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Steam Locomotives

Recreating Nostalgia

Steam locomotives hold a cherished place in any railroader's heart.

N RTR 4-8-8-4 Big Boy w/DCC & Sound, UP #4009

The first really powerful source of power for the railroad, the sight of the powerful plumes of steam rising from the stacks of these engines bring joy to the heart of anyone who cares at all about trains. These trains truly facilitated the settlement of the American continent and brought commerce to areas that were previously wilderness.

They also allowed ranchers, farmers and miners to cheaply move their products to the major markets - then mainly Chicago and the east coast.

Of course, reality was somewhat divorced from the fantasy image most of us have of steam locomotives. These giants consumed tons of wood or coal and had a tendency to blow up from time to time.

The picturesque plumes of smoke were full of hot embers that on more than one occasion started fires either of the trailing train cars or of the surrounding countryside.

O-27 4-6-2 Forty-Niner w/ProtoSound 2, Union Pacific

And anyone who's ever traveled in one can testify to the dirt and soot that flows into the passenger compartments.

But model railroaders can enjoy the nostalgia without the suffocating fumes and smoke.

Depending on one's taste in railroad layouts, steam engines play a big part. They look marvelous and with today's technology, not only look real, but sound real. Using DCC (digital command and control) technology model railroaders can authentically recreate the sound of these engines at variable speeds as well as to mimic the Doppler effect - making the realistic sounds as the train approaches, passes and then recedes past a given point.

Many model railroaders insist on total authenticity. They paint their trains in the actual colors used by the railroad they want to re-create and use the authentic lettering, logos and engine serial numbers.

The model train industry has accommodated these desires by producing either unpainted engines for do-it-yourselfers to finish off or miniature reproductions of actual steam engines and other cars of the "consist" - those pulled along by the engine.

HO Spectrum USRA 2-10-2 Light w/DCC, SBD #2491

To be truly authentic the trains are then run on layouts that closely replicate the actual countryside the real trains ran on.

As the saying goes, you can separate the men from the boys by the price of their toys - and this truly pertains to model railroading. While individual parts can be inexpensive, the sum of those parts can be staggering.

Fortunately, with the Internet, you can obtain many of these parts at substantial discounts. Amazon, for one, sells both Steam Locomotives and other Model Train Accessories made by all the top manufacturers at all price points for well below those available in hobby shops.

And for the model railroader who already has everything he needs, there are beautiful train prints to adorn the walls of the layout room, den or office.

Model railroading is a way of life to its devotees, who spend every spare moment trying to achieve perfection in their railroad or layout. The magnificent steam engines of old add romance and nostalgia to every layout.