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Category: Up Close

St. Louis, MO museum a paradise on rail

Oct 26th, 2012

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 rail history buff and railroad modeler, no matter what era or location he or she models. The St. Louis Museum of Transportation houses one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the world, proclaims John White, curator emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution. In addition to 150 pieces of railroad rolling stock, the museum includes 100 road vehicles, aircraft and even a towboat. The 1863 steam locomotive is the Daniel Nason, the oldest locomotive in the collection and one of the oldest steam locomotives in the U.S. The 4-4-0 was built by the Boston & Providence Railroad and is the last surviving “insider,”…

  • Up Close

R.D. Moses layout returns to life

Oct 26th, 2012

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 not only culminated one man’s dream for his work to live on but enabled a town to embrace its railroad heritage for the first time in decades. Following a short ceremony and ribbon cutting to kick off Jefferson Train Days, Fort Worth modeler R.D. Moses’ layout was debuted in a new T&P-style building, and many who doubted that a project of such magnitude could be accomplished – the museum’s largest since a roof was installed in the 1990s – were smiling. In less than a year and with no seed money, the craftsman-like layout was transformed from Moses’ backyard and showcased in style under the…

  • Up Close
  • Current Issue: March/April 2023

     

     

    INSIDE THIS ISSUE

  • General Purpose

    Nearly 75 years after the first General Purpose locomotive rolled off the assembly line at General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division, the workhorse diesel is still doing the job it was meant to do. The four-axle “Geep” is making main line moves, switching industries and doing short road work on mostly secondary railroads. Introduced in 1949 as the “ugly duckling” GP7, it has settled into a comfortable role and is always in demand, whether by lease or purchase. The Cowcatcher looks at the locomotive’s rise and some of its popular variations.

  • NRail Celebrates 50 Years

    NTRAK is a household name in model railroading and has something to celebrate. NTRAK and T-TRAK organizations within NRail have blossomed in the last 50 years to become the glue or common thread of modular model railroading and promote N scale in most areas of the U.S. and Canada and other countries.

     

     

  • M.T.H. Regaining Footing

    Its future once uncertain, O model maker M.T.H. Electric Trains is moving forward with a new business plan making new model train products sold exclusively within the company’s dealer network.

     

  • PLUS…

    Columnist Michelle Kempema goes behind the scenes with an O-scale model railroad club looking to change its image. …

     

    BNSF goes BIG on intermodal plans to build a massive facility in Barstow, CA, to expedite container shipments. …

     

    The Rock Island’s Memphis-Californian went west to El Paso and took a lot of good company. …

     

     

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

     

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  • Back Issues

    Miss the January/February 2023 issue or other Cowcatcher editions? 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.

     

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  • 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!

     

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  • 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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