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2019 Cowcatcher Magazine

All Issues Priced at $6.95 unless otherwise noted. Many of these issues are limited in availability.

Proven January/February 2019: One of our best-selling issues, the January/February 2019 Cowcatcher goes behind the scenes with the Wm. K. Walthers Co. and tells the tale of how four generations of family have led the company to the top of the model railroad industry. PLUS, America goes trackside to pay respects to former President George H.W. Bush; readers rate the state of model railroading good based on value, selection and quality; scenery and technology bring to life the Northwest Tarrant & Pacific, the Cowcatcher’s HO-scale project layout; and steam returns to the Alamo City with the restoration of the Texas Transportation Museum’s 1925 Baldwin 0-4-0. Very limited copies available!

January/February 2019





Building for the Future March/April 2019: Like many short lines, the Cowcatcher’s project railroad, the Northwest Tarrant & Pacific, assumed tracks from a larger railroad and is developing brisk business by serving several industries. PLUS, Dallas/Fort Worth’s newest commuter line, TEXRail, is off to a running start and discussions of expansion are already taking place; going DCC simplifies model railroad operation and is easier than it looks; the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show had a couple of major product announcements from Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains.com; and streetcar history unfolds at the Milwaukee Transit & Archives Museum in Cudahy, WI.





F is for Fantastic May/June 2019: The award-winning Chester & Becket, an Fn30 representation of the Boston & Albany rolling through the Berkshires, is a sight to behold. PLUS, train detection provides realism to model railroads through light-sensitive applications; Deb and Dave Zucker of Spring Creek Model Trains log about 50,000 miles per years selling model trains and accessories at train shows across the country; Texas and California are fighting for high-speed rail despite pressure from administrators and lawsuits; and we review ScaleTrains.com’s HO-scale SD40-T-2 tunnel motor. $7.95 ea. Very limited copies available!

May/June 2019





Still Alluring July/August 2019: While Cowcatcher readers continue to embrace passenger rail, ridership is declining. PLUS, Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 put a spectacular show with its return to the rails; a proposed tariff on model railroads has sent a shiver through the model train and toy industries; and renumbering Japanese hoppers isn’t as difficult as it may sound. Also, the Stockton Terminal and Eastern railroad has something new that’s blue and green, and meets air quality standards. And the nation’s rail traffic continues to move a slower pace than in 2018, according to the Association of American Railroads. SOLD OUT!

Michigan Mastery, September/October 2019: The proto-lance HO-scale St. Clair Subdivision packs a lot of railroading in a small space. PLUS, a tariff on Chinese imports that includes model trains was delayed until mid-December; the Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet will make a stop in Denver at October’s Rocky Mountain Hobby-Expo; the California Northern is putting Tier 4 technology to work; and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy is Trainfest’s Celebrate-a-Railroad in 2019. $7.95 ea. Very limited copies available!

September/October 2019





Going Somewhere, November/December 2019: The HO-scale Ashland, Superior & Pacific creates the illusion of trains traveling far and wide. PLUS, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is upgrading its locomotive fleet; Ken Patterson’s perspectives on model railroading are drawing a legion of viewers; Greenbrier Companies’ new Tsunami Gate grain hopper unloads lightening fast; and the Illinois Central’s Panama Limited basked in the glory of the opening of the Panama Canal with all-Pullman service. $7.95 ea. Very limited copies available!

November/December 2019





  • Current Issue: Jan/Feb 2023

    Due to printer issues, the January/February issue is running behind. We expect it to be at stores by Jan. 11.

     

     

    INSIDE THIS ISSUE

  • Natural Merger

    The Illinois Chapter of the Mudhens Modular HO Narrow Gauge Society’s layout makes a seamless transition from the mountains and hills of Pennsylvania to the Colorado plains. Through an eye-catching blend of scenery, modules transition from North Carolina’s East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad and Pennsylvania’s Tuscarora Valley and on to the Denver & Rio Grande Western. Highly detailed trees and foliage swallow the terrain; tree leaves seem to jump off the layout in this superb interpretation of portable narrow gauge model railroading.

  • 2023 State of Model Railroading

    Modelers say times are still good in the hobby but they may spend a little less this year because of the economy. The Cowcatcher’s 2023 State of Model Railroading survey polled readers last fall to get their insights on everything from the quality of models to sustaining the future of the hobby. They had a lot to say.

     

  • Railroading in the 1940s

    The railroad industry in the late 1940s hummed as steam transitioned to diesel. Interesting, some things don’t change much. Pat Hiatte reflects on a time when railroads were high-balling across the U.S.

    – DeGolyer Library, SMU/Railroads: Photographs, Manuscripts and Imprints

     

  • PLUS…

    Milwaukee’s Trainfest came back strong in November after being sidelined by the pandemic for two years. More than 20,500 attended one of the nation’s top shows. …

     

    InterMountain Railway Co. and ScaleTrains announced recently that each will produce EMD’s short-lived SDL39, due later this year. …

     

    The sun has set on Fort Worth’s Tower 55, which for decades was the guardian of maybe the busiest railroad junction in the country. …

     

     

    THESE STORIES AND MORE, PLUS A FULL CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS AND THE BUSINESS PULSE OF THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY!

     

  • Order Issue

    PURCHASE THE CURRENT ISSUE TODAY!

    JUST $6.95, includes shipping (U.S. only)!

     

    SPECIAL OFFER! Order this issue or subscribe/renew and receive the Cowcatcher’s 2023 calendar! While supplies last!

     

     

    Allow 3-5 business days for delivery upon placement of order.

     

    ** Email us for international shipping rates**

     

  • Back Issues

    Be sure to check out our Back Issues page for any issues you may have missed. We have expanded descriptions for issues published beginning in 2007. Click here to order.

     

    See our most recent issues and order today!

     

  • Product News & Review

    InterMountain HO ADM Corn Syrup Car

     

    The Cowcatcher reviews InterMountain Railway Co.’s newly released HO-scale Trinity Industries 19,600-gallon corn syrup car. The tank car is one of several in the company’s second release.

     

    More product reviews!

     

    See product news!

     

  • Railroad in Focus

    Cowcatcher Magazine routinely features short lines and regional railroads that roam the Midwest and Southwest. Features include color photographs and maps, but an overview of operations and latest business trends.

     



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    UPDATED! Visit the new N-scale Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, the official model railroad of the Cowcatcher Magazine, and track progress. All aboard!
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