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All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

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From the Publisher: Stations along the main line don’t always mean you can catch a train

By TIM BLACKWELL/Cowcatcher Magazine Thinking of train stations stirs memories of bygone Beaux Arts and Victorian palaces, or even of old depots that doubled as freight and passenger stops. They were the epicenters of early America, where family and friends reunited and business travelers frequented. …

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Eighth-grade class steps up with big donation to save struggling Red River Railroad Museum

By TIM BLACKWELL/Cowcatcher Magazine Christmas came early for the Red River Railroad Museum in Denison, TX. Located in an office in the former Katy Depot downtown, it is a treasure trove of history, including accounts of how the railroad made its way through Indian Territory …

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Museum displays 3D-generated G-scale replica of historic Texas hotel that once hosted Elvis

FRISCO, TX — The Museum of the American Railroad (MAR) had a showing in December of a 1:32 scale model of the historic Hotel Settles in Big Spring, TX, that was built for TrainTopia, the museum’s massive G-scale layout at the Frisco Discovery Center. The …

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St. Louis, MO museum a paradise on rail

Where can you see an 1863 steam locomotive, an FT diesel, the world’s largest tank car, a streetcar and the Katy Flyer? Maybe on a poorly planned model railroad layout, but certainly at the Museum of Transportation in suburban St. Louis, a paradise for the …

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R.D. Moses layout returns to life

JEFFERSON, TX — A small group of rail enthusiasts with help from local preservationists, merchants and citizens proved in May that sometimes the very difficult can be achieved. The grand opening of the R.D. Moses Texas & Pacific Railway display at the Jefferson Historical Museum …

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GP20 a unique diesel in Blacklands Railroad’s livery

Like most short lines, the Blacklands Railroad runs diesel locomotives retired from Class I railroads. BLR’s three Electro-Motive engines from the General Purpose series have varied backgrounds that include duties far from their current home in East Texas. The Blacklands’ most identifiable locomotive is No. …

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