LocoParts is now owned by Dute Machine & Locomotive Works. LocoParts has changed hands after many years of quality service to the live steam hobby. Don Orr has decided to pass on the torch to Jeffrey Dute of Dute Machine and Locomotive Works, LLC, as the new owner and operator. The ownership transfer of LocoParts [...]
A review of Peter’s Railway Holiday at Lunan Bay By Christopher Vine Just released by Christopher Vine is his latest offering in his “Peter’s Railway” series of paperback books. This one is subtitled Holiday at Lunan Bay and is the ninth in the series. The storyline is geared to the ages of 6-12 years and follows [...]
A review of Starting in Steam – An Introduction to Live-steam Model Railroading By Scott E. McDonald, Carl Weaver and staff There are an extraordinary number of publications – from the 1830s to the present day – that describe the use of steam for propulsion ranging from traction engines to steamboats; from factory engines to railroad [...]
A review of The fire burns much better… By J.J.G. Koopmans by Neil Knopf The second edition of J.J.G. Koopmans’ scientific treatise is now available for all serious students of the steam locomotive, particularly those interested in combustion engineering. The author delves deeply into the intricacies of reliable and economical firing of steam locomotive boilers. Stationary steam [...]
The Walt Disney Family Museum is pleased to present All Aboard: A Celebration of Walt’s Trains, on view from November 13, 2014 through February 9, 2015. This comprehensive exhibition explores the influence that railroading had on Walt Disney’s life and work. It also tells the story of how his railroading legacy lives on to this day [...]
by Nick Dawes Through the courtesy of Heritage Auctions, we would like to present this interesting slice of steam-related, personal history… As Vice President of Special Collections for Heritage Auctions, the world’s third largest auctioneer, something new and challenging is always coming up. Some challenges you want to take on, most you do not, [...]
by W. Ross Crawford First, measure the distance between the front and the rear wheels to see if the axles are parallel. Then, check to see if the wheels are the same size. Any differences will cause flange wear on one wheel. If there are no centers in the axles, install them now insuring they [...]
A historic milestone was reached on Wednesday 25th June 2014, when Puffing Billy Railway celebrated its youngest NA locomotive’s 100th birthday. Narrow Gauge locomotive 14A was built in the Victorian Railways Newport Workshop and was commissioned on 25 June 1914 for operation on the Colac-Beech Forest-Crowes line. 14A also saw service between Wangaratta and Whitfield [...]
Bidders fell under the spell of the machine in Heritage Auctions’ $1.2+ million presentation of the Glenn Reid Museum Collection of Mechanical Models May 28 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas. The collection offered nearly 500 scale models from the Detroit-area museum with top lot honors taken by a fully-equipped, 24-foot Ahrens-Fox N-S-4 fire truck, which [...]
A&K now offer a full line of Gas Burners as well as the custom-made Box Burners. Oil Burners and custom made Grates for solid fuel can be provided from tabletop to full size in any scale. Hobby Boilers…If your Old Steamer needs a new hobby boiler, or if a hobby boiler is needed for a [...]