Building A Steam Locomotive From The Ground Up

Description: Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern are proposing a merger that would create a massive railroad to connect Canada, the USA, and Mexico! Plus, Amtrak is set to roll out some cool paint schemes to celebrate their 50 years of service!

Todd foams over his new HO scale Big Boy, and Schon foams over his very specific HO scale Utah Railway coal train.

Our special guest is Matt Bown, host of the legendary television series “Extreme Trains.” He tells about what it was like to ride in the UP 844 and how he was lucky enough to get the dream job of playing on some of the coolest trains ever, including the Ringling Bros. circus train.

Sorry it took so long for a new episode! Todd and Schon are back with a history of the Utah Railway.

Daniel Rappoport, founding president of the impressive Illinois Tech Railroad Club, is our special guest. In this episode, we learn about the club's humble beginnings, Daniel's passion for the hobby, and how it is influencing his career choice. This is an episode you don't want to miss!

The title speaks for itself. Todd and Schon are back with an update on … well, everything going on in the past few weeks.

Update on the restoration efforts of East Broad Top Railroad, information about a classic Santa Fe unit in Tooele, Utah, and how to implode a tank car—which is something you should not actually attempt. But it’s still cool.

Instead of restoring an existing locomotive, The Pennsylvania Railroad is building a new steam locomotive with blueprints from 1956! Plus, Nevada Northern Railroad restored a classic Hy-Rail from that same year! Get your Flux Capacitor ready for this episode that, for some reason, is preoccupied with the year 1956!

Schon went to a model train show in Milwaukee and, of course, found time to go trackside and look for CN trains. Todd discusses his N-scale woes as they exchange holiday gifts, plus an update on Heber Valley Railroad’s latest locomotive acquisition.

With the holidays approaching, perhaps you have a rail fan on your list. We have the latest on what is coming from the top model train manufacturers. Also, if you are just getting into model railroading and are curios, we have information on how to get started. And if you have kids that want trains, we have some pointers on where you should start. Plus, Todd and Schon talk about their favorite trains from their personal collections.