From The Archive
Welcome to From the Archive! Here you’ll find some of our favorite historical anecdotes about the model railroad industry, researched by our team of editors and writers.
March 16, 2021
Fact or Fiction: Conrail F-units
They were easy to find in HO, but did Conrail own and operate fully painted and decorated F-units?
February 24, 2021
AHM’s “Center Flow Hopper”
This AHM freight car was a popular subject for modelers for many years. In March 2021’s Model Railroad News, this model is included in “From the Archive.”
January 20, 2020
Looking Back at BLI’s New York Central Niagara
This model is a fitting tribute modern New York Central steam power. Broadway Limited brings not only the looks, but the sound and action in this HO scale model.
November 15, 2017
From the Archive: A Brief History of Lionel HO
Much has been written about Lionel and its place in history. The upcoming holiday season, along with Model Railroad News’ examination of the latest group of Lionel releases for the HO market, presents an excellent opportunity to take a look back. There is far too much history to cover in “From the Archive,” but here’s a brief journey through Lionel’s history with HO model trains.
July 27, 2017
From the Archive: The Debut of Atlas O Scale
Atlas’ first entry into the two-rail O scale market was short-lived, but made an impact on the hobby and opened the door towards an expanded product line from the popular model railroad manufacturer.
July 11, 2017
From the Archive: Chessie System Steam Models
The Chessie Steam Special was a whirlwind schedule of steam excursions launched in 1977 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Hobby companies quickly saw merit in applying Chessie System colors to existing steam locomotive models well before the real example arrived in early 1977.
October 31, 2016
From the Archive: Denver & Salt Lake’s 2-6-6-0 from PFM
While Denver & Salt Lake is certainly not in league with Union Pacific or Pennsylvania Railroad, the number of times PFM imported this 2-6-6-0 is a testament to its popularity.
January 15, 2016
The First GP38-2 in HO
Today, a wide-range of “Dash 2” EMD diesels are available to the hobbyist, but in 1976 — just four years following the introduction of these prototypes — only Life-Like’s GP38-2 made up the plastic HO “Dash 2” diesel market.
November 12, 2015
Looking Back at Bachmann HO Cabooses
Since its 1970 introduction, Bachmann has offered a number of HO caboose models. Ranging in prototypes including wood and steel bodies, and many road names both real and imagined, Tony Cook reviews the many variations of cabooses offered by Bachmann over the years.
