2008 Cowcatcher Round Up

All Issues Priced at $2.95 unless otherwise noted

ANTHRACITE BLENDS CNJ, LV – Jan/Feb 2008: The Tulsa, OK-based Anthracite Lines offers a unique perspective of freelance and prototypical industrial options on Tom Fausser’s HO-scale layout. PLUS, the “Moccasin”, the Texas & Pacific 2-8-2 Mikado, gets a new home in Marshall, TX; Waco’s Warden Shops kept freight and passenger trains moving across the Katy and the Southwest; and Houston METRO celebrates a milestone with the 40 millionth rider boards.

HAVE YOU MADE YOUR RESERVATION? – Mar/Apr 2008 – Publisher’s Choice Special $2.75 ea.: The model railroad industry plays a numbers game to juggle supply and demand through requiring dealers and consumers to make reservations before runs begin. PLUS, the Rock Island’s Twin Star Rocket had one of the longest passenger runs in North America at 1,363 miles; a father-son duo in Oklahoma load up their G-scale layout and hit the show circuit; and robbers leave their mark on a Dallas train store.

ARKANSAS HILLS ALIVE WITH TRAINS – May/June 2008: Modelers migrate to a Northwest Arkansas community to set up some big-time model railroad operations with Hog Rails. PLUS, model maker Athearn and the Trinity Railway Express sign a licensing agreement and production will resume on the popular commuter rail models; a long-time piece of the model railroad landscape in Oklahoma City shutters its doors; and today’s high-energy refrigerator cars ensure dependable delivery of perishables.

PRESERVATION ON THE MOVE – July/Aug 2008: A pair of East Texas steam locomotives are relocated, sending preservation on the move. PLUS, a vintage railroad car will be home to an O-scale group’s permanent layout; Atlas adds the its GP30 locomotive line with its latest Phase I release; the Texas & Pacific Westerner rolled through the night to destinations west; and the green light is given to Houston METRO’s Phase II plan.

OPERATIONS ON THE KCS IN HO – Sept/Oct 2008: Plenty of detail and operations awaits on Jim Norwood’s Kansas City Southern HO-scale layout in North Richland Hills, TX. PLUS, a North Texas modular club builds its image and membership; columnist Steve Willis continues his series on building the Rocky Mountain; ridership on Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer climbs; and the Rock Island’s Choctaw traveled 762 miles from Memphis to Amarillo.

MOTORING ON DOWN THE LINE – Nov/Dec 2008: A group of North Texas motor car enthusiasts take to the rails and show off how railroad crews moved down the line in the day. PLUS, Hurricane Ike slammed into the Texas coast and takes out the Galveston Railroad Museum; Atlas delivers gold with a finely detailed HO-scale model of a GP40-2 locomotive; and Athearn’s Blue Box bay window caboose is transformed into a Missouri Pacific transfer caboose.

Pick up the current issue of the Cowcatcher Magazine at a location near you or SUBSCRIBE

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.

2008 Cowcatcher Round Up

Pick up the current issue of the Cowcatcher Magazine at a location near you or SUBSCRIBE

Current Issue: May/June 2025

$6.95 (U.S. Orders Only)

Tuned In

Tariffs Cause Concern

Managing Freight Cars

Plus