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All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

2018 Cowcatcher Magazine

All Issues Priced at $4.95 unless otherwise noted
Cowcatcher Jan-Feb Cover

Tying It Together January/February 2018: After going through his attic in 1999 following retirement, a Boulder, CO, modeler begins a journey to run trains again that leads to the popular Trout Creek & Western. PLUS, tough times meant even tougher decisions for a pair of Alabama railroads but they proved that good things can happen from hard work; the McKinney Avenue Trolley will debut a PCC-type streetcar in 2018; manufacturers roll out the goods at Trainfest in Milwaukee; and the Museum of the American Railroad receives three locomotives that salute the legacy of first-generation Santa Fe diesels.

January/February 2018





Cowcatcher Mar-Apr Cover
Action Packed March/April 2018: An Orland Hills, IL, modeler makes the most of the 8′ x 10′ space in a spare bedroom with the Swallow Cliff railroad, which features heavy industry serviced by the Wisconsin Central in a a simple, compact modular orientation. ALSO, the Texas Bullet Train is fast charting a path for high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston; WGH on Tour continues to promote model railroading to the masses and draw new folks into the hobby; and after more than 40 years of creating building kits, Bob Lunde still gets a kick out of pulling that first cast from a rubber mold.
March/April 2018





Cowcatcher May-June Cover
Like New May/June 2018: GE Transportation fills a void in the locomotive marketing by modernizing older AC4400s and Dash-9s. ALSO, a veteran Houston modeler offers tips on making realistic lumber loads for any scale; OmniTRAX CEO Kevin Shuba shares thoughts about short line railroading and fried chicken in the return of Trackside Folks, which allows readers to get to know railroad and model railroad personalities; and Fairbury, NE, may be off the beaten path but the presence of the Rock Island is alive and well at the city’s old depot which is now a museum.


May/June 2018


Cowcatcher-July-Aug-2018-CoverGood Fit July/August 2018: The Albuquerque Society of HO Module Engineers, early pioneers of modular railroading, are right at home with their traveling layout. ALSO, CN gets aggressive with its capital spending program in 2018, marking a new direction for the Canadian Class I; St. Louis Union Station was an appropriate backdrop for the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society meeting; Athearn plans a run of Norfolk Southern’s SD60E “Honor Our Veterans” locomotive; and meet Kadee President Alan Vezzani.


July/August 2018


Cowcatcher-Sept-Oct-2018-CoverGreen Goddess New September/October 2018: The G-scale Centennial Railway Garden, originally planned as a temporary attraction, has sustained a place at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in more ways than one. ALSO, model manufacturers are picking up the pieces after a major factory in China suddenly closed its doors; the railroad played a key role in delivering milk on the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway; the Cowcatcher’s project layout, the Northwest Tarrant & Pacific, debuts; and new locomotives and rolling stock once again dominated the National Train Show in Kansas City.


September/October 2018





Cowcatcher-Nov-Dec-2018-CoverNew Path November/December 2018: Watco’s latest railroad charts a new direction on historic lines in Eastern Illinois and Western Indiana. ALSO, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is back on track after fire and heavy rain halted operations over the summer; the charismatic Jason Shron, president of Rapido Trains, talks about the model railroad business and his favorite movie of all time; Preserving Central Florida rail history and educating the public is the mission of the Ocala Model Railroaders; and make a cybernetic visit to Dallas Union Terminal in 1958; the Cowcatcher’s project layout, the Northwest Tarrant & Pacific, begins to take shape in Part II; and relive historic passenger trains of the Katy, Frisco, Santa Fe and others. SOLD OUT!


Current Issue: July/Aug 2026

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Mardis Gras

A group of rail advocates led by John Robert Smith and Transportation for America would not take no for an answer while trying to return Amtrak passenger service along the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina's devastation. Transportation for America guided the Southern Rail Commission through 20 years of muck, mud and political jambalaya to re-energize a route from New Orleans, LA, to Mobile, AL. In just seven months after its August 2025 launch the train posted 100,000 boardings — shattering Amtrak’s original target of 42,000 annual riders. Ridership topped 18,000 the first month, and by the second had eclipsed Amtrak’s estimate.

Midwest Salute

The Missouri-Kansas-Texas and Missouri Pacific railroads traveled on similar paths from Missouri to the Southwest. One model railroad manufacturer has paid tribute to these railroads that eventually were merged into the Union Pacific system with HO-scale GP40 and C36-7 models.

Outdoor Storage

OmniTRAX recently opened an outdoor storage facility in Blue Island, IL, launching a new concept where companies can store anything from road equipment to tons of gravel without the need for a warehouse.

Plus

BNSF and Norfolk Southern introduce a wealth of patriotic diesel schemes leading up to America's 250th anniversary, the Railway Express Agency ensured that packages, parcels - even a hog - arrived quickly and on time, and the key to success for a Wisconsin model railroad club is opening its doors to the community, something it has done for the past 80 years. And more!