2006 Round Up

All Issues Priced at $2.95 unless otherwise noted

From 2004-06, the Cowcatcher Round Up was published independently by Ballpark Impressions, LLC, as the official publication of the Cowcatcher Division/NMRA.

‘TIS THE SEASON – Jan/Feb 2006: Season traffic brings railroads to life. PLUS, modeling North Texas coal trains in N scale are easy using a number of modern-day coal cars that include UFIX Coalveyers, UFIX Coalporters, FPPX Thrall Hi-Side Gondolas and FPPX Coalporters; removing decals is easy with a gel-like product; roots of The Hustler traces to the Houston & Texas Central railroad; and the arrival of streamliners upgrades the collection at the Age of Steam railroad museum in Dallas. SOLD OUT!

NEW WAR PAINT – March/April 2006: Plans are announced for the first “24 Hours at Saginaw”, an all-day and night railfanning experience in a railroad-centric community in North Texas. PLUS, model railroad landscapes take shape using papier mache that is produced by a company in Marshall, TX; and staff writer Steve Willis examines why the Santa Fe was the way for passenger travel in the golden era of railroading.

BETTER DAYS GONE BY? – May/June 2006: The venerable SD40-2 once was the hoss of the American railroad, but today it’s seeing a much more limited role and settling into a secondary work life. PLUS, a look back at the Sam Houston Zephyr, which was the first diesel-powered streamlined passenger train in Texas; Blair Line’s American roadside café is a replica of a classic piece of Americana; and a preview of the LSR’s annual convention in San Antonio, TX.

WGH ON TOUR SET FOR FW – July/August 2006: The World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour announces it will do a Texas two-step by hosting a second show in the Lone Star State. PLUS, the first edition of “24 Hours at Saginaw” goes off without a hitch; D&RGW locomotive joins Union Pacific’s Heritage Series fleet; we take a look back at the Missouri Pacific Railroad’s Texas Trianglem which provided overnight service to Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston; and the “Tracks to the Alamo” draws the largest crowd in the past five years for an Lone Star Region annual convention.

TRAIN SEASON IS HERE! – Sept/Oct 2006: The Age of Steam Museum at Fair Park in Dallas has a vision to change its image and direction. PLUS, Division 3 of the Lone Star Region gives back to Garland, TX, library that hosts its meetings; a new Union Pacific intermodal facility in San Antonio is announced; and we take a snapshot of a portable rig that allows for transloading of oil in the Houston area.

GREAT NORTHERN MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE – Nov/Dec 2006: An ex-Great Northern employee’s HO-scale layout is a tribute to a long railroading career and life in Wolf Point, MT. PLUS, the Danby Ludlow & Springfield gets ready to make a third move, this one a long way from Texas; the days for the Texas State Railroad may be numbered as funding is getting scarce; and Union Pacific and Lionel settle their trademark dispute.

Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.

Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.

The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.

2006 Round Up

Current Issue: May/June 2025

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Tuned In

Tariffs Cause Concern

Managing Freight Cars

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