................................................................11-14 Railfanning in Berea, OH..........................................................................................15-16 Building SP 7342 in HO Scale..................................................................................17-18 Railroad Musuems of Phoenix, AZ............................................................................19-20 Norfolk Southern Heritage Lives On!.........................................................................21-22
Note from the Design Cheif Max Harris People always ask me why I like trains so much, and there are of course a number of answers that I can give, such as influences my grandfather who was an avid model railroader, but there is really only one reason why I like trains so much, and I think this goes for all of us in the hobby: Trains make me happy. If I am having a bad day, I can always get a smile out of running a train on my layout, and nothing makes me perk up more than seeing a real train. This goes the same for any hobby really, and for life in general. Do what makes you happy, because being happy is the best way to enjoy life. For me, trains make me happy, so trains are my life.
Railfanning Takes to the Skies!
A Modern Twist on an Old Tradition Article and Photographs by Max Harris In today’s time, technology is growing exponentially with developments made in all fields. One of the most well know technological breakthroughs of the modern day is probably drones. Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can be used for just about anything, whether photography, recreation, monitoring, observation, and others. In the world of trains, drone are now taking off as many rail fans have advanced to using these marvels of the 21st century to capture trains from a whole new level. Using drones to film trains is becoming increasingly popular, as it provides a unique perspective to see a train from. However, as with any new technology, it is important to understand procedure, especially with something like a drone. Failure to do so can result in being fined, destruction of private property, or even injuries. All drones need to be registered by the Federal Aviation Association, which can be done on the FAA website. There are also many laws regarding where you can fly, and around what. Drones must be kept below 400 Feet from the area of take-off and the pilot must have a visual on the drone at all times. Drones also can not be flown over large crowds, as the drone could fall out of the sky and injure some one. Additionally, many townships and even the railroads themselves will have laws regarding the use of drones so it is important to check with everyone before you fly. Drones are a creative and innovative way to film trains, and many drones have great cameras installed. DJI is one of the most common manufacturers, and I personally have the DJI Phantom 3 Standard Edition. This drone shoots video from a mounted camera at 2.7K with 30 Frames per Second. The camera is mounted to the drone with a gimbal stabilizer, so even if the drone is rocking back and forth, the video won’t be shaky. However, it is important to note that most drones are not equipped with a microphone, as the sound would just be lots of buzzing from the propellers. I personally use a camera on the ground with a microphone for audio on the drone. Using the drone, different perspectives of viewing a stain can be accomplished, such as high-speed pursuits. DJI Drones can travel up to 40 MPH while sustaining quality video, which means you can follow a train while moving to get a shot normally impossible!
For some shots, more experience as a pilot is required for a successful and safe flight. Practicing flying is an important part of being a pilot so during the real flights, there are no accidents. I recommend finding a large open space without obstructions such as power lines to get used the controls. This way you understand the proper way to fly your drone, and ensures there won’t be an accident when you fly while photographing. It is very important that you stay attentive to your surroundings when flying too. Your drone should never be so far from your eyes that you can’t see it. While the camera on the drone is great, it does not cover all areas surrounding the drone, so you could potentially fly into a hazard. Make sure you know where you are, and what is around you at all times. Railfanning is not the only use for drones. In the modern world, railroads are using new technology to make inspections easier. Union Pacific Railroad has begun to use drones to inspect their bridges, and trained their track inspectors to fly drones for this. This just one more way America’s railroads are adapting to modern times and incorporating modern technology into rail operations. Drones are not only an exciting new piece of technology for rail enthusiasts but also are a way to modernize the railroads in America, and will help progress the most glamorous mode of transportation in America.
The Strasburg Railroad's Norfolk and Western 475 arrives at Cherry Hill Station in November, 2017. This picture was taken with a DJI Phantom 3, and then color corrected on Photoshop.
Super Detailing in HO Article and Photos by Clayton Cook Super detailing is the most effective way to bring out the realism in your locomotives and rolling stock. Just like everything else, you need to start with a base model for your super detailing. I like to use the old Athearn Blue Box locomotives as a starting point, but you can use whatever you have. For this project, I’ll be detailing an Athearn RTR SD45T-2 numbered and lettered as SSW 9389.
Here is the model fresh from the box. Atheran does fine detailing on these locomotives, but with my additional super detailing they will look even better. The Athearn RTR models are pretty well detailed out of the box. In the case of the SP and SSW models, all of the roof detail, minus the liftrings, was already on the model. I did end up making a new radio antenna stand out of styrene and brass wire. Just like every project, I start by looking at prototype pictures of the real locomotive, to figure out the placement of things. The radio antenna stand here is scratch build from styrene, and then painted by myself. I built this as the ones that Atheran uses are flimsy and have an overall poor construction. I did use the original stand as a template, but needed a piece with a better build. I started by finishing the roof detail by adding the lift rings and painting them white to match the color of the model. I used Tru-Color white paint, and it matched the white on the unit pretty well, I then moved down to the pilots of the model, adding a Details West snow plow, Details West MU cables, and a coupler cut bar. The plow and the coupler cut bar were painted gold to match the underframe, and the MU cables were painted black with silver ends, and a gold bracket. I even made a hole in the snow plow for the air hose, and painted the air hose black with a silver end.
The lift rings on the roof now match the rest of the roof, per the prototype. This overall makes the model look cleaner and more prototypical.
I noticed in the process of detailing, I knocked one of the sunshades off. This was easily fixed with some styrene. I used a brass sunshade as a template to cut the styrene and painted it white to match the roof. I then drilled holes above the windows with a small drill bit and installed windshield wipers. Once everything was in place and painted, it was time to seal the engine. I masked off all the windows and lights and applied three coats of dull coat to ensure that none of the paint would come off. After all the dull coat dried, I removed the shell and installed a Digitrax DH126 9pin decoder. I then put the shell back on the model, and had a friend program the decoder so that the loco address was the engines road number. And with that, SSW 9389 was finished and ready to run on the layout.
The final result after all of the extra detailing. This model now looks significantly better and more accurate to the prototype. Crafting with styrene isn't too hard to do, and with that skill this model has much more detail.
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San Diego’s Rail History: The Impossible Railway to the San Diego Trolley and San Diego and Imperial Valley Article and Photographs by Tim Lewis
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San Diego is the end of the line for the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway and
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Amtrak passenger trains. However what about some of the other railroads that started in San Diego? Well, there is a lot of Railroads but many were short lines and many branch lined to the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. The railway’s history is a lot to consume, but there is more to this railway that many do not know that opened doors for rail transportation in San Diego as it started over 110 years ago.
This bridge is used on the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway, and is located in Campo, CA
We will start off with the San Diego and Arizona Railway (SDA). It was founded in 1906 by businessman John Spreckels and given the nickname, "The Impossible Railroad" by many engineers of its day due to the challenges it faced. The SDA served part of the Southern Pacific Mainline as the mainline covered 146 miles starting in San Diego, Ca and ending in El Centro, Ca. Southern Pacific took over the SDA's operations in February 1932 after John Spreckels' descendants sold their interests in the railroad due to financial hardships becoming the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway (SDAE). Spreckels help created the first Trolley system, and contributed to the creation of several famous buildings in San Diego.
Now many of you might be thinking that El Centro to San Diego is less than 115 miles,
and you’re correct. The SD&A owned the track rights for their branch lines that ran all around San Diego and parts of Mexico. Which led to our next historical moment in San Diego rail history, the San Diego Trolley. In 1979 the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) bought the SDAE railway from Southern Pacific to establish the San Diego Trolley, light rail system and preventing Southern Pacific to abandon the SDAE. The remaining track into Imperial County was retained by SP, as Kyle Railways assumed the portion of SDAE east of El Cajon, California.
In today's time, the line now uses Siemens trams, and now features two additional rail lines. Two trolleys are pictured here at the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, California.
The San Diego Trolley is the light rail system operating in San Diego County operated by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. The San Diego Trolley began service on July 26, 1981. The entire system currently serves 53 stations, covering 53.5 miles, and three primary lines with a heritage streetcar downtown loop. The original San Diego Trolley cars were the Siemens– Duewag U2 vehicles. The fleet has since been expanded to include Siemens SD-100 vehicles, and most recently two different runs of the Siemens S70 vehicles as it continues to expand with the “UCSD Blue Line” expansion project.
San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is planning an extension of the University of California. San Diego (UCSD) Blue Line from the Old Town Transit Center to the University City community roughly 11 miles, which will serve major activity and employment centers such as the UCSD campus and University Towne Centre (UTC) shopping center. The project started in late 2015 and is expected to be completed in 2021. The Blue line currently runs from San Ysidro International Border to American Plaza about a two minute walk to Santa Fe Depot. With the expansion coming in the near future the current 16 mile blue line will grow to 28 miles making it the longest of all the routes in the system by adding 5 existing stations and 8 new stations.
The first step is to phase out the older U2 cars, in 2010 with some being sent to MetrotranvĂa of Mendoza for their new transit system as a start. Then a few museums picked up one or several. MTS is expecting the arrival of fifty or more new Siemens S70 light rail vehicles, which will eventually force the hand of MTS to sell the rest of the fleet or scrap the remaining, saving parts for the one left in the system and those who have U2s. The San Diego Vintage Trolley, a non-profit organization, restore PCC cars for the Silver line which loops around
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downtown, was given U2 car 1001 and will be restored to run on the Silver Line in the future.
Now what about the old mainline for the SDAE? Well, in December 1985, the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum (PSRM) began operating passenger excursion trains out of Campo, California over the SDAE mainline from the museum to the border near Tecate, Mexico. The museum maintains equipment and corporate records of both the SDA and SDAE Railways. The original La Mesa depot in La Mesa, California is next to the La Mesa Boulevard stop on the Orange Line. It is the oldest building in town and is the sole surviving San Diego and Cuyamaca Railway station, a short line of San Diego. The museum's renovation of the depot won an award from San Diego's historic preservation society. Next to the depot is a display train consisting of saddletank steam locomotive 0-6-0ST Mojave Northern Railroad #3, a Pacific Fruit Express reefer car, and a Southern Pacific caboose. These are some of the SD&AE's pieces of restored rolling stock. On the flat car rests a turntable, that is planned on being restored and then used for an expansion project in the near future.
It is time to talk about San Diego’s only overnight operating railroad, the San Diego and Imperial Valley. After Kyle Railways quit SDAE, the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad (SDIY or SDIV) started operations in October 1984 as a new corporation. The management was able to persuade local carriers to ship on the line and invited customers in Mexico to start receiving shipments. In 1986, the railroad signed an agreement with the Ferrocarril of SonoraBaja California (SBC) to be the contract railroad operator of the 44 mile Tijuana-Tecate portion of the old SDA&E mainline. The agreement was terminated later as the SBC was purchased by
another corporation and soon became private.
SD&IV Genset #702 seen here shunting freight cars at the San Diego MTS yard. This genset, and the sister unit #701, are the SD&IV's primary motive power
The SDIY is currently owned and operated by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. They were previously owned by RailTex from 1984, RailTex in 2000, and RailAmerica who bought RailTex in 2004. Genesee & Wyoming bought and controlled RailAmerica in 2012. The railroad previously also made repairs to the Desert Line from Division, California to Plaster City, California – including two burned trestles which had forced Kyle Railways to quit – and started work on Tunnel Eight by subcontractors. As of January 2013, freight operations are conducted by the Pacific Imperial Railroad (PIRR) for the Desert Line and the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad for the Blue, and Orange lines, including the San Ysidro and San Diego yards. In October 2017, Pacific Imperial Railroad had filed for bankruptcy and sold its lease to operate freight on the desert line to Baja California Railroad. While BJRR will now operate freight, MTS still owns the line and BJRR must pay MTS for the rights to operate. BJRR has also announced a three phase plan to rehabilitate the line. Phase 1 will cover the border crossing in Division to Jacumba. Phase two will cover Plaster City to Dos Cabezas. Phase three will be from Jacumba to Dos Cabezas.
San Diego only has the SDIV serving the communities and BNSF connections across the country. Even though there is no mainline action east of San Diego on the old SDA mainline, the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum continues to maintain the history of this storied and departed railway. It was the events of the past that shaped San Diego’s changes in rail transportation in order to build a big community for San Diego County.
The Cumbres and Toltec Railroad
Article and Photos by Carlos Llamas
Welcome to Antonito, Colorado on the Cumbres and Toltec railroad: home to the passenger cars, locomotive, historic cars, and the volunteer freight car shops. A large amount of winter maintenance and new construction happens in Antonito, and it’s getting more exhilarating every day.
As of every winter, regular service and repair continues on our passenger car fleet and minor boiler work has been completed on locomotive #489. As a voice for the group, we are glad to say that the tender of the Denver and Rio Grande locomotive #168 has been completed, and the locomotive will continue receiving service to her boiler and running gear. It is very exciting for us as another historic locomotive will roll down the line again under its own power on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad.
Although I intend to keep you informed on the 168 project, let’s take a ride across the track to the Historic Car Shop and the amazing work being performed. The Cumbres and Toltec Railroad has decided to restore a historic fleet of passenger cars that will operate with Denver and Rio Grande locomotive #168 after its completion. The fleet for #168 will consist of coaches #292 and #256, pay car F, baggage car #163 and RPO #65. RPO #65 will eventually take shape as a concession car in disguise.
Just recently we added a new shop to the yard in Antonito and it’s an understatement to say the work being completed by the crew is remarkable. All of the work being done in this shop is completed by railroad employees and consists of conductors, engineers, MOW employees and master carpenters. It is a completely employee-driven project and the first car will exit the shop this May. These amazing cars will be welcomed by not only railroad employees, but the families and visitors of the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad. We are extremely excited to complete them.
The first car, #292 is in the shop and just had a historically accurate roof installed by a contract company. The interior of the 292 is coming along nicely as the seats will receive crushed velvet cushions and black trim. We are hoping to paint the exterior a dark red, accurate to the D&RGW colors at the time of original production. We have been able to save the original doors and most of the hand rails on the platforms. The car will keep the original couplers and
braking system.
The project is being funded by the Colorado Historical Foundation, requiring us to follow historic specifications to the millimeter. This will result in a car unlike any other on the Cumbres & Toltec RR. Stay tuned for more updates online and in the next edition of Railroading in America Magazine for more updates!
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Lionel SD60M Review Article and Photos by Max Harris
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Lionel continues to step up their game with the new SD60M. This locomotive was cataloged in the 2017 Volume 1 Edition, and these engines started arriving in hobby shops around the end of December. These locomotives were delivered in many different paint schemes and many varieties. Lionel cataloged a Burlington Northern Bicentennial version, Norfolk Southern, Conrail, Union Pacific, and CSX. The Burlington Northern, Conrail, and CSX come in a standard SD60M format, while the NS and UP are in the “Triclops� Three-Window Cab version. Lionel also offered several LionChief Plus versions, where the locomotive is the same but without Legacy control, and instead uses a Lioncheif remote. We will be looking at the Union Pacific Triclops Legacy engine for this review. The EMD SD60M is a well known work horse on many modern railroads. The M in SD60M denotes the North American safety cab, which is present on this variation. These locomotives are still around today on many different railroads, from Class One to short-lines. For those wanting to bring a modern and rugged diesel to their layout, this engine is for you. The detailing on this locomotive is very well done, featuring many separate applied pieces as well as some road specific details such as strobe lights and horn placements. The details on the pilots are very baseline, per the real engines, but there is a snowplow and a few hoses. The fuel tank features hand-painted gauges and buttons, and legible placards. The truck side frames are made from Die-cast metal and are fairly detailed. Moving up, the front of the engine is the star feature, especially with the newly tooled Triclops cab, making an appearance for the first time in O Scale. The cab is beautifully done. There are several cast-in grab irons along with separately applied ones, and even windshield wipers on the three windows. The Three window cab was done phenomenally by Lionel. The odd look was perfectly captured in O Scale, so a round of applause to Lionel for this one. Moving down the engine, the sides feature lots of cast in details and a few separately applied pieces, like a sightglass and several see through vents. The roof of the engine features a road specific Strobe light for the UP version, and cab signaling controls. Lionel has been step-in up their game as
far as road specific detailing goes, another reason to give Lionel credit. The unit also features a smoke stack and let me tell you, this thing smokes! Functionally speaking, this engine is standard Lionel. The locomotive comes with two Flywheel motors, one for each truck, and is equipped with Legacy controls and Legacy Railsounds. If you have the LionChief version, the engine has LionChief Controls and Railsounds RC. The engine works on 0-36 curves and above, which makes this engine great for smaller layouts. The engine also features tons of lights, a great speaker, and a fan driven smoke unit. Underneath eight of the 12 wheels are powered, and four feature traction tires. This engine can pull around one pound and 13 ounces, which is very strong for a diesel. This engine is well built, both cosmetically and functionally. The real fun with this engine comes when you start it up. The sound set Lionel used is phenomenal. The first thing you will notice is the excellent prime mover sounds. The Prime Mover is reused from the SD60E, SD40T-2, and other engines that Lionel has released, but this sound effect features a sort of growl that is prominent when the engine idles. This sound gives a lot more bass to the engine, and makes it seem even more like the workhorse EMD engine that it is supposed to represent. The horn used sounds somewhat like a Leslie RS3L, and is somewhat close to the prototype’s horn. The file is re-used from the Dash 9’s, which were cataloged a few years ago. However, like the prime mover, there was some tweaks made to the sound. If you use Lionel’s Legacy System to run this engine, you will notice the horn sounds very squeaky in the primary stages of quilling, which sounds almost like a fouled horn. The bell on this engine is the standard bell that Lionel uses on most products. This bell sounds fine, but in my opinion is over-used and too uniform.
As a runner, I have had no issues with the engine. It has exceptional low-speed operation, and runs smoothly even at high speeds. I tested the engine by running it at a medium speed for a few hours and saw no issues. This engine is a win from Lionel, and the only downside is the price. The MSRP for this one is $649.99, which I feel is much for a diesel. This price is the same for all of the Legacy versions, and for the LionChief, the MSRP is $549.99, which, again, I feel is over the top. However, you won’t be disappointed from this engine. All around this locomotive will give you hours of entertainment just like it has done for me. For video of this train in action, see Railroading in America on Facebook! www.facebook.com/railroadinginamerica Have a product you want us to review? Let us know through the Message tab on out Facebook page!
Railfanning in Berea, Ohio
Article and Photo by Walker Wood
Just west of Cleveland, Ohio, lies an ex-railroad suburb known as Berea. Filled with rail traffic, the double track mainlines of CSX and Norfolk Southern pass each other in Berea at an old railroad interchange from the steam era. Both corridors trace their roots back to the New York Central, which was once very prominent in the area, including the famed Water Level Route. Norfolk Southern’s Chicago Line, running from Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio, has an interlocking plant at Berea called Control Point 194 (CP 194). There are two tracks and a siding, which can see up to 70 trains per day. On CSX, the Greenwich and Short Line Subdivisions both originate and in Berea. However, the double track mainline CSX operates
An eastbound Norfolk Southern intermodal rolls east through Berea as it heads towards Cleveland and points east.
does not have many switches, with just one connection to the adjoining NS line. The CSX mainline can see roughly 40 trains per day. Right in the middle of all this action stands BE Tower, the abandoned interlocking tower that controlled all the switches for the junction when Conrail owned the lines. Trains running through Berea are classified by Norfolk Southern and range from mixed freight trains and intermodals, to unit coal and oil trains. Amtrak runs through the junction four times on a daily basis, but only in the mask of darkness. There are a few good vantage points in Berea for those who seek to take top-notch photos of the Norfolk Southern high hoods or the CSX SD70MACs. One is the Front Street overpass, which goes over both mainlines. You can see all traffic coming from both directions, giving you plenty of time to adjust your final exposures and apertures on your camera. Another exceptional location is the parking lot and adjoining field next to the old Big Four train station, which now hosts a train-themed restaurant. The restaurant is a great place to rest and get good some food while still being able to keep your eyes peeled for an oncoming CSX westbound. Be careful not to get too close to the tracks here, as trains sneak up silently and fast. CSX has a speed limit of 60 MPH, and NS trains only get up to about 40 or 45 MPH. Be sure to tune your scanners in Berea and nearby to NS’s Rockport Yard and the mainline frequencies to prepare yourself for oncoming traffic. You will get an excellent signal as Norfolk Southern and CSX has turned the old radio tower into a frequency repeater. If you like busy mainline railroading, then be sure to check out Berea, Ohio!
Here, an eastbound CSX Intermodal train is seen racing through Berea on its way to Cleveland and eventually destinations on the east coast.
Building Southern Pacific 7342 in HO Scale Article and Photos by Clayton Cook
When I saw a picture of Southern Pacific 7342 in my “Southern Pacific in Transition” book, I had to own a model of one. Athearn had made some solid models of this locomotive in the past, but I didn’t really want to pay the full $130 on another locomotive. However, I did have an old Athearn Blue Box SD40-2 sitting in the yard awaiting new orders, so why not put it to good use? After doing some more research on Southern Pacific’s diesel locomotives, I know they never owned any SD40-2’s, they decided to go with the SD40R’s. The SD40-2 was the closest thing I had to an SD40R, so it would still work and not break the bank. Always remember to use what you have before buying a new model, especially if you are constrained to a tight budget for the hobby. I started my build of 7342 by studying prototype pictures of the real locomotive. I had to figure out the placement of handrails, MU hoses, etc; and figure out what parts I would need to order to get this “restoration” in motion. I ended up having to order the decals, the SP Light Package for the nose, and the long hood of the unit. I acquired the paint for the engine from my local hobby shop. This was my first time using the new Tru-Color paint, as well as my first time using an airbrush to paint with, making this all a learning curve. I started the build by focusing my attention on the underframe of the locomotive. I detailed the truck side frames to the maximum for an HO engine, and added a plastic fuel tank that I got off Athearn’s parts website. I decided to not add traction motor cables on this locomotive as the frame is going to be painted SP Lark Grey, so it is unlikely the traction motor cables would not been seen. Now that the frame and truck side frames are done, I turned my attention to the shell. I added all the lift rings on the top and I did a little work to the dynamic brake hatch to make it look like the SD40 hatches. Normally, I would replace the molded fans with Athern RTR fans, but did not do that to save time. I added the SP light package to the front and rear of the model, and I bent the handrails for the front out of 0.16mm brass wire. Now that all the detailing is done, it is finally time to paint the model. I started with a white base to let me see if I missed any spots later on. I started with the orange, then red, and finally grey. When the paint had dried for a day or so, I was able to apply the decals to the shell. I always start with the largest decals first. After adding the decals, it was time to seal the engine with three coats of dull coat, then install a DCC decoder in the engine for digital operation. Finally, after four long weeks, my SP 7342 was finished. After doing some research on the history of 7342, I found that 7342 and 7399 were painted to match the daylight steam locomotives, and help pull Daylight excursion trains circa 1980.
Newly detailed truck side frames
The added brass handrails
This new headlight is much more
This was my first time using an
accurate to the real SP 7342
airbrush to paint, and I think I did well.
The finished product with decals added
SP 7342 now in service on my layout
Railroad Museums of Phoinex Article and Photos by Tim Lewis
The state of Arizona is one of the largest railroad centers west of the Mississippi. The Grand Canyon State boasts a bustling BNSF facility in Winslow, train swap meets in Tucson, the Arizona Railway Museum in Chandler, and the world-famous Grand Canyon Railroad. However, there are a lot of things to do in Phoenix, Arizona. For those who never been to Phoenix, all of their suburbs are connected, giving the illusion that Phoenix is a metropolis. We will start off with the main reason why I make the yearly trek to Phoenix: Maricopa Live Steamers. Maricopa Live Steamers (MLS) is located in Glendale, about ten minutes north of Downtown Phoenix. There are 18 miles of 7 ½ inch gauge track with 6 different routes and operating signals. Not only does this property holds a 7 ½ inch gauge layout, a museum operated by a separate organization is also there, and has and operating layouts with various scales of trains. Maricopa Live Steamers plans to add some more gauges to their layout and welcomes visitors from all over the world.
Scottsdale, located about 45 minutes northwest of downtown Phoenix, has a beautiful park that many cities don’t have. McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is a railroading wonderland from Z scale trains to 1:1 trains to enjoy. You can do stuff normally in park that you would in any other but have the luxury of a carousel, a 7 ½ inch gauge layout, 15 inch gauge layout, prototypes you can climb on and the jewel is the model train building. The model train building is one of the nicest buildings full of model trains I’ve been in. The room features
A set of Santa Fe F Units are
A Nickle Plate Berkshire is
A DRG&W 44 Tonner sits in
part of the live diesel fleet at
part of the live steam fleet,
the yard at MLS
MLS
seen here in the storage
three full sized layouts, each varying in scale, and a G Scale layout that circulates the room. The Scottsdale Live Steamers 7 ½ inch scale club lies just outside. With the park open almost every day, city employees run almost everything in the park, including the trains outside. The city owns their own equipment and uses it when the city workers are running the trains (Monday through Saturday), and the members of the Scottsdale Live Steamers Club operate on Sundays. The 15” Gauge layout isn’t a privately held club, and it is operated by the City of Scottsdale. The Paradise & Pacific Railroad (P&P RR) 15” layout consists of multiple steam locomotives and diesel locomotives. Trains operate on a dogbone-style layout, and occasionally two trains will run or there will be a double heading of some of the operating steam engines. The P&P is building several more steamers and is looking to expand the 15 inch layout in the near future.
Some displays at the Paradise & Pacific include a steam locomotive, some passenger cars, and a French Merci Car dating from 1948. Magma Arizona Railroad number 6, a Baldwin-built 2-6-0 is on display with several other passenger cars scattered around the park, with one of them used to transport several presidents, a list including Hoover, FDR, Truman, and Eisenhower. Though Arizona is a hot state, the rails are hotter as you can enjoy 7 ½ inch gauge trains in Glendale or go to Scottsdale and see trains of all sizes! Phoinex is a city for railfans, no doubt.
The 15" gauge railroad circles Magma Railroad of Arizona
A European Merci Wagon
the park, and features several #6 on display at Paradise &
also on display
live steam and diesel engines. Pacific in Scottsdale
Steam Railroading on the Reading and Northern By: Adam R. Zappacosta This article is dedicated to Gary “Pappy” Zappacosta, my train buddy, friend, and grandfather. The Reading and Northern, commonly called the R&N, is an up and coming class 3 railroad in northeast Pennsylvania, running out of its namesake, Reading, PA. The main hub of the railroad is in Port Clinton, PA, which is about 20 to 25 miles north of Reading. This is where the main maintenance facilities, company offices, dispatcher, main MOW (Maintenance of Way) office, and whatever else a railroad needs to function. Another building located in Port Clinton is the R&N Steam Shops. This four stall facility can do just about anything when it comes to steam operation, with a full machine shop, there is no need to send any project off site. The R&N owns a whopping 3 steam locomotives, but sadly only one is operational. That is the ex-Gulf, Mobile & Northern Pacific #425. The USRA LightPacific was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, PA and was delivered to the GM&N in January of 1928. In the 1940s, the GM&N merged with the Mobile and Ohio Railroad to form the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio. The 425 was then renumbered to the 580. The GM&O retired the Pacific in 1950, but quickly after its retirement, it was purchased by Paulson Spence for use on his freight hauling railroad, the Louisiana Eastern Railroad where it became #4 and later #2. In 1962 the 425 was purchased by Malcolm Ottinger for use on the Valley Forge Railroad and renumbered back to its original. The locomotive was truly being robbed of its true operation potential and needs. The Valley Forge only had about 4 miles of track to operate back and forth on. In the early 70’s, the 425 was bought by Brian Woodcock and was moved
to the Wilmington & Western Railroad in Wilmington, DE, but was never used in excursion service. In 1983, the locomotive was bought once again and was moved to Hamburg, PA to operate on an up and coming short line that would become a region superpower, the Reading & Northern. At the time when Andrew J. Muller Jr had bought the locomotive, it was still the Blue Mountain & Reading, or the Blue Mountain, Reading & Northern. The locomotive was completely overhauled outdoors at the now Reading Tech Museum in Hamburg. A new station was built in Hamburg, and a station from the coal regions was moved to Temple sitting between the Blue Mountain & Reading and the now Norfolk Southern mainline to Allentown, PA. The 425 and later the 2102 would constantly run back and forth over the some 15 mile ex-Pennsylvania branch line to Pottsville, PA. The 425 and 2102 would later get a chance to truly spread their legs on the newly acquired line which was once the Reading, but was bought from Conrail, is what now all Reading & Northern railfans are familiar with, which connects to Pottsville, Jim Thorpe, Mahanoy City, and several coal mines to the Reading yard. Mr. Muller saved this over 300 mile rail network from abandonment, and he has acquired more and is closing in on 500 miles of track. Another locomotive that is in the R&N Steam Program is the ex-Reading T-1 Northern #2102. The 2102 has been under many owners over its life after being retired and sold from the Reading Railroad. The Reading ordered 50 I-10sa Consolidations from the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pa. The railroad received the I-10s before 1923, as when they were delivered, they were lettered for the Philadelphia & Reading. Around the start of involvement of the US in World War II, the president of the neighboring Lehigh Valley railroad came to the Reading. While he was with the Valley as it has come to be known, they got an order of Northerns in which they called Wyomings. After his arrival to the Reading, he noticed that they had not
large or spectacular locomotives. He found that some of the older I-10s were heading downhill. The engineers in the Reading Shops came up with the prints to revive their dying fleet of Consolidations. The first batch of T-1s, the 2100-2107 was the test locomotives done in 1945. Two batches done in 1946, the 2108-2119 and the second the 2120-2123. Finally in 1947, the 2124-2129. The T-1s performed near flawlessly. The T-1s inspired at least one railroad, the Western Maryland to order a somewhat equivalent locomotive. The Western Maryland had a hot shot freight train from Allentown, Pa to Hagerstown, Md. The railroads even in the steam days had a locomotive pooling system. The Western Maryland using trackage rights, equipment, and crew from the Reading, which stayed on until Western Maryland tracks somewhere around York, Pa where the Western Maryland crews came on. The Western Maryland crews that took the trains onto Hagerstown were impressed with the performance of the T-1s, that they went all the way to management and requested that they got a few Northerns themselves. The year that the Reading finished their T-1s, 1947, the Western Maryland received their Northerns, which they classified the J-1s which they called the Potomacs. The Reading stored their T-1s in the possible use and reiteration of steam. A time came that 4 were selected to run in their Reading Rambles trips in the 1950’s, those being the 2100, 2101, 2102, and the 2124. The 2126 and another where saved for parts for the others while the rest were scrapped. The 2101 is the most famous of the Reading T-1s. Owned by Ross Roland, who owned the C&O 614 which replaced the 2101 after the Kentucky roundhouse fire, used the 2101 for two special trains. The first being the American Freedom Train. The 2101 became the #1, toured the eastern and southeastern United States as far south as Alabama and to the Mississippi River with the American Freedom Train in 1975 and ‘76 for the bicentennial of the US. The #1 was also the first steam locomotive to round the famous Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, PA in over 20 years. In 1977 and ‘78, the 2101 was painted up in Chessie System paint
for the Chessie Steam Special. Before the first run of the special, Roland rebuilt the 2101 in the old Reading Shops in Reading. The 2102 after being retired from the Reading was bought by an organization in Ohio. The locomotive was not run when in Ohio, with the exception of a few steam tests. Finally in 1987, it was steamed up and was on its way back to Pennsylvania. It was not returning under its own power, as Conrail had not cleared it for a run itself. The 2102 returned over the exPennsylvania Pittsburgh Division over the Horseshoe Curve, 10 years after the 2101 as #1 did. When the 2102 arrived back home, it joined the 425 on Andy Muller’s Blue Mountain & Reading. The 2102 would later run special trains out of Reading, and would once again power Rambles trains, now under the Blue Mountain & Reading. These trips ran over some of the original routes, but most to Philadelphia or Harrisburg, PA. As of the late 1990’s, the 2102 has been sitting silent in the Port Clinton Steam Shops. In mid-2016, the Reading & Northern announced that the 2102 would see operation again. Work on the beast didn’t start until late 2016, and work was slow. Most of the 2016-17 winter, work had ceased. In the spring of 2017 work again started, and as of now, the tubes have been replaced in the boiler, the cab is off to work on the rear end of the boiler, and the drive rods are being worked on. As happened the winter prior, work has once again stopped. The focus now is fixing up the RDCs and working on the aging passenger fleet. During the same winter, the corner of Bellevue Avenue and Route 61 in Temple, PA would become a regional passenger rail hub. A tower would be constructed, along with a platform, along with rails imbedded in the parking lot for loading and unloading passenger trains. A train station is in the next of the plans for this site, which has been properly named the Outer Station for the original Reading Terminal around the wye just east of the Reading Yard. In the 2017 excursion season, the Reading & Northern would bring back
their RDC Budd Car service to Jim Thorpe, PA and back. The railroads Autumn Leaf excursions also left from the new station adding an extra 20 miles to the already day long trips to Jim Thorpe. The final steam locomotive that the R&N owns is Canadian Locomotive Co. #225. The G10 class ten-wheeler was built in 1913 for the Canadian Pacific numbered 1098. After being retired and sitting for some years, found its way to Steamtown when still in Vernmont alongside Reading T-1 2124. After the stay at Steamtown, a Reading Area businessman and railfan George Hart had bought the locomotive to work with another Canadian locomotive, #972 which now sits in pieces in the Strasburg Railroad yard. Hart had owned the railroad in Jim Thorpe where he ran the 972 down to the Hometown Highbridge, which is now owned by Andy Muller. Hart had also used the 972 on a trip for the 150th anniversary for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad. Hart had done a complete overhauled the locomotive but only used it once. The locomotive was then sold to Andy Muller, but he instead used it as an advertising campaign. Sitting on the parking lot at the new Outer Station is the 225 and it is doing its job, as it constantly attracts people to stop and look. The Reading and Northern is one of the best railways when it comes to heritage, as they make signifigent efforts in preserving steam locomitves, a staple in railroading history.
About the Author Adam Zappacosta is an intern for Railroading in America magazine, and has been working there since December 2017. Adam is a lifelong railfan and owes his interest in trains to his grandfather, Gary.
The Reading and Northern 425 is the crown jewel of their steam program. This steam engine does excursions year round on the Reading and Northern, some without a diesel helper.
Reading and Northern 225 is now on static cosmetic display in a parking lot at the new outer station as a commercial.
Reading and Northern T1 #2102 is currently being restored slowly by the R&N.
Norfolk Southern Heritage Lives On Article by Clayton Cook On June 1st, 1982, the Southern Railway and the Norfolk and Western Railroad came together to create The Norfolk Southern Railroad. With almost 3,500 locomotives, and nearly 15,000 miles of trackage rights in 12 states, NS was one of the Biggest Class One railroads at the time. In the 90’s, the rail industry absolutely exploded with freight traffic, in fact, NS had so much business they didn’t have enough equipment to keep up, so in 1992, Norfolk Southern ordered 200 GE C44-9W locomotives to keep up with business. It was the biggest single locomotive order in history! This worked until 1996, when Norfolk Southern was high on business, and low on power once again. In order to get back up on power, NS teamed up with CSX transportation in 1997 to acquire the Consolidated Rail Corporation, better known as the Conrail. The team-up worked of almost 7,600 locomotives, over 80,000 railcars, and have served over 30,000 industries. A patched Conrail SD40-2 leads an NS train in Cresson, PA. Patched Conrail units were a common sight around this area until 2010. Photo by Mike Harris, 2005
On March 1, 2012, Norfolk Southern CEO, Wick Moorman, announced that NS would be honoring its past by painting 18 brand new locomotives in predecessor railroad paint schemes in celebration of NS’ 30th anniversary. The selected locomotive designs would be the EMD SD70ACe (ACE) and the GE ES44AC (GEVO), the two most popular designs in the locomotive industry today. On March 16, 2012, NS announced a 19th unit would be added to the heritage roster. Then on May 3, 2012, NS announced the 20th and final unit to the heritage roster. While staying as true as possible to the original designs, they needed to modify them just a little bit to fit the the newer, modern locomotives. Norfolk Southern asked railroad artist Andy Fletcher to draw up designs for the heritage units, and he delivered. Norfolk Southern employees in Altoona, PA and Chattanooga, TN, painted the GEVO’s, while the ACE’s were painted at the EMD facility in Muncie, IN. All of these units can now be seen across the country in active service. NS does it’s heritage well by honoring their past with these colorful fleet additions.
NS 8098, the Conrail Heritage, leads a manifest NS 8114, the Original Norfolk Southern unit, trails in Southeast PA. Photo by Max Harris
in Southeast PA. Photo by Max Harris
NS 1069, the Virginian Heritage, trailing in North Carolina. Photo by Clayton Cook.
About the Author: Clayton Cook is an intern for the magazine and active member in 4-H. He attends Perry High School in Perry, Michigan, and hopes to someday become a locomotive engineer. He also model the Southern Pacific railroad as it would've appeared in the mid-1990's.
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Cover photo Copyright Ma Malkiewics