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All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

2015 Cowcatcher Magazine

All Issues Priced at $4.95 unless otherwise noted

GOOD CHEMISTRY January/February 2015: The San Antonio Central Railroad combines a youthful approach with an Alamo City landmark, the former Kelly Air Force Base. PLUS, we publish the winners of the Cowcatcher Gold Rail Awards 2014 contest; recreating Amtrak passenger trains in N and HO scales is getting easier; passenger rail service between Tulsa and Oklahoma City may get the green light in spring 2015 with the Eastern Flyer; and model manufacturers display their latest products at Trainfest in Milwaukee and the Oklahoma City Train Show.





STILL IN STYLE March/April 2015: Craftsmanship has a small but dynamic place in the world of ready-to-run model railroading. PLUS, the New Orleans and Gulf Coast Railway is in prime position to grow with the planned expansion of the Plaquemines Port; the Nebraska-Iowa model railroad club supercharges space at a Council Bluffs, IA, mall with several layouts in multiple scales; despite the drop in oil prices, the railroad industry sees a silver lining; and a mechanic for Watco Companies explains how he modeled a Kansas & Oklahoma locomotive that commemorates Wichita State University.





MODEL TRANSIT May/June 2015: Denver’s Regional Transportation District takes a three-legged stool approach to expanding the city’s light-rail and commuter-rail systems. PLUS, we review Kato’s new Sound Box system; visit with Hornby America’s Arvids Breikss about the comeback of Arnold and Rivarossi; detail how a Mexico, MO, club easily switched from DC to DCC; and recollect how the Cotton Belt’s Lone Star served Shreveport, LA.





TEAM PLAYER July/August 2015: Former big-league pitcher Dan Smith helps instill a team player mentality at Watco Companies, one of the country’s leading shortline railroad operators. PLUS, the former Houston Railroad Museum announces plans to relocate to Tomball, TX; steady investment and diversification position Farmrail and Grainbelt lines to better manage the resources of western Oklahoma; we review a WalthersProto HO-scale Santa Fe diesel locomotive and take a trackside look at the Colorado & Great Western modular model railroad. $5.95

Cowcatcher Sept-Oct 2015 Cover


ON RECORD PACE September/October 2015: Intermodal shipments on U.S. railroads in April outpaced carload traffic for the first time before hitting its highest point ever in June. PLUS, the massive Tehachapi Loop continues to be a big draw for the San Diego Model Railroad Museum; San Antonio’s Alamo Model Railroad Engineers settle into a new venue for it annual model train show; ScaleTrains.com announces it’s entering the model manufacturing business; and we go trackside with the San Antonio & Northern model railroad.$5.95





Cowcatcher Nov-Dec 2015 Cover

ON SPOT November/December 2015: Spotting cars at warehouses and industrial districts add realism to model railroading, especially when done properly. PLUS, the National Narrow Gauge Convention raises the bar on contests; an Illinois model railroad shop tirelessly promotes model railroading, including to the younger generation; the Wisconsin & Southern punctuates its 35th anniversary with new opportunities; and see how one former railroad was actually responsible for the creation of the country’s largest amusement park.





Current Issue: May/June2026

$6.95 (U.S. Orders Only)

O Triad

The O-scale Reader & Caney Creek, the Virginian Railway and the Cheapskate & Ohio are distinctly different. Well-known among Southwest O-scalers, the protolance 2-rail Virginian is spectacularly scenicked and spans over 1,200 square feet. Same with the freelance Cheapskate & Ohio, still mostly under construction. It showcases fine-scale 2-rail modeling integrated with hi-rail AC toy trains. The around-the-walls Reader & Caney Creek is proof that 2-rail doesn’t require a ballroom. While they share a size more associated with nostalgia and collecting than fine-scale model railroading, the layouts embody a very individual spirit. And the goal isn't necessarily running trains.

Craftsman Courtyard

Laser-cut craftsman kit makers on the East Coast are working together to change the dynamic of a model railroad segment traditionally reserved for elite modelers because of its reputation for complex kits requiring extensive handwork. Through affordable, easy-to-assemble wood kits, the companies are attracting the experienced and beginners alike.

Mail on the Rails

For a century, “these couriers” included the railroads and what was known for most if its life as the Railway Mail Service. In 1950 more than 14,000 clerks toiled away sorting mail in Railway Post Offices on 3,000 moving trains.

Plus

The Northeast Outdoor Railway Festival is adding a new touch by creating a citywide large-scale experience in Palmer, MA; OminTRAX buys three Arkansas short lines to expand into a new growing market; a recent release of a Denver & Rio Grande Western caboose fills a niche with classic paint; InterMountain Railway's HO 5161 Trinity hoppers feature BNSF's Heritage roads; and an ex-Canadian National Railway F7A finds a home. And more!

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