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Steam Week - The Pacific

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:51:36 +0000

The Atlantics were great passenger power, but as trains grew longer and heavier the little 4-4-2s often lacked the tractive effort to get them started. The solution was born from a combination of both the Atlantic and the 10 wheeler (4-6-0).

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Steam Week - The Atlantic

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:39:44 +0000

All this week we'll be featuring steam locomotives here on the blog and with new locomotive profiles to help you make the most of your steam roster. With so many locomotives from which to choose, this month's iron horses will be passenger power.

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Model Railroad Track Plan - The Mine Run

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:49:43 +0000

A model railroad doesn't have to take over the entire house, or even an entire room to offer a lot of potential for fun construction and operation. This plan features a layout built on a shelf along two sides of a 10 x 12 foot room. Since the shelf is only two feet wide, you still have a lot of space left for a spare bedroom, home office, game room, or just about anything else. If you build the layout near eye level, not only will the scenery look even better, but you'll have lots of room for book shelves / storage under the layout.

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GP Hub

Tue, 28 May 2013 22:23:10 +0000

EMD's GP series of four axle locomotives is one of the most successful and long-lasting of all time. Many of these units have already been covered in individual locomotive profiles here on About.com. Now you can find them all in one place in this new hub.

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"Slugs"

Mon, 27 May 2013 22:22:27 +0000

Normally at this time of year, slugs are something you'd expect to find out in the garden. But what about the railroad yard?

Slugs come in all shapes and sizes.
©2013 Ryan C Kunkle, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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Packing and Storing Model Trains

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:17:33 +0000

We'd all like to have all of our trains up all year long, but for many of us, that's just not an option. Even with permanent layouts, there are often more trains than you have room for, meets at local clubs or friends' homes, or even moves to new locations.

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Athearn Genesis GP9 Reviewed

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:15:28 +0000

All of the Geeps covered in last week's profiles have been reproduced many times over. You'd think there was no more room for more models of these classic engines - but you'd be wrong. Athearn has stepped up the bar and produced the finest versions of the GP7 and GP9 ever. While railfans griped that these new diesels "all looked alike" - especially compared to the steam locomotives they replaced - there were variations from railroad to railroad.

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Geep Week - The GP30

Thu, 09 May 2013 22:34:17 +0000

Let's wrap up our week of early GM "Geeps" with one that was the most stylish if not the most successful.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="600" caption="EMD's GP30 was stylish and unique. ...

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Geep Week - The GP20

Wed, 08 May 2013 22:08:11 +0000

Despite the successes of EMD's first Geeps, by the middle of the 1950s, the company again found itself slipping behind as the competition raced to build larger, more powerful locomotives. EMD's answer to those designs in a four-axle locomotive was the GP20. This was the first Geep with a turbocharged engine, producing 2000 horsepower.

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The GP9 - The Diesel that Ended Steam

Tue, 07 May 2013 23:31:47 +0000

The GP7 proved that EMD would finally be a contender in the road-switcher market. The popular locomotive found homes on railroads large and small all across North America.

Externally, the GP9 was nearly identical to the GP7 - and its effect on railroading was equally as impressive.
©2013 Ryan C Kunkle, licensed to About.com, Inc.

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