In May of 2010, I got a new camcorder, the newly released Canon Vixia HF S21.  It records in True HD 1080p (if you choose the appropriate settings) and records videos onto its internal 64 GB flash drive.  The video files that result have incredible resolution and detail!  Since YouTube now supports True HD 1080p, the new videos appear on this page only in the YouTube player.  While I could post them here in their native format, I've compared those originals to the YouTube HD rendering and there isn't enough difference to warrant doing so.  Over the course of time, I've reshot most of my older videos in HD and they appear on this page.  When you play one of these HD videos, if your hardware supports it click on the resolution box at the lower right hand corner of the YouTube player and select 1080p, then give it a try in full screen mode.  This page is in reverse chronological order -- that is, the newest videos appear first.

Because of the number of videos, I've had to split this multimedia page into two parts.  On this first page, you have all of the True HD 1080p videos.  On the second page are all of the older standard definition videos as well as the videos of real trains.  You can CLICK HERE to go to the second page.  Many of the video descriptions include a link to another page within my web site that has photographs of the trains in the videos.  Also, I have reviewed many of the models on my Train Reviews page.  (This LINK will take you to the main page of my web site.)  Enjoy!

O-Gauge & Standard Gauge Model Train Videos

This video shows my most recent acquisition -- the Lionel Corp. (manufactured by MTH) Standard Gauge Blue Comet set. It features the #400E steam locomotive (yes, I know, owning two #400E's is going overboard but what can I say) and five passenger cars. The baggage car was never included with the original set from the 1930's but they did a good job of maintaining the look and feel of the original set. In appearance, the set is a dead ringer for the orignal set from 80 years ago. Operationally, well ... it's equipped with the full Protosound 2 control and sound package. I'm running it from my DCS remote and the sounds you can hear for yourself. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see it on my around-the-ceiling layout in a slow speed runby, a faster runby, and in the last segment, I provide a sample of the great Blue Comet passenger station sounds that come with this set.

This video is to showcase the twelve new 40' woodsided refrigerator cars (reefers) that AtlasO just brought out in July 2011. To pull this short freight train, I've assigned the Pennsy L1s Mikado (2-8-2) steamer, one of their workhorse freight locomotives during the steam era. Built between 1914 and 1919, the Pennsylvania Railroad's fleet of L1s Mikados hauled freight through two world wars and served until the end of steam in 1957. All told, there were 574 of them built. The reefers are the twentieth regular issue of these cars by AtlasO since they first started bringing them out in 2000. A few special runs (custom made for various dealers) are also included. For the first time, the regular run contains both regular reefers as well as models of the rebuilt reefers (distinguishable by the roof deck). I think you'll agree that the designs this time around are quite nice.

Here's the last of my older Protosound 1 diesel locomotives that I'm converting to Protosound 2 (this makes a total of six). This is the Seaboard Orange Blossom Special set which consists of EMD E8s in an A-B-A configuration with six matching passenger cars in Seaboard's very attractive "citrus" paint scheme. The locomotives came out in 1998 with the original Protosound system, and I've now converted the set to PS2 by making each A-unit an independent locomotive with full control and sound electronics (in the original set, only the leading A-unit could run by itself; now, both A-units can run independently). In this True HD 1080p video, you can see them running as a DCS lash-up hauling their passenger trains. The prototype began running in 1925 from NYC to Miami and last ran in 1953. The Pennsy handled the train from NYC to Washington, where it was taken over by the RF&P to Richmond, where it was handed off to the Seaboard for the stretch from Richmond to Miami via Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah, and Jacksonville. If you compare this to the video of the set as-issued (click here) you'll note that there's now twice the sound, lots more smoke, no more tethers between locomotive units, and you'll have to take my word for it that it's a lot more fun to play with!

Here's the fourth of my older Protosound 1 diesel locomotives that I've converted to Protosound 2. It's the Premier model of the EMD BL2 which came out in 1996. The BL stands for "Branch Line" as it was intended for use on light branch lines. As such, I have it hauling a short freight train as it would have in real life. You can compare it to how it operated pre-conversion as I have a video of it as-issued already posted (click here). As you'll see in this True HD 1080p video, after conversion the low-speed performance is much better, the sounds are richer and fuller, and it has the full panoply of remote control features, such as remote uncoupling. All in all, lots more fun to play with!

This is the third of my older Protosound 1 diesel locomotives that I've converted to Protosound 2. It's the GE AC4400CW (the AC version of the Dash-9) which came out in 1998. I've previously shown it in its original PS1 incarnation (click here) so you can compare what the upgrade has done. I now have full remote control with DCS, the slow speed operation is excellent, smoke output is voluminous, and as you can see, the ditch lights now flash when the horn blows. The sounds are also much richer and fuller. All in all, it's a lot more fun to play with! :-) In this True HD 1080p video, I show it hauling a pure intermodal freight train with TOFC cars and husky stacks, much as I see at the local railroad crossings.

Here's another diesel conversion from PS1 to PS2. I've previously shown this locomotive, the EMD GP20, in operation with its as-delivered Protosound 1 (PS1) electronics (click here). I've converted it to Protosound 2 (PS2) and by comparing this True HD 1080p video with the previous one, you can see many of the changes, not the least of which is that I'm now running it with the DCS remote control (well, you can't see that but you can take my word for it). There's much better control of the speed, better sound, full control of the directional lighting, etc. All in all, it's now a lot more fun to run! In this video, it's hauling an intermodal train, as you might have seen it doing on main lines all across the country.

I've previously shown this locomotive, the EMD SD90MAC,  in operation with its as-delivered Protosound 1 (PS1) electronics (click here). I've just converted it to Protosound 2 (PS2) and thought that I'd reshoot the video so that you can compare the operation between the two different systems. First off, of course, it's now under full remote control via DCS. You'll note that I can run it at much lower speeds now thanks to the pS2 scale speed feature. It now also has flashing ditch lights and fully controllable directional lighting. The sound is much better and it also smokes much better. I also have, as you can see in the final segment of this True HD 1080p video, the ability to uncouple the locomotive from the train via the remote control. It's pulling very much the same train as before, mostly intermodal with a few large modern freight cars.

In 1964, NYCTA, the New York Transit Authority, took delivery of 600 Budd-built stainless steel R32 cars. The "Brightliners," as they were called, came in married pairs bearing one even and one odd number. They have been overhauled many times in the 40+ years since their initial delivery, so the original distinction between R32 and the later R32A cars is no longer meaningful. These large subway cars are used on the former BMT (Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit) and IND (Independent) divisions of the subway, which have larger tunnels than the former IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit) portions of the subway system. I remember these cars well as I rode them to and from school for many years. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see them in action, and in the first segment can hear the station stop announcement that is part of the PS2 sound package. These cars were the first Premier subway set and are lettered for the N train, the Sea Beach express, which just happened to run through my back yard as I was growing up!

Coal has long been one of the mainstays of freight railroading. Long trains of coal hoppers snake their way across the country, carrying this precious commodity from the mines and breakers to the power plants that consume it to produce electricity. It's been that way for a very long time. In this True HD 1080p video, I show a Pennsylvania RR coal train being pulled by the Premier model of the J1 Texas-type (2-10-4) steam locomotive double-headed with the Premier model of the M1b Mountain-type (4-8-2), both heavy freight haulers, followed by 28 matching MTH Premier PRR hopper cars that just came out (2011). The coal loads in the cars are made by my friend Bob (bobscoalloads.com) and look way better than the plastic castings that come with the cars.

I often get requests from people who want to see more of my main layout than they normally get to see in the videos that showcase my locomotives and trains, though some of those do show large areas of the layout. Well, what better way to see the layout than hop on the train and go for a ride! In this True HD 1080p video, you're in a car behind the locomotive, an MTH Premier Great Northern S-2 Northern-type (4-8-4) steamer as it goes for a spin around the layout. Since this is in the basement, you get to see lots of concrete blocks but it gives some idea of what the layout looks like all the way around.

If one Christmas Express set is good, then two must be better, right? And if those two are running on the same track at the same time, well, does it get any better? In 2002, MTH brought out a Christmas Express ready-to-run Standard Gauge set with the #10 electric locomotive hauling three 300-series passenger cars named for Santa's reindeer. In 2004, they brought out another set with the #384E steam locomotive, tender, and two passenger cars. Over the years, they've brought out more cars for a total of nine. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see both sets, with their add-on cars, running on the same track at the same time. It's the only way to show all nine cars as the observation cars can't couple at the back. So, here are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, with the Santa baggage car for good measure. Enjoy!

This video is to showcase the ten new 36' woodsided reefers that I just got from AtlasO. As with all their reefers these are exquisite. Since two of them are from the great Northwest, I thought it appropriate to haul them with one member of my big green fleet, the Great Northern S-2 Northern (4-8-4) steam locomotive. As it's been very snowy in the great Northwest, the yard has placed a rotary plow in front of the locomotive and as you can see in this True HD 1080p video, the blades are turning as they're expecting to run into snow at any moment. Using DCS, I've run the train very slowly so that you can pause the video at any point and enjoy all the detail of the reefers in razor-sharp hi-def.

After bringing out the Christmas Express ready-to-run Standard Gauge set in 2002 (video already posted), which came with the #10 electric locomotive, MTH followed-up in 2004 with another ready-to-run Christmas Express set, this one coming with the #384E steam locomotive and tender, a stalwart of the long-ago Standard Gauge era. This ready-to-run set came with the steam locomotive, tender, and two cars. Over the years, two more cars have been added, so in this True HD 1080p video, you can see the locomotive pulling the Dasher, Vixen, and Donner coach cars and the Prancer observation car.

Since I had already disabled a certain safety device that might be adversely affected by locomotive smoke (as in, I removed the smoke detector) so that I could film the Christmas steamer on the ceiling layout, I decided to give the #400E a run around up there as well. As I expected, it was spectacular! So, since I was already set-up to film upstairs, I put it on video! In this True HD 1080p video, you can see it make a few runs around my Sky's The Limit layout on top of the bookcases, hauling its seven 500-series freight cars. Enjoy!

I had hoped to have this video up for Christmas as well, but the fates conspired against me. Oh well, better late than never! After bringing out the Christmas Express ready-to-run Standard Gauge set in 2002, which came with the #10 electric locomotive, MTH followed-up in 2004 with another ready-to-run set, this one coming with the #384E steam locomotive and tender, another stalwart of the long-ago Standard Gauge era. The original set had three cars, the second set had two cars, and with additional cars added over the years, it's up to nine cars. Since only one observation car can be used on a train, when I string them all together there are eight. As you will have seen in the previous video, the eight cars are quite a load for just the #10 which was slipping its wheels quite a bit. In this True HD 1080p video, here are both locomotives, double-headed with DCS, hauling the eight cars. Now, there is no wheel slipping! Here are Dasher, Dancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, with the Santa baggage car for good measure. They're running on my Sky's The Limit Layout seven feet up off the floor and next to the ceiling!

Back in 1999, MTH brought out a RailKing model of a Pennsylvania RR Doodlebug. Even when steam was king, it was still expensive for steam trains to serve passengers on small branch lines and secondary mainlines. One solution to high-cost, low-ridership routes that the railroads came up with was the Doodlebug or gas-electric car. Doodlebugs were essentially a cross between a locomotive and a passenger car. The front section housed an internal combustion engine and the rear housed a passenger or freight compartment. Larger consists housed the baggage and freight in the rear compartment and pulled a passenger car behind the Doodlebug, but most were run as single units. At their peak of popularity in the 1920s, Doodlebugs rode the rails in every part of the country. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see the Doodlebugs (the front power unit and the rear follower unit) running on my layout. It's still got the original Protosound (PS1) sound package, so it's under conventional transformer control and I have no plans to update it to the more modern PS2 sound and remote control package. For its time, not a bad model at all!

Merry Christmas!    I suppose you could call this my video Christmas card.  In 2002, MTH Electric Trains reproduced a very early (1925) Lionel Standard Gauge electric locomotive.  This model of the #10 was done in red and green for Christmas, with three matching cars, also reproductions of those from 85 years ago.  Together, the train was called The Christmas Express and came in a complete set with track and transformer.  This is worthy of note since this set was, as far as I know, the first ready-to-run Standard Gauge set in about three-quarters of a century!  A few years later, MTH brought out another Standard Gauge Christmas set with a #384E steam locomotive.  Additional cars have been brought out over the years to the point that there are now nine of them.  For this True HD 1080p video, I've put the #10 electric locomotive at the head of eight of the cars (the observation cars can't couple at the back so only one can be used on the train and thus Prancer had to stay behind in the stable).  Here are Dasher, Dancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, with the Santa baggage car for good measure.  They're running on my Sky's The Limit Layout seven feet up off the floor and next to the ceiling!  Be sure to listen to the special Christmas sound set toward the end of the video.  It was a really nice touch that MTH included in the locomotive, enabled by the Protosound 2 sound and remote control software, and the entire thing is controlled by the DCS remote control system. 

The Lionel Postwar small streamline passenger car series that began in 1948 came to an end in 1966. For that year, Lionel improved on the cars from the previous two years, bringing back lights and window strips. The cars were still lettered and numbered in blue for Santa Fe, but the numbers were changed since the cars had been upgraded -- 2408, 2409, and 2410. At this point in time, Lionel already had one foot in the grave and this would be the last of these postwar cars. In 1966, they also revived the #665 small Hudson steam locomotive, so in this True HD 1080p video, I've put it at the head of these cars. With this and previous videos, I've now shown you all of the Postwar small streamline passenger cars that Lionel put out covering 19 years and stretching from Lionel's zenith in the mid-50's to its nadir in the late 60's.

In the sixties, Lionel was going downhill, heading for the end in 1969. In terms of the small streamline passenger cars that began appearing in 1948, 1964-1965 was the nadir. The cars were silver, lettered in blue for Santa Fe with blue numbers 2404, 2405, and 2406, but had no lights and no window strips. I suppose we were lucky they had wheels! Totally low end, they appeared in one set that was marketed both years and were available for separate sale. Since I've already shown all of my Postwar locomotives in other videos, for this True HD 1080p video I've assigned an Atlas SW-9 diesel to haul them. Lettered for Jersey Central (one of my weak spots), it came out around 2000. It's somewhat modern for these cars, but I've never shown it in a video before.

In 1959, Lionel once again changed their small streamline passenger cars. They remained silver but got a broad stripe of blue, much as the 1956 cars (click here to view the video) got a broad stripe of red. They were also, for the first time, given a real railroad name, "Santa Fe", instead of the generic "Lionel Lines" that had been on all of the cars since the first ones in 1948. They also had numbers but there were no longer car names, just 2412, 2414, and 2415. All car markings were also in blue -- less decoration means less cost and this was the point at which Lionel was beginning its long, slow spiral downward. The cars were offered for separate sale and were in one set each year, pulled by a diesel locomotive. Since I don't have any of those locomotives, I can't recreate one of the sets, so for this True HD 1080p video I've set up the cars with the earliest RailKing small Hudson (4-6-4) steam locomotive. It came out in 1996 and might well be called a successor to the Postwar small Hudsons. It has puffing smoke, an electronic whistle, and an electronic reversing unit. It's also lettered for New York Central, but that can be overlooked -- the only Santa Fe locomotive I have is a scale Texas whose tender is bigger than the passenger cars and that would look just silly.

The Lionel small streamline passenger cars in silver with red lettering were cataloged from 1954 to 1958, a total of five years and the longest for any of the small strealine cars, but there was a change. While the 2432 Clifton, 2434 Newark, and 2435 Elizabeth remained the same, in 1957 and 1958, the observation car was changed from the 2436 Summit to the 2436 Mooseheart. In both 1957 and 1958, these cars were offered in two sets per year, hauled by either a low-end steamer or diesels. Since I don't have any of those locomotives and thus can't recreate any of the four sets, for this True HD 1080p video, I've assigned the #601 Seaboard NW-2 diesel that dates from 1956 and which I've never before shown in a video. Same era, same guts, same grinding sound, and same ozone from the AC motor that you unfortunately can't smell even in hi-def.

From 1954 to 1956, Lionel offered the small streamline passenger cars in all-silver with red lettering, with cars 2432 Clifton, 2434 Newark, 2435 Elizabeth, and 2436 Summit, once again named after towns here in NJ (I've shown these in the video of my original Lionel 1534W set, already posted). Starting with the first of these small streamline cars in 1948, Lionel had changed them ever two years (the videos of the earlier cars have already been posted), so having them the same for three years in a row (it's actually five years, but I'll get to that in the next video) was something of a departure. More of a departure was that in 1956 only, Lionel offered another set of silver cars with the same numbers and names, but with a broad red stripe painted down the length of the cars. They came in only one set, #1562W, which had two of the Clifton vista-dome cars, while Elizabeth was available only for separate sale (which is why it's now the scarcest of all of these cars). It was pulled by the 2328 Burlington GP-7 diesel locomotive. In my recreation of set #1562W for this True HD 1080p video, I've substituted Elizabeth for the second Clifton car as I think it makes for a more interesting train. Happily, beginning in 1954, Lionel switched from coil couplers to magnetic couplers, so I no longer have to fight with the sliding shoes on my hi-rail layout, which makes shooting these videos a lot less painful.

In 1952, Lionel brought out a new set of small streamline passenger cars. These actually looked like the ones pictured in the 1950 catalog which were never issued -- silver with silver roofs, black lettering, and no window stripes. They had the same names and numbers as those that came out in 1950 and 1951 -- 2421 Maplewood, 2422 Chatham, and 2423 Hillside and there was an additional coach, the 2429 Livingston. They were part of two sets and were available for separate sale, but the Livingston came in only one set, #1484WS, headed by a #2056 small Hudson. In 1953, they were cataloged again and were once again present in two sets, but Livingston was only available for separate sale, which is why, all these years later, it's the hardest car to find. While I don't have the #2056 locomotive in my collection, I do have the slightly later #2065 small Hudson, so in this True HD 1080p video, I've recreated that 1952 set #1484WS using the #2065 and all four cars. Once again, I've taped over the sliding shoes so that the couplers don't fire on my hi-rail switches.

In 1950, Lionel brought out two sets of the small streamline passenger cars. The first, which attracted most of the attention, was the so-called "Anniversary Set" which had three cars in yellow with gray roofs pulled by a set of new Alco FA diesel locomotives lettered for Union Pacific (I've shown my modern reproduction set in a previous video). The second set was shown in the catalog as #2150WS and had three silver cars. 2421 Maplewood, 2422 Chatham, and 2423 Hillside (the same names used on the 1948-1949 green cars). The catalog showed cars that were all silver with black lettering. The cars that were actually delivered had black lettering, black window striping, and gray roofs -- the same gray roofs as the Anniversary Set. The set was pulled by the workhorse 671 Turbine. In this True HD 1080p video, I show my recreation of set 2150WS, which was also reissued in 1951, using my Postwar 681 Turbine and the three cars. I have to say, running cars with coil couplers and sliding shoes on a modern layout with hi-rail switches is a royal pain!

In a previous video, I showed my very first Lionel train set, which had the silver small streamline passenger cars (click here). My set dated from 1955, but the series of small streamline cars actually premiered in 1948 with a set of three green cars named Maplewood (2400), Chatham (2402), and Hillside (2401) (all towns here in NJ, where Lionel's factory was located). They came in set #2140WS (in both 1948 and 1949) with a #671 turbine steam locomotive. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see my recreation of that set, though I have a 681 turbine (with magnetraction) rather than the 671. For toys this old, they've held up rather well and you can tell that they were treated with care. They have coil couplers that are triggered by sliding shoes, so I've insulated the shoes with electrical tape so that they aren't energized by the hi-rail switches that I use on my layout.

In 1998, MTH brought out their very first New York City Subway set. It was part of the RailKing line and was lettered for the "D" train (which I always call the Brighton Express, the name that preceded the letters). It was equipped with the original Protosound system (PS1) and given the internal complexity of the subway sets, I decided not to convert it to the later Protosound 2 (PS2) system. As you can see in this short True HD 1080p video, it still looks quite good (the later sets offer more detail, such as full interiors with passengers) and runs very well. For the era, the sounds are OK.

Here is the third of my original Protosound (PS1) steam locomotives that I chose not to convert to Protosound 2 (PS2) due to engineering concerns but instead chose to buy a new version that came with PS2 as standard equipment. This is the original MTH Premier Shay, a geared steam locomotive that was used in the logging industry. It's lettered for the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co. (WVP&P) as are the matching log cars and caboose. The Shay, along with the Climax and the Heisler, was a geared steamer designed to provide incredible traction, albeit very slowly, for climing steep grades and going around tight turns that would defeat a normal steam engine. In this True HD 1080p video, you can watch the amazing action of the gears along the entire drive train as the Shay slowly makes its way down the tracks. For a locomotive model that came out in 1997, the sound is quite good (though not up to the standard of PS2 as you can see by comparing it to the video of the C&O Shay, with PS2, that's already posted here) and the operation is very smooth and reliable.

Among the many original Protosound (PS1) steam locomotives that I converted to Protosound 2 (PS2), there were a handful that I chose not to convert due to the engineering challenges. Those were the SP Cab Forward, the WVP&P Shay, and the CNJ Camelback, all of them not your typical steam locomotive. In each case, I instead bought a PS2 version of that particular locomotive type and True HD 1080p videos of all of those have already been posted. Recently, I posted a video of the original PS1 Cab Forward. It was well received, so here now is a True HD 1080p video of the original PS1 CNJ Camelback Ten-Wheeler (4-6-0) in operation. It's a RailKing model whereas the newer one is Premier, but as you can see by comparing the two videos, it's still scale-sized. I've gussied it up a bit, painting various appurtenances and adding a real coal load. While not as detailed as the newer Premier model, it's still quite an attractive locomotive and, as you can see in the video, it runs quite well and the sound isn't all that bad for something that came out in 1999. It's hauling a mixed consist of various CNJ freight cars; the two at the tail end may be a surprise as I've never before shown them in a video.

Here's a classic Lionel Postwar locomotive and classic Lionel Postwar freight cars (well, with a couple of ringers) that will transport anyone of a certain age (like me) right back to their childhood. This is the #681 turbine, a (very) semi-scale model of Pennsy's massive S2 steam turbine (the only 6-8-6 steam locomotive ever built). Purely conventional, powered by a classic ZW transformer from the same time period, with Magnetraction, a three position E-unit (which makes the buzz that everyone remembers) and a mechanical air whistle, this is the epitome of Postwar Lionel trains. The cars date from the same period (a couple are a bit more modern Lionel/MPC reproductions of Postwar cars) and include the operating milk car, the operating log dump car, the operating "cop and hobo" car, and the operating searchlight car. In this True HD 1080p video shot with 21st century technology, you can travel back to the simpler times of the 1950's and enjoy once again the toys that kept us amused when we were young. Alas that even True HD 1080p doesn't let you smell the ozone!

Now that I have four Standard Gauge trains (videos of all of them are on YouTube) I had the hankering to run more than one at a time. That was a problem since I had only one Standard Gauge loop on the floor of the library (my auxiliary layout). With no more room on the floor (there are already four loops), my eyes turned skyward and I came up with what I call my Sky's The Limit layout (you can see photos on my web site). This video shows the new layout with the Ives Olympian running on it. This is the 2007 MTH reproduction of the original set, which was one of the last made by Ives (one of the great names in the history of toy trains) in the years leading up to the Great Depression (1929-1930). For those unfamiliar with it, Standard Gauge trains run on track that is much wider than O-gauge track and, being much more from the toy train genre, there is no real scale, so Standard Gauge trains come in a variety of sizes, from small to very large. This set is from the very large school! The locomotive (based on a Milwaukee Road bipolar) and four cars stretch out over six feet in length! While faithful to the original set in appearance, this reproduction incorporates all of the latest electronics and is fully controllable with the DCS remote control system. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it a super appearing, super sounding set made all the more remarkable for now running a full seven feet up off the floor! Now all I have to do is figure out how to shoot a video showing both Standard Gauge loops running at the same time, separated by seven feet vertically!

In 1999, MTH released an excellent Premier-line model of the Amtrak AEM-7 electric locomotive. These were and are a mainstay of Amtrak here on the Northeast Corridor (the former Pennsylvania RR mainline) and I see them just about every day. They were in part designed in Sweden by ASEA and are sometimes referred to as "toasters" due to their shape. The model has the original Protosound system (PS1) and I really haven't considered updating it to Protosound 2 (PS2) due to its complexity, with all the various flashing lights and such. Seeing them so often, I can say that it's a really good model of the prototype, capturing most of the details. It's hauling a matching set of Amtrak streamlined Amfleet passenger cars as well as an express mail car.

The third set of short madison cars from Lionel/MPC, and the last that were part of a ready-to-run train set, came out in 1975 as part of the Capitol Limited set.  Following the pattern of the two previous sets, this one had a B&O small Atlantic-type (4-4-2) steam locomotive that had a two position E-unit, Mighty Sound of Steam, puffing smoke, and that's about it.  The set came with three cars and over the intervening years, to about 1989, a total of six more cars were issued, for nine in all, the last being the diner.  Once again, there was a campaign observation car to help decrease the surplus population of observation cars.  The cars are an attractive blue and, interestingly enough, though the set is called the Capitol Limited, each car is emblazoned with the Capital Limited logo.  In this True HD 1080p video, you can see the entire set of nine cars pulled by the B&O locomotive.  Over the course of the Lionel/MPC era, there were a total of ten sets of short madison cars issued.  Since I haven't shown them in order, here for those who have asked is a chronological listing of all of the sets.  True HD 1080p videos of all of these are now up on YouTube.

CATALOGED SETS
1973 -- Milwaukee Road Milwaukee Special
1974 -- Pennsylvania Broadway Limited
1975 -- Baltimore & Ohio Capitol Limited

SEPARATE SALE SETS
1974-1977 -- Toy Train Operating Society (TTOS)
1977 -- Southern Crescent Limited
1978 -- Jersey Central Blue Comet
1980 -- CHessie Steam Special
1980-1985 -- Train Collectors Association (TCA)
1981 -- Chicago & Alton Alton Limited
1986 -- Wabash Fallen Flags #1 (FF-1)

The second set of short madison cars issued was for the Broadway Limited set in 1974. As with the previous Milwaukee Special set, it consisted of a small Atlantic-type (4-4-2) Steam locomotive, this one lettered for the Pennsylvania Railroad, three short madison cars, and the track and transformer needed to make a running layout. The locomotive has the two position E-unit, Mighty Sound of Steam, puffing smoke, and not much else (this one works better than the MR one). The cars were once again low-end, with plastic trucks and body mounted plastic dummy couplers (and don't ask what I went through getting everything to stay together). Over the years, more cars were added, the last being the dining car in 1988. Once again, there's a campaign observation car that helped dispose of a surplus of observation cars. All told, there are a total of ten cars and in this True HD 1080p video you get to see them all behind the nicely running PRR Atlantic.

In the last few videos, I've been showing my collection of Lionel short madison cars that were part of the MPC era of Lionel that came immediately after the 1969 end of what is considered to be the classic Lionel postwar era. Well, here's the set that started it all! In 1973, Lionel/MPC brought out a set consisting of a small Atlantic-type (4-4-2) steam locomotive lettered for the Milwaukee Road, the first three short madison cars ever, along with track and a small transformer and called it the "Milwaukee Special". The locomotive was really low-end, with a two position E-unit (forward/backward or just forward, no neutral), the Mighty Sound of Steam, pretty wispy smoke, and not much else. The cars were also low-end, with plastic trucks and body-mounted dummy plastic couplers. Over the years, more cars were added, to the point where there are a total of eleven (the last, the diner, was issued 15 years after the set so the colors don't quite match but at least it does have operating truck-mounted couplers). One of the more curious ones is the campaign oberservation car, where they basically took leftover observation cars and made stick-on decorations for them in an attempt to reduce the inventory. It's selcom that you see the complete set but in this True HD 1080p video, you can see the locomotive hauling all eleven cars.

Back in 1995, MTH brought out their first RailKing semi-scale rolling stock. They offered a number of different roadnames including Pennsylvania, which of course attracted me. There were a total of eight different freight cars so I got one of each. They make a nice semi-scale train and back fifteen years ago, I wasn't nearly as into scale as I am now. I thought I'd show you those first RailKing cars in this True HD 1080p video. To pull them, I've assigned the RailKing semi-scale PRR Turbine which still has the original Protosound system in it. It came out in 1999 and still runs beautifully (since it's semi-scale, I haven't upgraded it to PS2). Being a turbine, the sounds are quite unusual and probably a good simulation of the real thing (there was only one experimental prototype). It also smokes extremely well!

Much as it did for TCA, Lionel issued special cars for the national conventions of other toy trains clubs. One of those was the Toy Train Operating Society (TTOS). In the years 1974-1977, Lionel issued one short madison car for a total of four. There was no locomotive to go along with these cars, so for this True HD 1080p video, I've assigned a postwar Lionel #665 small Hudson (4-6-4). These short madison cars are very much like the first ones that were ever issued, with plastic trucks rather than die-cast trucks and body-mounted dummy plastic couplers instead of truck-mounted operating die-cast couplers. They weren't bad for the time but certainly weren't one of Lionel's better efforts. What can one say about the locomotive? It's more than 50 years old and still runs like a champ. The whistle is the classic mechanical air whistle and direction (forward, neutral, backward) is controlled by the buzzing mechanical E-unit. When people talk about "classic" toy trains, this is one of them!

In 1986, Lionel/MPC brought out the first set in what came to be know as the "Fallen Flags" series, honoring railroads whose names had disappeared through acquisitions and mergers over the years. The first set (and the only passenger set) honored the Wabash RR and had a Pacific (4-6-2) steam locomotive with six matching short madison passenger cars in the attractive Bluebird livery that the Wabash was famous for. The locomotive once again is on the cusp between conventional and electronic operation, with the "Mighty SOund of Steam" and electronic whistle but still with the 3-position mechanical E-unit. This was also the cusp of a big change for Lionel, as the next year would see ownership transition from MPC/Fundimensions to Dick Kughn and his Lionel Trains Inc. (LTI).

From 1980 to 1985, Lionel/MPC brought out one short madison passenger car per year for the Train Collectors Association (TCA) national convention. In 1985, the car was an express woodsided reefer. They also brought out an accompanying small Hudson (4-6-4) locomotive. Very much like the other locomotives that accompanied the other short madison sets, this one came equipped with the Mighty Sound of Steam, the then-new electronic whistle, and the wispy smoke characteristic of the era. A pleasant surprise was that the tender is die-cast rather than plastic. The locomotive and the cars are done in a handsome green livery with gold lettering which makes for a very attractive train.

Here's another of the very attractive Lionel/MPC short madison sets. This one dates from 1977 and is the Southern Crescent Limited set, which features a small Hudson (4-6-4) in the very attractive green and gold livery of the Southern RR and six matching passenger cars. This was the first short madison set that was offered not as a set in a set box, but for separate sale, where you bought the cars and the locomotive separately. The locomotive is equipped with the Might Sound of Steam, a first attempt at electronic sound, and the cars were the first short madisons offered with operating truck-mounted couplers (as opposed to the body-mounted dummy couplers that characterized the first three short madison sets from the early 70's). Other than the sound, the locomotive is purely conventional like its postwar brethren, as you can see from the mechanical E-unit lever sticking up out of the boiler. The cars, as you can see in this True HD 1080p video, are quite attractively decorated and together with the locomotive make for an eye-catching train.

This is one of the more attractive Lionel/MPC short madison sets and dates from 1980. It's the Chessie Steam Special and was one of the separate sale sets, where you bought the cars and the locomotive separately. The locomotive was the first MPC reissue of the postwar Berkshire (2-8-4), one of Lionel's most popular locomotives of that era. It's equipped with the "Mighty Sound of Steam", which was basically a static generator that was interrupted to simulate the sound of steam chuffing. It also has an electronic whistle, but otherwise operation is purely conventional as you can see from the E-unit lever that sticks up out of the boiler as it did with postwar steamers. This locomotive is on the cusp of a change of eras, from purely conventional control to electronic control. The cars, as you can see in this True HD 1080p video, are quite attractively decorated and together with the locomotive are a representation of the Chessie Steam Special that actually ran back in 1977 to commemorate 150 years of American railroading.

This is another of the "short madison" sets from the MPC era of Lionel that I collected when I got back into the hobby. This was one of the separate sale sets, where you bought the cars and the locomotive separately. Coming out in 1978, the locomotive has the "Mighty Sound of Steam" which you can hear in this True HD 1080p video, but no whistle. It's a Hudson (4-6-4) whereas the real Blue Comet was pulled by a Pacific (4-6-2), but as a model from 32 years ago, we won't quibble.    It also has the wispy smoke characteristic of the era. For the time, it was a good looking, good running model train. Other than the steam sound, it's a purely conventional locomotive as you can tell from the E-unit lever sticking up out of the boiler.

For my 200th video on YouTube    here's a pretty unusual locomotive. This is the original MTH Premier SP Cab Forward (4-8-8-2) steam locomotive that was produced in 1998. It has the original ProtoSound system which provided sound and smoke but not the remote control capability with DCS that you see with all of my later locomotives as seen in my other videos -- this one is purely conventional operation. The differences between the original ProtoSound (PS1) and the newer ProtoSound 2 (PS2) are pretty evident (the newer system is way superior), but this is a very unusual locomotive, one of the first that I got in the MTH Premier line, and I thought it was worth showing. Given the engineering challenges in trying to convert this to PS2 (with the locomotive essentially backwards) as I did with most of my other PS1 models, I instead got a new PS2 model of the Cab Forward, and a video of that is available as well -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHlx3mC8BxM In this True HD 1080p video of the original PS1 Cab Forward, you can see that, even 12 years ago, the model was quite detailed and the sound is, for that time period, quite good.

For reasons that currently escape me, when I got back into this hobby I started collecting the "short Madison" car sets put out by Lionel starting in 1973 -- part of what is called the MPC era. These were models of old heavyweight passenger cars, as were the postwar "Madison" cars, but reduced in scale. Each set of passenger cars had a locomotive to accompany it, either as part of the set or as a separate-sale item. This set, called The Alton Limited, came out in 1981 and has the 8101 Chicago & Alton small Hudson (4-6-4), which was equipped with "Mighty Sound of Steam" which was a very early attempt at a sound system. It's basically a static generator that gets interrupted so it sort-of sounds like steam chuffing. Hey, it was almost 30 years ago and that's what they had. It also has wispy puffing smoke, an electronic whistle, and was notable for having a die-cast tender. In this short True HD 1080p video you can see and hear it in operation. After 30 years, it's still a good looking train set.

Close to 10 years ago, in early 2001, Lionel brought out a very nice model of the Alco (American Locomotive Company) RS-11 diesel. Now, I'm no fan of diesels, but the look and livery of this one convinced me to add it to my layout. The RS in the designation stood for "road switcher", meaning that the locomotive was designed for either switching duties in a yard or over-the-road duties hauling trains. First built in 1956, the RS-11 was Alco's answer to EMD's very successful GP-9. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it runs very well and has good sound albeit being weak in the smoke department (this smoke unit was worked over by me to provide maximum possible smoke output). This locomotive came equipped with Lionel's TMCC remote control which allowed you to get away from the transformer, very convenient when you're shooting video!

Toward the end of 2000 (a full ten years ago now), Lionel started a new series of high-end locmotives with a bang! Called the JLC series (after Joshua Lionel Cowen, the founder of the company), the first locomotive in the series was a full 1:48 scale model of the Union Pacific (UP) Challenger #3985, which remains in service to this day. A product of the WW II era, the Challengers were huge articulated locomotives designed to haul heavy freight trains at speed, a job they did very well. The model is an excellent reproduction of the original, with a great deal of added-on detail. This locomotive came equipped with Lionel's TMCC remote control which allowed you to get away from the transformer, very convenient when you're shooting video! In this True HD 1080p video, you see the Challenger hauling a train made up of 20 Atlas woodsided reefers and a UP caboose.

Almost ten years ago, in early 2001, Lionel brought out their model of the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) EM-1, a Yellowstone-type (2-8-8-4) articulated steam locomotive. Considered the largest and finest power on the B&O, thirty EM-1's were built in 1944 and 1945 to haul coal traffic over the B&O's Cumberland Division. Even though tunnel and bridge clearances on the B&O were tight, the locomotive's designers utilized every possible square inch of space to maximize power while still operating within the clearances of B&O's main lines. This locomotive came equipped with Lionel's TMCC remote control which allowed you to get away from the transformer, very convenient when you're shooting video! In this True HD 1080p video, you see the EM-1 hauling a train made up of 20 Atlas woodsided reefers and a B&O caboose.

It's pretty unusual for me to shoot a second video of a train within a few days of shooting the original video. But, it's also pretty unusual for me to receive several email messages within those few days all telling me that I needed to zoom in closer to the train to show more detail (and less carpet)! Since I added three new freight cars (500-series Pennsy boxcar, CNJ tank car, and Pittsburgh coal hopper) for a total of seven, here once again is the Lionel Corp (MTH) Standard Gauge #400E in a True HD 1080p video that should let everyone see the gorgeous detail of the train.

On a visit to Trains & Things down in Ewing (Trenton), which is where I got my Ives Olympian Standard Gauge set, another Standard Gauge locomotive started talking to me. The 400E is the most popular and most sought after of the original pre-war tinplate engines. The largest of the Standard Gauge tinplate steamers, this engine was introduced in 1931 and was an immediate sensation. There it was, all shiny gray with nickel trim, sitting in the display case whispering "Take Me Home!" to me. So I did. :-) This is a product of the new Lionel Corp which is part of MTH and produces reproductions of of old tinplate. This repro is sensational as you will see in this True HD 1080p video. Now, that's on the outside. On the inside, it's 21st century with the full Protosound 2 sound and remote control package. I got four of the 500-series freight cars to go along with it -- a refrigerator (reefer) car, a searchlight car, a cattle car, and an exquisite Pennsylvania RR caboose. I think you'll agree, it makes for a real treat for the eyes and ears (and nose, if you were here to smell the smoke -- haven't quite figured out how to get that into the video -- yet!) 

In early 2008, MTH released Premier models of the old BMT Standard subway cars. Well, old but not THAT old -- I remember riding in these when I was a child! :-) They're excellent models and run very well. In this video, you can hear the station stop announcement that's part of the software embedded in the train. The interior is well detailed, right down to the passengers sitting on the simulated rattan seats.

It's seldom that I run trains short enough to run two on the same track at the same time, something that is made rather easy with DCS. Since I converted both the MTH Premier Blue Comet G3s Pacific and the MTH Premier K4s Pacific from PS1 to PS2 and I've got both of them with their relatively short commuter trains on the same track, I thought it might be fun to shoot a video of the two of them in action. Since we have the Central of New Jersey (with the Blue Comet no less) and the Pennsylvania RR on the same track, both with 4-6-2 Pacifics and both hauling heavyweight passenger cars, why, this must be the New York & Long Branch round about 1930 or so! 

No, I'm not kidding you, no, it's not a joke, and no, it's not SFX!  It really is a 3-rail locomotive running on 2-rail track!    MTH incorporates into some of their later models a feature called ProtoScale 3-2 which enables you to run 3-rail trains on 2-rail track as well as 2-rail trains on 3-rail track, using either AC or DC power.  My MTH Premier Pennsylvania RR J1 Texas (2-10-4) steam locomotive is equipped with this feature so I tried it out on some 2-rail track that I usually use just for display.  I took off the pickup rollers (1 screw each), threw one switch under a tender hatch, and put the J1 on the 2-rail track.  I powered the track via jumpers from the adjacent 3-rail loop so that I would have it under full DCS control (plus, I don't have a DC power source so this was done with standard AC power).  The following True HD 1080p video shows that the 3-rail model works quite well on 2-rail track!

In 1950 (five years before the previous set), Lionel brought out a special set for its 50th anniversary, the golden anniversary as such things are reckoned. They came close to gold with Union Pacific's yellow -- a set of yellow Alco FA A-A diesels. They had the usual mechanical E-unit for reversing and a battery-powered bicycle horn (this was the 50's after all). Fast forward to almost 40 years after my first set came out. The year was 1994 and for reasons best known to Lionel (the 94th anniversary isn't of particular note) they brought out a reissue of that 50th anniversary set. The diesels were made as the originals were, die-cast chassis and all, but with a more modern electronic reversing unit and electronic horn. The passenger cars were reissued too, but were cheapened -- no metal internal frame and chassis, trucks rivited to the body, etc. The orignal set had three cars, the reissue upped that to seven. When I really got back into the hobby in the 90's, this became my second train set and the first that I had bought myself. Though rather tame by today's standards, I thought that I'd share it with you in this short True HD 1080p video.

This is the train set that, for me, started it all. This year it turns 55 and it still runs fine. It was a gift from a long departed uncle when I was just a baby but I've had it ever since. Lionel set #1534w consisted of the #2328 silver Burlington GP-7 and three aluminum-painted short passenger cars: 2432 Clifton vista dome, 2434 Newark pullman, and 2436 Summit observation (all named for towns here in New Jersey). Over the years I've added two more cars to the set: another 2432 Clifton that has the car numbers in a different location (Lionel in the 50's was great for variations like this) and the 2435 Elizabeth pullman. These cars first came out in 1954 and became part of this set in 1955. I also still have the rest of the set, the transformer, the track, the boxes, the whole thing. Having grown up with this, is it any wonder that it became a life-long hobby? Though the train doesn't have sound or smoke or any of the other modern features that liven up most of my videos, it's a sentimental favorite, especially around this time of year, and I thought that I'd share it with you.

In 2005, MTH brought out a reproduction of an O-Gauge tinplate locomotive that had originally come out about 70 years previously. The new repro of the blue #263E went together with the blue tinplate passenger cars that came with my American Legacy set (that came with the grey enameled scale J1e Hudson) to make up the Baby Blue Comet set. The new 263E locomotive looks like the original, but it's modern inside -- powerful can motor, modern PS2 electronics with remote control, sound, smoke, the whole nine yards. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, the set looks great, sounds great, and runs great, the spitting image of a very old train running in a very modern world.

In 2002, MTH Electric Trains reproduced a very early (1925) Lionel Standard Gauge electric locomotive. This model of the #10 was done in red and green for Christmas, with three matching cars, also reproductions of those from more than three-quarters of a century ago. Together, the train was called The Christmas Express and came in a complete set with track and transformer. This is worthy of note since this set was, as far as I know, the first ready-to-run Standard Gauge set in about 75 years! As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it's an absolutely exquisite train! Standard Gauge trains generally came in two size categories, small and enormous, and these are from the small school. Over the years, I've added the various add-on cars that MTH has brought out, and it makes for a really nice holiday train. Be sure to listen in at the end to the special passenger sounds that this set came with! 

A long time ago, I had shot a video showcasing my MTH Premier models of Pennsylvania RR electric locomotives. They were all die-cast, very heavy models with great detailing. In the intervening years, MTH has continued the series and I now have eight of these die-cast gems. WIth the new hi-def camera, I thought another parade would look good, so here they are, all eight die-cast models of PRR electrics, running nose to tail lashed-up using DCS, and I have to say that an eight locomotive lash-up is the biggest that I've tried to date. The parade is led by the GG1, followed by the FF1, FF2, P5a, L5, BB1, DD1, with my second GG1 bringing up the rear. I think it looks pretty neat!

This is something that I've never tried before and it came out quite well! Someone requested a caboose train and while I don't do requests, it's something that I had been thinking of for quite a while, ever since I saw an old train video showing a steam locomotive hauling a long string of cabeese (or cabooses if you prefer) out of a freight yard. This train has just about every scale or almost-scale caboose that I have, including the nine different ones that I have from Pennsy. The weight of the train as well as the drag is phenomenal (with all the pickup rollers for the caboose lights it's no surprise) so I assigned a Big Boy (4-8-8-4) with its sixteen driving wheels to haul the load and the train runs very smoothly indeed. While you might not have seen anything quite so colorful in the real world, on my railroad anything is possible! 

I did a standard definition video of these two behemoths double-headed about three years ago, so it was only a matter of time until I redid it in hi-def. Here they are, the two big green monsters of the rail, the Great Northern Z-6 Challenger (4-6-6-4) and the R-2 Chesapeake (2-8-8-2) articulated steam locomotives in True HD 1080p. They're running double-headed and hauling a long unit train of woodsided reefers which, since everyone has seen them all in previous videos, I've cut short so you can enjoy the sound and fury of the locomotives.

I've done this before, by request, but never in True HD 1080p! Here's my entire Big Green Fleet, the Great Northern (GN) Z-6 Challenger (4-6-6-4) in the lead, followed by the R-2 Chesapeake (2-8-8-2), with the S-2 Northern (4-8-4) bringing up the rear, the three of them triple-headed and working together. DCS makes it simple to do, the volumes of smoke make the basement quite cloudy after only a few times around the layout, and they have no trouble at all hauling fifty AtlasO reefers, which is an amazingly heavy load. If I had the room, I'm pretty sure they'd haul a hundred of them with no problem, but as it is they're chasing their own caboose. These are the kinds of trains that I love to run! 

The Great Northern (GN) R-2, a 2-8-8-2 Chesapeake-type articulated steam locomotive was a real brute of the rails and this MTH Premier model which came out in 2001 is a very good representation of the prototype. With a loaded tender, these locomotives tipped the scales at over 1,000,000 pounds! A product of the 1920's, these were designed to be heavy freight haulers and they did that job very well for the next three decades. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see and hear the model R-2 in action hauling a heavy freight trains. It looks great, it sounds great, and it works great!

In 2005, MTH produced this RailKing model of the New York City subway Lo-V cars. These were low voltage cars (hence the name Lo-V) that were manufactured between 1916 and 1924 for use on the IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit) system. The low voltage refers to the car's controller, not the voltage (600 volts DC) that came through the third rail, and was intended to protect the motorman. Being for the IRT with its smaller tunnels (it was the first NYC subway system), the cars were narrower and shorter than those found on the BMT or the IND. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, though from the lower priced RailKing line, these models are still well detailed, sound good, and run very well.

I thought I was finished shooting the original Protosound (PS1) locomotives that I refer to as the "oldies but goodies" but I totally forgot about this one, sitting undisturbed in a display case for at least the last ten years. MTH brought out this RailKing model of the UP's Gas Turbine, the so-called "Big Blow", way back in 1997. The exhaust from these was quite hot; one story that I remember is that one was parked under a highway overpass and the exhaust melted the asphalt roadway above! The model has the original Protosound system (dubbed Protosound 1 or PS1 after the Protosound 2 (PS2) system came out), which gives it sound and rudimentary remote control. Given that this is a RailKing semi-scale model, I'm not planning on upgrading it to PS2. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see it hauling a passenger train made up of semi-scale extruded aluminum passenger cars.

Though I was quite young, I still remember taking the subway with my parents to Times Square and changing for the #7 train, the IRT Flushing line, to the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing Meadow Park. And I remember these baby blue cars! MTH brought out this RailKing model of the World's Fair subway cars in 2002. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, they still look great, sound great, and run very well indeed.

If one GG1 is good, and two GG1's are better, then how much better are two GG-1's running double-headed?   Here are both of my GG1's running together, pulling an extra-long passenger train made up of 18 heavyweight cars, quite a load indeed in the real world, let alone for O- gauge models. In this True HD 1080p video, you have a perfect chance to compare both of them to see the differences in outward appearance that were engineered in the nine years that separate their manufacture -- the newer one (2006) is in front, the older one (1997) brings up the rear. You'll note that they run very smoothly together even though the older one was converted from PS1 to PS2.

I remember well when these slant-nosed futuristic R40 subway cars showed up on the F train -- the Culver line on McDonald Ave. -- in Brooklyn in the mid to late 1960's. Originally, it was quite dangerous to move between cars, so shortly thereafter they were retrofitted with the pantograph safety gates. In mid-2008, MTH brought out a Premier line model of these cars, with the added safety features. The cars are highly detailed inside and out, down to the air conditioning vents in the ceiling of the cars! In this True HD 1080p video, you can see the cars proceeding along, stopping at the station with the appropriate sounds, and then performing a fast run-by. This set is fun since I'm originally from Brooklyn and I'm familiar with all of the locations that get mentioned!

In my previous GG1 videos, I've shown my older GG1 which came out in 1997 and which I converted from PS1 to PS2 some years afterward. I recently acquired a GG1 that came out in 2006 which came with PS2 as standard equipment. As you'd expect from a locomotive that came out nine years later, it is somewhat more detailed and sports quite a few new features, such as smoke to simulate the pop-off of the steam generator (the GG1, being a passenger locomotive, was equipped with a steam generator to provide heat for the passenger cars) and pantographs that automatically raise and lower depending on the direction of the locomotive. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see these various features demonstrated as the GG1 hauls a train of classic Pennsy heavyweight passenger cars.

In 2005, MTH brought out a Premier line model of the New York City's Independent Subway (IND) R1 cars. These were the first cars that were ordered for the IND, the city owned and operated subway that was built in the 1920's to be independent of the tnen privately owned IRT and BMT. Though they were built in the early 1930s, I can still remember riding on the R1 cars when I was a child in the 1960's. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, they are exquisitely detailed both outside and inside, down to the simulated straw seats (I remember them well). This particular model is lettered and numbered for the A train, and you can hear it make a station stop as it heads southbound in upper Manhattan on the 8th Avenue line.

Though most of my locomotives are MTH Premier, I do have a few select RailKing pieces. RailKing is MTH's lower priced line, with less detailed and often smaller than scale pieces. Way back in 2001, I got the RailKing Pennsylvania B6 switcher. This small 0-6-0 steam locomotive, which normally served as a yard switcher, was a full scale piece, albeit with less detailing that I was used to in the Premier line, and, as a switcher, had remote controlled couplers front and rear. For the price, it was a bargain so I got it. I then gussied it up a bit, adding real coal on top of the cast-in coal detail and painting various parts to make it look more like a Premier steamer and I think it came out quite well. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see how good it looks, how good it sounds, and how well it operates. You'll also see that it has the charming tendency to puff out smoke rings! 

Here's the last of my oldie but goodies, the last of the PS1 diesels that I have never before shown in one of my videos. This MTH Premier model of the EMD BL2 diesel came out in 1996 in EMD's demonstrator colors -- it was one of the first in MTH's series of diesel demonstrators. It still has the original Protosound system, and I will convert it to PS2 in the new year. The BL-2 came out in the years after WWII. The BL stands for "Branch Line" as it was intended for use on light branch lines. It was a transitional locomotive and helped in the design of later diesels. In this short True HD 1080p video, you can see the BL2 hauling a short freight train, much as it was designed to do.

Here's one more blast from the past, an oldie but goodie that I think will surprise a lot of people. Having come out in 1998, it too still has its original Protosound system that I will convert to PS2 in the new year and it also has never been in one of my videos. The locomotives are an A-B-A set of EMD E8's, which were designed for use with fast passenger trains, and it's hauling a set of matching streamlined passenger cars. This is a model of the Orange Blossom Special which the Seaboard ran from NYC to Miami. The Pennsy handled the train from NYC to Washington, where it was taken over by the RF&P to Richmond, where it was handed over to the Seaboard for the stretch from Richmond to Miami via Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah, and Jacksonville. This deluxe train started out in 1925 and was so striking that a song of the same name was written about it. It last ran in 1953. In this True HD 1080p video, the seventy-fifth HD video that I've posted, you can see the model E8's hauling the Orange Blossom Special around the track. I think you will find the colors to be quite striking; imagine standing trackside when this beauty thundered past! With PS1, you can either run just the leading A-unit or all of them together; when I convert them to PS2, the A-units will be independent locomotives.

Here's yet another oldie but goodie, dating back to 1998, that I've never before shown in a video. It's the MTH Premier model of the GE AC4400CW, the AC version of the Dash 9, and it too has the original Protosound system. In the new year, it too will be upgraded to PS2. This was the first AC locomotive developed by GE and it came two years after those from EMD. The advances in technology in the 1990s allowed the use of AC traction motors (DC had been used from the inception of diesel-electric locomotives) which can start a heavier load with the same horsepower diesel engine. The AC4400CW came out in 1993 and this model is decorated as GE's demonstrator. The name is pretty straightforward: AC is obvious, 4400 is the horsepower, C means it has three-axle trucks, and W means it has a wide cab. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see this modern diesel running under conventional control and hauling a (mostly) modern intermodal freight train.

Here's another blast from the past! This is one of my old Protosound (PS1) diesel locomotives that I haven't run in years and have never before shown on video. It's another from 1999 and is the EMD demonstrator for the SD-90MAC, a 6250 HP very modern diesel that uses AC traction motors. Serious efforts to use AC (alternating current) diesel-electric engines began when General Motors introduced its 4,000-hp SD-60MAC in 1991-92. While the AC power increases an engine's adhesion, allowing it to start far heavier trains than a DC-powered locomotive of the same horsepower, the heavier load prevents AC-powered engines from reaching track speed. To solve that problem, locomotive builders have raced to design and deliver AC engines with ever-larger horsepower. Hence, in 1996, EMD delivered the SD90MAC. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see it running under purely conventional control (using one of my 50+ year old classic ZW transformers). While not up to today's standards, for 11 years old it's not bad at all. Since it's a very modern locomotive, I have it hauling a freight train made up of (mostly) modern intermodal and other freight cars.

In the Nickel Plate Berkshire #765 video down below, I did say that I'd run them together, didn't I?    Even for a heavy freight hauler like the NKP Berkshire, if the train is long and heavy, two locomotives are called for, so here they are.  Reminder: #765 was originally Protosound (PS1) converted to Protosound2 (PS2); #779 was originally PS2.  As you can see, functionally, they're very much the same and work very well with each other.  A note about the long freight train: most of the cars have never been in one of my videos before so you've got something new to look at. Enjoy! 

This is another locomotive that I've not shown running alone in a video before. In 1999 (hard to believe it's already been 11 years), MTH brought out a Premier model of the Nickel Plate Berkshire (2-8-4) #765, a heavy freight hauling brute of a locomotive that remains in excursion service today. This model came with the original Protosound system (now called PS1) that gave it some realistic sounds and rudimentary locomotive control, though it was still very much a conventionally operated model. By the time they reissued the Berkshire as #779, it came with the Protosound 2 (PS2) system which had a very rich set of sounds and full remote control with DCS. When I could, I upgraded #765 to PS2 and it made quite a difference in the operation -- and enjoyment -- of the locomotive. In this True HD 1080p video, you will see #765 hauling a freight train. If you compare it to the video of the #779 a bit down the page, you'll see that #765, which I converted to PS2, sounds every bit as good and runs every bit as well as #779, which came with PS2 in the first place. Hmmm -- perhaps I should run them together! :-)

Way back in 1996, MTH brought out a scale model of the EMD GP-20 diesel. Advanced for its time, it had the original Protosound system which provided realistic sound and rudimentary engine control. Though not a fan of diesels, I got one (the EMD demonstrator colors appealed to me) and have had it all this time though I seldom run it, the original PS1 being a lot less fun than the current PS2 system with it's far more varied sounds and remote control capabilities. I've upgraded most of my PS1 steamers to PS2 and will upgrade the diesels in the coming year, so thought that perhaps as a change of pace I'd show a few of them before their conversion. This is a locomotive, an entire train actually, that I've never before shown on video. Here's some background on the GP-20. In the late 1950s, railroads were looking for locomotives with high-horsepower output. General Electric and Alco obliged by releasing units with 2,400 and 2,500 HP capability. General Motor's ElectroMotive Division (EMD), at first was reluctant to chime in. They figured that turbocharging their 567 diesel engine would drive up maintenance costs and that was to be avoided. Yet in 1959, EMD outshopped the GP20, a 16-cylinder, 2,000 HP road switcher with a turbocharged 567D2 engine. Union Pacific fostered EMD's change of heart. It was only after the road experimented with and found success with turbocharging EMD's 567 engine in the GP9s on their roster that EMD recognized the engine's potential. GP20's closely resembled earlier Geeps, such as the GP7, GP9 and GP18. The increased power made the difference. As a result of that power, one feature of the GP20 that distinguished it from prior Geeps was its short exhaust stack, located just behind of the first fan behind the cab. These units were produced until 1962. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see the PS1 GP-20 hauling a train of double-stack cars. It bears a striking resemblance to what I see at some local railroad crossings, though those trains can be 100 cars long!

Back in 1999, MTH brought out a Premier line model of the Pennsylvania RR G5s Ten-Wheeler (4-6-0) steam locomotive. When the first G5s rolled out of the Pennsy's own Juniata shops in 1923, the Pennsylvania Railroad hadn't built a 4-6-0 in more than two decades. At the time, the reigning monarchs of mainline passenger service were high-speed E6s Atlantics and K4s Pacifics; lesser duties like commuter runs were delegated to hand-me-down locomotives serving out their last years before retirement. In the early 1920s, however, the need for secondary passenger power outstripped the supply, and the Pennsy found itself in need of a new commuter engine. In response, its Mechanical Engineer William F. Kiesel, Jr. took the boiler from an E6s Atlantic and designed one of the largest and most powerful ten-wheelers ever built. Smaller drive wheels than an Atlantic and the lack of a trailing truck concentrated more engine weight on the drivers and produced an engine with great power and acceleration but a lower top speed - ideal qualities for the constant stop-and-start duties of a commuter engine. Like the I1s Decapod, the G5s was infamous among enginemen as a rough-riding steed. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg is home to restored G5s No. 5741, which was built in the Juniata Shops in November, 1924. You can see photos of it on my Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania page. The model, though going on twelve years old, has great detailing, great sound, and runs very well as you can see in this True HD 1080p video. Originally equipped with the Protosound system, I later converted it (with some professional help -- the inside of the boiler has very little clearance for all the electronics) to the Protosound 2 (PS2) system that gives it the great sounds and remote control that you see demonstrated in the video, where I have it hauling a short commuter train exactly as it would have in real life.

While the 1350 HP EMD FT was the diesel that retired the steam engine, this little boxcab was the diesel that started it all. The 300 HP Alco-GE-Ingersoll Rand boxcab was the first production diesel-electric produced in North America. General Electric had been experimenting with internal combustion rail power for nearly two decades when, in the mid-1920s, it formed a partnership with Ingersoll Rand and Alco to manufacture diesel-electrics. GE made the traction motors and generator, IR supplied the diesel motor, and Alco built the mechanical parts. In the summer of 1925, the Central Railroad of New Jersey (Jersey Central) bought the first boxcab demonstrator, and CNJ #1000 became the first production diesel-electric owned by an American railroad. In December, the second engine in the production run became Baltimore & Ohio #1, and orders soon followed from the Chicago & North Western, Reading, and Erie. The diesel revolution had quietly begun. CNJ 1000 had a three-decade career switching the Bronx Terminal Yard, acquiring a Jersey Central Lines "Miss Liberty" paint job along the way. In 1957 it went to a well-earned retirement at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore. In 2007, MTH brought out this fine Premier line die-cast model of the CNJ 1000, which I have seen at the museum in Baltimore. In this True HD 1080p video, you get to see it hauling a very prototypical consist of Jersey Central freight cars and in the slow-speed run-by, you can see all of the detail packed into this little model.  If you look at the photos on my B&O Museum page, you'll see the prototype and from the video you'll see just what a good model of the prototype it is.

In late 2003, MTH delivered this little gem for members of their Railroader's Club (MTHRRC). Over the years I've used this locomotive quite a bit at train shows for one particular purpose. When demonstrating DCS, I tend to use the large die-cast steam locomotives and there would always be one or two jokers at the demonstration to complain that the hobby was just too expensive. When they did, I'd break out this little guy, the MTHRRC Consolidation (2-8-0). The locomotive body is die-cast, albeit with less detail than the big guys, and the tender body is plastic rather than die-cast. However, it has the same PS2 electronics as the big locomotives, providing the same great sounds, smoke, and remote control. The biggest difference is that where the big locomotives can cost more than $1000, this little guy cost all of $179! When this was pointed out, those complaining about the cost of the hobby usually shut right up! :-) Locomotives like this are currently found in the MTH starter train sets. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see the Consolidation hauling a train made up of the RailKing MTHRRC cars that were issued between 1998 and 2007. As you can see and hear, it's a fine little locomotive and hauls the train with no problem at all. While you might not have seen a purple and silver locomotive hauling purple and silver freight cars in the real world, I think it looks just dandy!

Here's an old favorite! Back in 1997, MTH brought out a Premier model of the magnificent Pennsylvania RailRoad GG1, a massive electric locomotive that ran under the catenary on the Pennsy mainline, now the NorthEast Corridor, which is less than a mile from my house. When I was little, I actually rode on a train pulled by one of these beauties. It took Pennsy two decades of experimentation to come up with the design for the GG1 and the beautiful body was designed by the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy. From the day it first rode the rails in 1934 to the day it was finally retired in 1983, it was admired by all who saw it. Here in New Jersey, on the New York & Long Branch, a GG1 would haul a passenger train from NYC's Penn Station to South Amboy. There, the GG1 would switch out (it was the original end of the catenary that provided power) and a steam locomotive (probably a K4s) would hook up to the train to take it the rest of the way to Long Branch. In all, there were 140 of these locomotives, and many had more than five million miles on them by the time they were retired. With 18 heavyweight passenger cars in tow, they could easily reach 100 mph on the Pennsy mainline. This model, the first scale GG1 done by MTH, came with the original Protosound package. I later converted it to Protosound 2 to give it a much better set of sounds and remote control. The entire body of the model is die-cast, one of the first in MTH's series of PRR die-cast electric locomotive models. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see it hauling a set of streamlined passenger cars. While they aren't full scale, they are made of extruded aluminum and are in a style more typical of the toy trains of yesteryear and just seem to go well with the GG1.

The 2-8-0 Consolidation wheel arrangement for steam locomotives was one of the most widely used and copied variants of steam motive power because its attributes made it an excellent choice for mainline, branch, freight and even passenger work. First appearing on the Lehigh Valley in 1866, 2-8-0s continued in service well into the 1950s with the Pennsylvania the leading user of all railroads. The Pennsy created seven classes of Consolidations with the earliest being the 1885 H3. These 50 inch driver locomotives were the first Pennsylvania steam locomotives to utilize the road's trademark Belpaire firebox. Hundreds were built over a ten year span and were utilized in all levels of service before being replaced with the more common fat boilers of Pennsy's H4 thru H10 series of consolidations. The last H3, #1187, was discovered in a stone quarry and reclaimed for restoration by the Pennsylvania. It was displayed at the 1939-40 New York World's Fair and now resides in the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum. In 2005, MTH brought out an exquisite Premier line model of #1187. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, especially if you pause it, the level of detailing on the locomotive is incredible and, as you can see and hear, it sounds great and runs very, very well.

Way back in 2000, MTH brought out a Premier-line model of the C&O Greenbrier, a fast 4-8-4 steam locomotive that was called a Northern on many other railroads. At the time, it came out with the original Protosound system that gave it some pretty good (for the time) sounds and smoke to go along with great operation. I later converted it to the Protosound 2 system (PS2) to give it even better sound and allow remote control using the MTH DCS remote contol system. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see the model under full DCS control hauling its matching passenger train. During the slow-speed runby, if you pause the video, you can see all of the detail on the locomotive and cars. The prototype came out in the 1930s, ready to assume passenger service duties. Featuring a cleaner, more streamlined appearance than the F-19 Pacific it replaced, the Greenbrier utilized a USRA-designed cab that both Alco and Lima had employed for freight power. Each engine was decorated in white trim and gold lettering and featured the name of a distinguished Virginia statesman on each side of the sand box. The engine quickly established itself as a famous and significant name along the C&O right-of-way as it whisked famous and aristocratic passengers to the C&O's own resort hotel of the same name in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. This super-powered locomotive easily hauled long passenger trains through the mountains. In the late '80s and early 90's, the prototype 614 hauled excursion trains from Hoboken NJ to Port Jervis NY, and I'm happy to say that I had the pleasure of riding on those excursions twice.  You can find several videos from one of those excursions down toward the bottom of this page.

In the late 1920s, the Great Northern received eight Alco-GE boxcab electric locomotives, classed Y1. They were used over the heavily tunneled and steeply graded Cascade Mountains in Washington, where heavy freight had to be muscled to the coast. The line had been electrified to keep crews and passengers from being suffocated by steam locomotive exhaust in the many long tunnels. Two motor generators in each unit converted 11,000v AC to 550v DC for the six axle-hung GE motors. GN ended electric operations in 1956, and the Pennsylvania Railroad bought all eight Y1's a year later. The Pennsy reclassified the engines as FF2's after shopping them for operations on the Pennsy lines. Used mainly in helper service between Philadelphia and Paoli and Thorndale and Columbia PA, these eight electrics did the work of 15 diesels, which were transferred elsewhere. In the spring of 2003, MTH brought out an excellent Premier-line model of the FF2. It's another in their line of die-cast Pennsy electric locomotives and is deceptively heavy and powerful. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it is a very powerful model, easily hauling a 27 car all-Pennsy freight, the longest such that I've ever run. It is a well detailed, great sounding, and great running model, and is one that I've used for hours at a time at train shows.

In previous videos, I've shown my original model PRR K4s Pacific that I converted from PS1 to PS2, my two later PS2 K4s's in prewar and postwar models, and the locomotives running double- and triple-headed. What I've never shown before is those two later K4s's running individually, each hauling a commuter train as you'd have found them on the Pennsy mainline not far from my home. That's an omission corrected by this True HD 1080p video, in which you see K4s #1737 (prewar) and K4s #1361 (postwar), each hauling its own commuter train, both running on the same track at the same time. They aren't lashed up with the DCS remote control system; rather, they're both just set to the same speed and they maintain the separation between the trains by themselves. Enjoy! 

In the middle of 2007, MTH brought out a Premier model of the Pennsylvania RailRoad's class L1s Mikado, a 2-8-2 freight hauler that was one of the most reliable locomotives on the railroad. Built between 1914 and 1919, the Pennsylvania Railroad's fleet of L1s Mikados hauled freight through two world wars and served until the end of steam in 1957. Designed by the railroad's own mechanical engineers, the Mikados replaced 2-8-0 Consolidations as Pennsy's main line freight power. In total, there were 574 Mikados built and they shared the same boiler and many other parts with the Pennsy's K4s Pacific-type passenger engines. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, this model of the Mikado is superbly detailed, has great sound, and can really haul a freight train. You'll note the absence of the large tether between the locomotive and the tender; this model is equipped with the wireless drawbar. I've matched it with a nice string of Pennsy freight cars.

In July 2007, MTH brought out an absolutely exquisite Premier model of the Pennsylvania RailRoad's six-coupled (0-6-0) B28 USRA steam switcher locomotive. What's USRA? During World War I, Uncle Sam nationalized the railroads when they proved unequal to the task of moving massive amounts of men and materiel for the war effort. The agency that ran the trains was the United States Railroad Administration, or USRA, and one of its chief accomplishments was the creation of 12 steam engine designs that lasted for decades. According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, USRA locomotives were "the first successful standardization of American motive power" and the only standard designs until the diesel era. With 255 engines delivered to 23 railroads, production numbers for the government-issue 0-6-0 were the second-highest of any USRA design. And more than any other USRA engine, the six-coupled switcher was found from coast to coast, from Maine to Texas, and on railroads large and small. Owners were generally quite pleased with the quality of the government's design, and many 0-6-0s lasted into the 1950s. This model incorporates very fine detailing with technological advancements such as the wireless drawbar -- the wiring harness between the tender and locomotive is now only a memory as it's been incorporated into the locomotive drawbar. With the magic of True HD 1080p and a slow-speed run-by, you can see all of the incredible detail present on this gem of a model.

In December of 2001, MTH released a Premier model of the Nickel Plate Berkshire (2-8-4) #779. This was the second model of the Berkshire that they did (#765, which still runs in excursion service, was the first). This second model had even more detail than the first, and the sounds are exquisite! Best of all, purchase of this locomotive helped with the funding of the rebuilding of the prototype #765, owned by the Fort Wayne Railway Historical Society. As far as the prototype goes, the Nickel Plate Berkshires belonged to one of steam's finest family trees. The first 2-8-4, Lima Locomotive Works A-1, inaugurated the superpower era in 1925. A four-wheel trailing truck allowed the A-1 to have a larger firebox and boiler, producing a combination of power and speed never seen before in a steam locomotive. Initially tested on the Boston and Albany Railroad, the new wheel arrangement was dubbed the Berkshire after the mountain range it conquered on the B&A. One of the best examples of such superpowered locomotives was the Nickel Plate Berk, introduced in 1934 and called by steam historian Eugene Huddleston "the greatest 2-8-4 ever to take to the rails." Engineers loved its looks, speed, power, and wonderful sound. Intended for fast freight, the 700-series Berks could also take off with an 18-20 car WWII troop train. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, the model lives up to the prototype, with great detail, excellent sound, and wonderful operation.

In 2000 (hard to believe it's already been ten years), MTH released a Premier line model of the N&W Class-A 2-6-6-4 articulated steam locomotive. This locomotive, a product of N&W's own Roanoke shops, was designed to haul heavy coal trains and could also do service on fast passenger trains. One of the last steamers on the last major American railroad to drop the fires of steam, the Class-A holds a special place in railfan's hearts. The model was released with the original Protosound system and I later upgraded it to Protosound 2 with the full panoply of sound and remote control features. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it's a great looking, great sounding, and great running model locomotive. I also upgraded the auxilliary tender that you see in this video. The prototype of the model, #1218, was still running as part of the NS steam program as late as 1992.

Toward the end of 2002, MTH brought out a Premier line model of the Pennsylvania RailRoad's DD1, another in their line of die-cast Pennsy electric locomotives. The prototype DD1's were designed to run through the then-new tunnels that Pennsy drilled beneath the Hudson river from New Jersey to New York City. They moved the trains from Pennsylvania Station in NYC to Manhattan Transfer, which was located in Harrison NJ (east of Newark) via third-rail power. At Manhattan Transfer, the DD1 would switch out, and a steam locomotive would take its place for the run down south to Philadelphia and other points. (This was long before the electrification of the Pennsy mainline.) Built in 1910, it's no surprise that the DD1 is a jackshaft electric, with siderods very much like a steam locomotive. The model is a very good representation of the prototype, right down to the third-rail pickups. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it looks and sounds great and runs very well.

About a year and a half ago, MTH brought out a Premier line model of a Jersey Central camelback in the ten-wheeler (4-6-0) configuration. I actually have video of the prototype of this particular one, #774, racing back and forth on the Jersey Central's mainline here in New Jersey. The camelbacks, with their Wooten fireboxes, were designed to burn anthracite waste (called culm), a very cheap fuel source for railroads that hauled lots of anthracite from the mines in northeastern Pennsylvania. With a very wide firebox, the engineer's cab had to be placed astride the boiler so that he could see where he was going. The fireman still had to be at the back, shoveling coal through the usually twin firebox doors; on at least one occasion, a fireman was thrown off the locomotive and the engineer didn't know until he ran out of steam! These were not safe locomotives (the engineer was sitting just above the whirling siderods where one break could send shards of metal shooting through the cab, hence the nickname "widowmakers") and none were built after 1927. This model is quite a good representation of the prototype and runs quite well as you can see in this True HD 1080p video in which it's hauling a short local freight train. In real life, these locomotives hauled both freight and passenger trains.

Back in 2001, MTH brought out a Premier line model of the New York Central Niagara, a very powerful 4-8-4 steam locomotive. On other railroads, these were called by a variety of names, including Northerns. This was one of the very early models that had the then-new Protosound 2 package of sound and remote control electronics. The prototypes were used for both heavy freight service and fast passenger service as part of NYC's Great Steel Fleet including the 20th Century Limited from NYC to Chicago and were built in the mid-1940's. Unfortunately, it wasn't that long before diesels replaced steam, and their lifetime was all too short. Sadly, none were preserved. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see the model, which though ten years old and used quite often has held up very well, hauling its matching passenger cars. Back then, the cars came with silhouettes in the windows rather than with finished interiors that you could populate with miniature people, but such is life.

I thought that I'd show you just how powerful the MTH Premier models of the PRR K4s Pacific steam locomotives really are. In the previous video, I showed seventeen heavyweight passenger cars (a very heavy load) being hauled by three of these models. Since the cars were still on the track, here they are again, this time being hauled by just two of the locomotives, #1737 and #1361, which were the original PS2 models that came out in 2004. As you can see, no problems at all hauling that load with just two.

I often get requests to see more of my layout and how it operates. This video, the longest and most complex that I've ever attempted, is the response. In the previous two videos, you've seen some of my Pennsy power moving around passenger cars. In this video, you get to see all three models of the K4s Pacific-type steamers (#1737 = prewar, slotted pilot, early decoration; #5400 - prewar, slotted pilot, later decoration; #1361 = postwar, solid pilot) moving between mainline tracks in order to form a triple-header that is used to haul all of my seventeen heavyweight passenger cars. The K4s was Pennsy's premier passenger hauler and in real life, for a train of this size, you would have seen at least a double-header and quite possibly a triple-header. This True HD 1080p video is made up of 14 segments that I've edited together with captions as well as explanatory scrolling credits at the beginning and end (you don't want to know how many times I actually had to shoot things before I got them kind of the way I wanted). As you can see in this 10 minute long video, the K4s that I converted from PS1 to PS2 is functionally the same as the other two models that originally came with PS2. All operations were performed using DCS remote control. Putting this one together was a lot of work and I hope that you enjoy it.

Here's a small True HD 1080p video of a small model of a small prototype. In the middle of 2005, MTH continued bringing out a series of die-cast models of PRR electric locomotives with a Premier line model of the BB1. This diminutive model, an excellent replica of the diminutive prototype, looks and sounds great and performs very well. The prototypes, all 42 of them, were built by the Pennsy itself in its Altoona shops. They were originally run in pairs, hence the BB1 designation, though in later years they were split up and ran singly as B1's. You could also find them on the Pennsy-controlled Long Island RR. Only 31 feet long and capable of a maximum speed of 25 mph, they made quite a racket due to the fans cooling all of the electrical equipment. These little yard switchers, known as "rats" to railfans, could be found in PRR's electrified yards moving cars around and were a fixture in the Sunnyside yard in Queens, NY. In this video, you can see the models under DCS remote control moving a few cars to get them ready for the next train out.

As you can see in all of the videos that came before this one, including the previous 50 in True HD 1080p, the majority of my motive power is from the Pennsylvania RR. So it should come as little surprise that this next video is also Pennsy. In 1996 (hard to believe it's already been almost 15 years), MTH brought out, in their Premier line, a model of perhaps the most famous locomotive on the Pennsylvania RR -- the K4s Pacific (4-6-2). Starting in 1917 and continuing to 1928, a total of 425 of these heavy passenger and freight locomotive were built, all using a common boiler design with Pennsy's legendary Belpaire firebox. They were built both by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and Pennsy's own Juniata shops. The K4s was Pennsy's principal passenger hauler, often double-heading on very long trains traveling between the major cities of the Northeast and Midwest. After WWII, their appearance changed but the locomotives stayed pretty much the same right through to the end of steam. Though this model is now almost 15 years old, it holds up well against more modern models, and shows the K4s in its prewar incarnation. Initially equipped with the original Protosound system, it was one of the first I upgraded to Protosound 2 so it sports the full panoply of modern sound and control features, including DCS remote control. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see my first K4s hauling a good-sized passenger train. Since I have two other K4s models (representing different eras), you can look for double-headed and, yes, triple-headed trains in future videos.

The Pennsylvania RR T1 Duplex (4-4-4-4) was conceived in the late 1930s as a replacement for the Pennsylvania Railroad's aging fleet of K4 Pacifics. Although it looked like an articulated locomotive (such as a Challenger or Big Boy), it was actually a duplex, two engines on a single rigid frame. The idea was to eliminate all the moving parts (including flexible steam pipes) required to swivel the front engine of an articulated, yet retain the additional power offered by two pairs of cylinders. Styled by famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the T1 represented the Pennsy's best hopes for a technologically advanced steamer that could compete with diesels. Extensive testing of the first two T1s, delivered in 1942, indicated the new design was a winner - a single passenger engine capable of hauling a sixteen car train at a hundred miles an hour. Glowing reports from these tests convinced management to place an order for 50 additional engines. Pennsy's Altoona works and Baldwin Locomotive Works split the order, each producing 25 engines in 1945-46. In actual service, however, the locomotives did not live up to the promise of the test engines. Although they were indeed speedy and powerful, the rigid duplex frame gave the engine an unfortunate tendency to rock back and put most of its weight on the rear drivers, allowing the front engine to slip uncontrollably. It took a very skillful engineer to keep a T1 pulling surely on all eight drivers. Given more time, these problems could perhaps have been solved, but in the late 1940s time was up for the steam locomotive. In the end, the T1 was a grand, handsome experiment that failed. Sadly, none were preserved. In 2000, MTH brought out an exquisite Premier line model of the T1, featuring their original Protosound electronics package. I later converted the locomotive to Protosound 2 (PS2), giving it the full panoply of sound and control features that enable DCS remote control. Much as with the prototype, this is a heavy hauling model. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see it effortlessly pulling a dozen scale heavyweight passenger cars, a large load indeed yet it does so without protest.

In 1924, the Pennsylvania RR roster was home to more than 3,000 2-8-0 Consolidations, proving the importance of this engine as a freight hauler. These workhorses were versatile; they worked the mainline for more than 50 years, and later, when larger engines elbowed them from the mainline, did duty on branch lines, local freights, work trains, and even in yards. The PRR made 10 different variations on their H-class 2-8-0 over the course of more than 30 years. The H10s Consolidation originally worked on the PRR's Lines West region, though they moved east to help with World War II traffic and remained in the east until the end of the PRR's steam days. In September of 2001, MTH brought out a Premier line model of the H10 consolidation. Though fully 9 years old now, the level of detail and the operation still hold up very well, as you can see in this True HD 1080p video. Though it's a small model of a small prototype, it's quite a freight hauler as I have it hauling a freight train made up of more than a dozen heavy scale PRR freight cars!

In 2002, MTH brought out a Premier line model of the 2500 HP transfer diesel that Lima-Hamilton built for the Pennsylvania RR. Though not a fan of diesels, these were sufficient ugly to appeal to me.   The 22 prototypes were built in 1950-1951, and these boxy center-cab units served for transfer work, which was similar to switching but on a larger scale. Rather than simply moving cars around a yard, these more powerful diesel engines moved cars from one yard to another, covering longer distances and heavier consists that would have been too challenging for many switchers. In this true HD 1080p video, I show it moving a mixed consist of Pennsy freight cars out on the mainline, probably going from one yard to another. As you can see in the video, it runs and sounds great and is a great freight hauler.

In late 2000, MTH released their Premier line model of a Pennsylvania RR E6 Atlantic (4-4-2) steam locomotive. This was, AFAIK, the very first locomotive released with the then-new Protosound 2 electronics. This incorporated synchronized smoke puffing with the sound of the steam chuffing as well as an impressive panoply of sound and locomotive controls. It also incorporated DCS remote control, though that system wouldn't appear for quite a time yet. For a 10 year old model, it still looks quite good, though modern models have somewhat more detail, it runs well, and it sounds good too as you can see in this True HD 1080p video.

In late 2000, MTH brought out a Premier model of the UP F-E-F (which stands for Four-Eight-Four, the wheel arrangement), a large Northern-typesteam locomotive. The prototype is quite famous as it is still running today as part of UP's steam program. The prototype was one of the last big steamers built in the US and incorporated all of the then-latest features. The model was one of the first with the then-new Protosound 2 system that includes the synchronized chuffing sound and puffing smoke as well as user-settable chuff rate and DCS remote control. In this five minute long True HD 1080p video, you see the locomotive leave the ready yard, couple to its very long and heavy train, make a few runbys, and then uncouple from the train and return to its track in the ready yard, all under remote control. It's a great appearing, great sounding, and great running model locomotive!

In early 2005, MTH brought out a Premier line model of the Reading T-1 Northern (4-8-4) steam locomotive. These locomotives are very recognizable as they were the stars of the "Reading Rambles" that were run with them well after the railroad switched over to diesel power. The model is an excellent representation of the prototype -- it looks great, it sounds great, and it runs very well as you can see in this True HD 1080p video. I have it pulling my "pipeline on rails," a string of 40 tank cars. Unlike the previous Challenger video, here I've used only the longer tank cars and have gone through my collection to use all of the ones that carry railroad names. See how many you can find! :)

Here's a train that I don't think I've ever shown in a video -- I call this my "pipeline on rails". Before I collected AtlasO reefers, I collected MTH Premier tank cars. Here are fifty of them (I have lots more that just won't fit on the track), being hauled by the MTH Premier UP Challenger (4-6-6-4) articulated steam locomotive that came out in 2002. Although these fifty cars are a heavy load, they are (pardon the pun) no challenge to the Challenger. :) It's a great model that looks good, sounds good, and runs very well. That's the auxiliary tender behind the main tender.

In 2004, MTH released another in their series of die-cast models of Pennsylvania RR electric locomotives. This was the L5, a prehistoric-appearing steeplecab locomotive that was the last of their experimental jackshaft electrics. The jackshafts were a breed of locomotive that conbined electric motors with steam locomotive side rods to move the drivers. The prototype was first built in 1924, and was intended for both passenger and freight operations. In this True HD 1080p video, I've coupled the L5 to a short Pennsy freight train. In the final segment, you can see it uncouple from its train and head back to its track in the locomotive ready yard, all under DCS remote control. Please visit my web site -- http://www.toytrains1.com -- for lots more videos and photos of both real and model trains.

This is the MTH Premier Santa Fe Texas-type (2-10-4) steam locomotive that came out in 2001. In real life, this locomotive was a heavy freight hauler, so I thought it appropriate to give it a heavy load in this True HD 1080p video. It's pulling a total of FORTY AtlasO reefers which is quite a load, but it does so without protest. The sound is good, the operation is good, and it's a good model of the real thing.

The engineers on my railroad have been complaining that the number one curve, where I happen to shoot most of my videos, is pretty rough on their locomotives. Taking no chances, I issued orders for the DC-3 track inspection car to examine the track on that curve. The film crew happened to be on site and caught the action. This MTH Premier O-gauge model of the UP DC-3 car came out in 2001 and, in terms of detail, sound, and operation, has held up very well indeed, as you will see in this short True HD 1080p video. One of the more unusual cars in my collection, it's a fun car to operate and I hope you enjoy the video!

MTH brought out their Premier line model of the Northern Pacific Yellowstone (2-8-8-4) articulated steam locomotive in December of 2003. It was very much a reissue of the previous PS1 model of the DM&IR Yellowstone in a new paint scheme, but with the PS2 sound and control package in it, that was pretty easily overlooked. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it looks great, sounds great, and runs great too. It's hauling 28 of the 36' woodsided reefers from AtlasO which is quite a load yet this locomotive has no problem with that at all. I even got a matching NP caboose for this video! :)

About ten years ago or so, MTH released their Premier line model of a Climax steam locomotive. The prototype was a small geared steamer that was used primarily on logging railroads. As with the Shay, the Climax had the pistons turning a drive shaft that was geared directly to the small drivers, giving this locomotive the ability to climb very steep grades, albeit quite slowly. Unlike the Shay, the Climax has the pistons on the diagonal rather than vertically and the geared driveshaft is underneath the locomotive, between the drivers, rather than on the outside. As you'll see in this True HD 1080p video, the model, though tiny, is extremely well detailed, looks great, sounds fantastic, and runs very well.  In the final segment of the video, there's a close-up of the drivetrain, which you can compare to that of the Shay.

As long as I had the Pennsy freight train on the tracks, I decided to shoot the last of my big PRR freight hauling steamers. This is a True HD 1080p video of the MTH Premier PRR Mountain (4-8-2) steam locomotive hauling that train. The model came out in 2003 and has held up quite well over the years of heavy use. As you can see in the video, it looks and sounds great and runs very well. The prototype locomotive was one of Pennsy's main freight haulers, with more than 300 Mountains having been built and used in heavy freight service.

On a visit to Trains & Things in Trenton, NJ where Mike Wolf of MTH Electric Trains was visiting, they had on display the 2007 MTH reproduction of the Ives Olympian set, which was one of the last made by Ives in the years leading up to the Great Depression (1929-1930).  It seldom happens, but for me it was love at first sight and I walked out of the store with the set even though it's Standard Gauge.  For those unfamiliar with it, Standard Gauge trains run on track that is much wider than O-gauge track and, being much more from the toy train genre, there is no real scale, so Standard Gauge trains come in a variety of sizes, from small to very large.  My Standard Gauge Christmas trains (videos down the page) are from the small school.  This new set is from the very large school.  The locomotive (based on a Milwaukee Road bipolar) and four cars stretch out over six feet in length!  While faithful to the original set in appearance, this reproduction incorporates all of the latest electronics and is fully controllable with the DCS remote control system. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it a super appearing, super sounding set.  If the background looks unfamiliar, my Standard Gauge trains run on my auxiliary layout, which is on the carpeted floor of my library.

Just about nine years ago, I got the MTH Premier model of the Pennsylvania Railroad Q2, a duplex-drive 4-4-6-4 freight hauling behemoth of a steam locomotive. It was one of the first locomotives equipped with Protosound 2 (PS2). I've had it running on and off all the years since and it still runs great. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see it hauling my PRR freight train. Since the feedback I've received about this train has been quite positive, I visited the train store recently and bought quite a few more cars to add to it. In the slow speed run-by you can get a good look at the now two dozen car train. Following the higher speed run-by, you can watch as the Q2 uncouples from the train and returns to its track in my locomotive ready yard.

This is another unusual video. It shows the MTH Premier Great Northern (GN) S-2 Northern-type (4-8-4) steam locomotive pulling a large consist of 36' woodsided reefers. That's quite a load, and the S-2 runs out of oomph. It calls for help, and the MTH Premier GN R-2, a 2-8-8-2 articulated behemoth, answers the call. It backs out of the ready yard onto the mainline, couples to the back of the train, and together the S-2 and the R-2 get it up to speed and on the way to its destination. As you'll see in this True HD 1080p video, the S-2 and the R-2 work splendidly together in lash-up using DCS, combining to move the train with no trouble at all. The detail and operation of both locomotives is superb!

While the Pennsylvania Railroad FF1 and FF2 boxcab electric locomotives belonged to different eras, there are some perks to running your own railroad! :) In this True HD 1080p video, you get to see them double-headed (that's the FF1 -- Big Liz -- up front) hauling a very long all-Pennsy freight train. Though they might not have run together in real life, double-headed locomotives on long freight trains were and are still a very common sight on the railroads.

In June of 2003, MTH brought out a Premier model of a 4-truck Shay steam locomotive, decorated for C&O and featuring PS2 (I already had the one issued years earlier with PS1 decorated for WVP&P). A Shay locomotive was designed for use in the logging industry, on lightweight track that might have very steep grades and very sharp turns. It's a geared locomotive with great tenacity though made for low speeds. Though mine usually runs on my auxiliary layout, I've moved it to the main layout where it's easier to film in detail. In this True HD 1080p video, you get to see it in operation with a close-up of the amazing gear operation. I've seen real Shays at museums and this model is pretty much on the money. Enjoy!

Big Liz starred in the very first video that I uploaded to YouTube, so it's only fitting that she get her own True HD 1080p video. In this video, I have her hauling a dozen Pennsy freight cars, though that's a pretty small load for such a large, powerful model. The prototype was built in 1917 as Pennsy's first experimental boxcab AC jack-shaft electric locomotive but was so powerful that it kept ripping out the couplers of the day and was finally relegated to pusher service. Since people seem to want to see other parts of my layout, I've done this video a bit differently. Big Liz normally resides in my locomotive ready yard, so I show her leaving the yard, proceeding through the interlocking plant and onto the Track 1 mainline. You then see her and her train in several run-bys and finally get to see her uncouple from her train and come back into the ready yard

In the previous video I showed the MTH Premier D16d pulling its 19th century passenger cars. This was shot on Track 1, my outer O-72 loop which is closest to the camera. This train normally resides on a storage track in my central yard, which is accessed via Track 3, the innermost loop. I thought it would be interesting to show how the train makes its way back to the storage track, traversing the interlocking plant to get from Track 1 to Track 2 to Track 3 and then into the yard and onto the appropriate storage track. It was a pain to shoot as I had to move the camera around to locations that really aren't suited for filming, but the final True HD 1080p product gives you a good idea of how my layout works, even when it's clogged with train after train on all of the loops and storage tracks

In December of 2005 I received the MTH Premier PRR D16d American (4-4-0) steam locomotive. This is a model of a high strutting late 19th/early 20th century steam locomotive, complete with high domes. From the large 80" drivers, you know this was designed for passenger service. It's a small locomotive as were most locomotives of this time period. It's a highly detailed model that runs very well. In this True HD 1080p video, I show it hauling a set of late 19th century passenger cars, which is very much how you would have found it in real life.

This True HD 1080p video highlights my MTH Premier Pennsylvania RR Baldwin Shark (A-B) diesel locomotives, which came out in October of 2001 and which haul my Pennsy work train. Both a slow speed and a higher speed video segment are included. Since the work train normally resides on one of the stub sidings in the yard that occupies the center of my layout, I thought I'd also show how it gets from the inner main track 3 (to which all of the yard tracks connect) to the outer main track 1 where I film via the interlocking plant that connects all three main tracks.

In August of 2006, MTH delivered their Premier line model of a PRR A5. This is a very small four-coupled (0-4-0) steam locomotive that was used as a yard switcher to move around cars and make up trains. As a scale model, it's tiny compared to most other O-Gauge steam locomotives but it's very detailed and quite powerful for its size. In this True HD 1080p video, you can see how exquisitely detailed it is. I've also run it in several of the ways that you might have seen it running in real life

In early 2002, I got a special train set from MTH. They called it "American Legacy #768W" and it was a reproduction of a train set originally brought out by Lionel in 1939. It had a beautiful die-cast Premier scale model of a NYC J1e Hudson painted in tinplate grey enamel with a matching tinplate tender and a set of four blue tinplate passenger cars. In the intervening years, I've matched those blue cars with an MTH reproduction of the actual tinplate blue locomotive that together make up the classic Baby Blue Comet set. Since the grey Hudson has a box coupler (from the days before WW II), it's kind of hard to run it with most of my trains that have knuckle couplers. However, for a very long time I've had a set of the same 600-series tinplate passenger cars with the box couplers but in a gorgeous terra-cotta enamel finish. Mating the locomotive with those cars makes for a stunning train, so here it is in crystal clear sharp detail in a True HD 1080p video.

In November of 2003, MTH released a Protosound 2 version of their Premier model of the C&O Allegheny, a hulking 2-6-6-6 articulated behemoth. This locomotive was the tallest, widest, heaviest, and most powerful steam locomotive ever produced and was used in heavy coal service in the Allegheny mountains. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, the detailing of the model is superb and the sound is great. Before anyone asks, I've been assured that the weird whistle is entirely prototypical and comes from recordings of the real thing.

This is a True HD 1080p video of the MTH Premier Cab Forward (4-8-8-2) that came out in 2008. This locomotive is a PS2-equipped reissue of the original Premier Cab Forward model that came out in 1996. As with most such reissues, it has more detail than the original and, on this one, MTH issued it in two different models; one modeling the locomotive as-built (as did the original model) and the other modeling a locomotive equipped with a more modernized cab front which SP used on a number of the older Cab Forwards as they were rebuilt. It's the latter one that I got and I'm very pleased with it! As you can see in the video, the detailing is superb and the audio shows off the excellent sound set. The locomotive is hauling a very eclectic freight train, as the cab forwards did in real life.

In early March of 2006, MTH brought out a Premier model of the New York Central (NYC) #999, a small American-type (4-4-0) locomotive with enormous 86" driving wheels. When the prototype was put into service in 1893 hauling the Empire State Express between NYC and Buffalo, it quickly set the world land speed record of 112.5 miles per hour. The model is an exquisite representation of the prototype as you can see and hear in the True HD 1080p video. In the second segment, you can hear it pull into the station with the chatter about setting the world speed record. It's hauling a set of seven woodsided passenger cars appropriate to the time. The detail on the cars is also exquisite, down to the potbellied stove in each passenger car. If you pause the video in the first segment, you can actually make out the stove at the front of each car!

The New York Central (NYC) Hudson is probably one of the most recognizable of all steam locomotives. The Hudsons were the backbone of the great steel fleet that plied the iron between New York and Chicago. It was capable of pulling a large passenger train at more than 100 miles per hour, and headed most of the New York Central's premier trains, such as the 20th Century Limited. The 4-6-4 Hudson evolved from the 4-6-2 Pacific through "superpowering" by adding a larger firebox and the extra trailing truck axle that was required as a result, much at the 2-8-2 Mikado evolved to the 2-8-4 Berkshire. This MTH Premier model is of a NYC Hudson with streamlining designed by Henry Dreyfuss and includes the matching streamlined cars. The prototype took to the rails in 1938 and this model came out at the end of 2000. As you can see in the True HD 1080p video, the model is superb, it sounds great and it runs very well. Toward the end of the second segment, you can hear the announcement of the 20th Century Limited as the train pulls into the station.

In August of 2008, MTH brought out a Premier model of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) P5a boxcab electric locomotive. This was a workhorse on the Pennsy and ran on the Pennsy mainline (now the Amtrak Northeast Corridor) not far from my home. The model is die-cast, quite heavy, and is an exquisitely detailed replica of the real thing. As you can see in this True HD 1080p video, it runs very well and has great sound, though, as with all electric locomotives (as opposed to steam), the sounds are somewhat limited. Toward the end of the video, I demonstrate some of the features incorporated into this locomotive, including pantographs that automatically raise and lower with direction change and steam pressure release (the locomotive had a steam generator so it could provide steam heat to the passenger cars).

Back in 1998, MTH brought out a Premier model of the Jersey Central (CNJ) Blue Comet, a heavy Pacific (4-6-2) locomotive, painted in two tones of blue, which hauled a special train from the CNJ terminal in Jersey City to the seaside resort of Atlantic City (long before the days of casinos). The model was issued with the original Protosound system (PS1) and I later converted it to Protosound 2 (PS2) so that it could be controled with the DCS remote control system. Over the years, MTH has brought out several sets of matching passenger cars (all named for comets), to the point that I now have twelve of them.  In this True HD 1080p video, you get to see the Blue Comet locomotive with all of its matching passenger cars, a model of one of the most famous trains ever to travel the rails here in New Jersey.

In June of 2003, MTH brought out a Premier model of the Pennsylvania RR (PRR) S1, which was a one-of-a-kind 6-4-4-6 duplex steam locomotive. Unlike the big articulated locomotives, this one had a solid frame. The prototype locomotive spent the first two years of its life on rollers at the 1939 New York World's Fair, where it wowed visitors. In actual service however, it was too big for the tight curves of the east and spent it's short life running west of Crestline, Ohio, where it proved to lack sufficient traction to justify its existence, hence it was the only one of its kind. The model looks great (it reminds me of Flash Gordon's spaceship from the old serials), runs great, and sounds great. In this True HD 1080p video, you see it hauling a total of 18(!) heavyweight passenger cars, a very, very heavy train indeed. With just about any other locomotive, I'd double-head to pull this load; the S1 manages it all by itself.

This is another video reshoot in True HD 1080p. While I don't have many diesel locomotives in my collection, much preferring steam, for these I made an exception. These are my MTH Premier PRR Alco PA-1 diesel locomotives, a full A-B-A set, in the incredibly attractive tuscan with five gold stripe passenger livery of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In this video, I show them hauling eight of the MTH Premier heavyweight PRR passenger cars, very much as they would have in real life. As you can see in the video, the models smoke almost as much as steamers, much as the prototype Alco diesel locomotives always put up a large cloud of smoke. When comparing this video to the original, shot a few years ago in standard definition (SD), the crispness, clarity, and detail available with True HD 1080p really stands out.

I got the MTH Premier model of the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range (DM&IR) Yellowstone, a 2-8-8-8-4 articulated behemoth, when it came out in 1999.  At the time, it came with the original Protosound system (PS1).  Much later on, I upgraded it to Protosound 2 so that it could have the full array of bells & whistles and work with the DCS remote control system.  As I recall, it was one of the more difficult conversions due to the narrow width of the tender chassis.  The original video showed it hauling some freight cars.  For some reason, I didn't show it with the ore cars that were made to go with it.  That's a lapse that I have now rectified in this True HD 1080p video of the Yellowstone with its dozen ore cars and caboose.  As you can see in the video, it looks and sounds great and runs very, very well.

I love it when people don't believe me! In the notes for the True HD 1080p video of the double-headed Big Boys that I posted on YouTube, I mentioned that either one of them could easily haul the entire train by itself. Of course, I got an email from somebody who "knows better" saying that there was no way that could be. So, here's a video of just one of the MTH Premier Big Boys hauling an even longer train made up of the die-cast auxiliary tender (quite heavy), 54 AtlasO woodsided reefers, and a caboose. The only reason that there aren't more cars is that the Big Boy is pretty much chasing its own caboose.  If I had a larger layout, it could haul a lot more cars -- I've done that on the large modular layouts at train shows.  This is the first Big Boy that MTH brought out and was converted by me from PS1 to PS2. As you can see at the end of the video, that conversion extends to the auxiliary tender, which I remotely uncouple from the train using DCS.  So much for "Mr. Knows Better"!

Some of the most popular videos I've ever posted have been of the Union Pacific (UP) Big Boy steam locomotives.  The prototypes were the longest steam locomotives ever built and everything about them was enormous.  My MTH Premier models are rather old and originally came with the Protosound system.  A while back, I upgraded both of them to Protosound 2 (PS2) so that they would work with DCS and have all the bells and whistles.  While more modern models may have a few more details, they remain very impressive.  Now that I'm reshooting videos in True HE 1080p, it was an easy choice to get them out of the display case and put them on the tracks, double-headed for twice the sound and twice the smoke, at the head of a very long, very heavy freight train, exactly as they would have run in real life.  The train has 42 AtlasO 36' and 40' woodsided billboard reefers, and between the locomotives and the reefers, I have to say that this is one of the best videos that I've shot to date.  Enjoy!

As you can see from the videos below, I've been busily reshooting videos of my various locomotives in True HD 1080p using my new camcorder.  This latest video isn't a reshoot but rather is an original video that I've never shot before.  When reshooting the videos for the two Triplexes (Triplices?), Erie and Virginian (shown below), I started to wonder how much one Triplex could haul.  With the real coal loads made by my friend Bob (http://www.bobscoalloads.com), the coal hoppers are quite heavy and I wanted to see if just one could haul all of the hoppers that I have, a total of 27.  The short answer is yes, pulling that much weight was no problem.  Well, at least for the Triplex.  The problem was that the couplers on the hoppers couldn't handle that much weight and the train kept breaking apart!  Now, I could have just wired the couplers shut and been done with it, but the fact that I use DCS opens up other answers to the problem.  In this case, since I was using the Erie Triplex, I went ahead and put the Erie Angus (the 0-8-8-0 camelback) at the end of the train, lashed-up the two locomotives using DCS, and as you can see in the video, it worked flawlessly in keeping the train from breaking apart under its own weight.  And, while you might never have seen a Triplex and an Angus on the same train in the real world, this is my railroad and on my railroad they work happily together!  Enjoy! 

I actually have two Triplexes (Triplices?) in my collection; the Erie and the Virginian. Now, the Virginian's prototype Triplex was a 2-8-8-8-4 whereas the model is a 2-8-8-8-2, basically a redecorated Erie Triplex. Given that there was only one prototype locomotive, I can understand MTH taking this shortcut by using the existing Erie tooling since to make new tooling that you probably couldn't use again would be silly. In any case, the locomotive is superb, it looks, sounds, and runs great as you can see in this True HD 1080p video.

Mallet locomotives were articulated; that is, they had at least two sets of drivers, one of which could swing free of the boiler, allowing a very long and powerful locomotive to make its way around fairly tight curves with the boiler overhanging the curve.  They also reused steam from one set of cylinders to another.  The version of the Mallet in this video, the Triplex had THREE separate steam chests and drivers, on the theory that if two were good, three would be better.  The Erie had three of these 2-8-8-8-2 locomotives.  The theory did not long survive the reality, as the boiler was unable to produce enough steam to power all six cylinders and after going only a relatively short way, the locomotive slowed down and came to as stop as it ran out of steam and then had to sit and wait until it built up a head of pressure again.  In 2002, MTH brought out a Premier model of the Erie Mallet.  As you'll see in the video, the detail is exquisite, the sound is great, and it operates beautifully.  It's one of the gems of my collection.

When I posted my first videos of my two SP Daylight locomotives on YouTube, I almost immediately started getting requests to do a video of them double-headed, so of course I did.  Well, it's happened again.  With the True HD 1080p videos of the GS-2 and the GS-4 posted, I've already been asked to post a video of them working together.  This is the video.  The GS-2 is in front, the GS-4 follows, and they're hauling my entire collection of matching SP passenger cars.

Here's another True HD 1080p video of a freight hauling locomotive.  This one is the MTH Premier model of the PRR I1s Decapod, a 2-10-0 brute of a locomotive  that was used in heavy freight service.  Though it came out in 2004, it's still a very good representation of the prototype.  I have it hauling an all-Pennsylvania freight train made up of mostly MTH Premier freight cars of various types.

I have many models of locomotive prototypes that were used to haul coal from our nation's coal fields to the ports.  One such is the Norfolk & Western (N&W) Y6b, a 2-8-8-2 compound articulated locomotive.  A true Mallet-type, it used its steam twice, funneling the high pressure steam from the boiler into the rear cylinders and then exhausting it at lower pressure into the larger front cylinders before the final exhaust up the stack.  This MTH Premier model came out in 2002 and is a very good representation of the original.  This video, shot in True HD 1080p, shows it to good advantage hauling a long string of coal hoppers.

I thought a change of pace in the HD videos was in order.  Here's the MTH Premier PRR J1 Texas (2-10-4) steam locomotive that came out in 2005.  It's a model of one of the PRR's heavy freight haulers.  Rather than give it a long string of reefers, I dug through my collection and put together a freight train of various Pennsylvania cars.  There are about a dozen of them and they look mighty fine behind the J1, which, though now five years old, still looks and sounds great!

Here's a True HD 1080p reshoot of my original Southern Pacific Daylight steam locomotive.  This is the MTH Premier model of the GS-4 Northern (4-8-4) that I converted from the original PS1 to PS2 which enabled it to run under the full control of DCS.  The video shows it hauling my full set of matching passenger cars, which I have equipped with a full cast of characters!  Toward the end of the video, you can hear the passenger station announcement that's part of the sound set.

This is a video of another train that I usually have on my layout.  It's on my #3 track which is a diameter of O-42 and it consists of a very long string of older AtlasO 36' woodsided reefers.  Pulling the train is the MTH Premier PRR L1 Mikado (2-8-2) and pushing is the MTH Premier PRR B28 switcher (0-6-0).  As with the previous video, the pusher isn't just for show.  On curves this tight (with S-curves no less), without a pusher a train of this length and weight would stringline every time.  With the pusher, as you can see, it runs flawlessly.  This video is in True HD 1080p, shot in 24 fps native progressive mode.  Enjoy!

A while back, I shot some videos showing the MTH Premier K4s Pacific (4-6-2)  locomotives in several different combinations (I have a total of three models of this locomotive, all different).  Here's one that I didn't show except in an overall layout video.  Here, in True HD 1080p, is the prewar #1737 at the head of a long string of older AtlasO reefers.  The postwar #1361 is pushing.  This isn't just for show.  They're on my track #2, which has a diameter of O-54.  With a train of this length and weight on that tight a curve, if I didn't have a pusher engine, the train would stringline.  Enjoy!

Some of the most popular videos I have ever shot and posted have been those showing the Southern Pacific (SP) streamlined Daylight locomotives, class GS-2 and class GS-4, both Northern-type (4-8-4) steamers.  That being the case, it only makes sense to give them the True HD 1080p treatment and I've started that with the video below showing the GS-2 Daylight #4412 hauling a long matching passenger consist.  I shot this one at 24 fps progressive cinematic mode at the full 24 Mbps and it gives, I think, the best overall viewing experience.  Enjoy!

The MTH Premier Mohawk is my most recent addition to the collection so I thought that I'd reshoot that video in True HD 1080p.  I've once again used a different set of camera parameters and have used a different program to process the raw video.  I'll be interested in the reactions and which of the now four HD videos is the most pleasing to the eye, so your comments are appreciated!

Number three anyone?  ;)  This is the third video that I've shot in True HD 1080p and I think I'm happiest with this set of parameters.  Given my fascination with articulated locomotives, I'm a little surprised that I waited untill the third video with the new camcorder to shoot one.  It's the MTH Premier Great Northern (GN) Z-6 Challenger (4-6-6-4) pulling a very long string of AtlasO reefers.  All in all it turned out quite well.  Enjoy!  :)

I've now shot a second video in True HD 1080p.  This one shows the MTH Premier NYC A-2 Berkshire (2-8-4) pulling a long string of recent AtlasO reefers.  It has the distinction of being one of the few locomotives ever painted olive green!  I changed some of the parameters in the camera when shooting this.  I also used a new version of NeroVision when rendering it and it seems to have turned out rather well considering how inexperienced I am with the new camcorder.  See what you think!  :)

May, 2010: Well, the day had to come and it finally has.  I now have a new HD camcorder that records in True HD 1080p (resolution of 1920x1080 progressive) and YouTube is supporting the uploading and playback of such videos.  From this point forward, I will be shooting train videos exclusively in HD and will be making them available exclusively via YouTube.  Honestly, I don't know how I'd make these files available in the variety of formats that I have in the past and it would be silly to reduce them in resolution and quality so that I could.  In theory I could post them in their native format, but I've compared that to the YouTube rendering; the difference is slight and isn't worth the effort.  The first of my HD videos shows the MTH Premier Erie Angus (0-8-8-0) camelback steam locomotive that came out in 2004 pulling the latest 2010 AtlasO reefers.  When you use the YouTube player below, you can select the resolution that you want in the lower right of the player.  If your hardware supports it, give the 1080p selection a try and expand it to full screen for the best possible viewing experience.  Oh, I almost forgot.  YouTube!  My train videos there have now racked up a mind-numbing total of over FOUR MILLION views!

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Last updated: 11 Nov 2011

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