April 2012

Hay gang! We just finished up the latest issue of RTR, which will get shipped to the printer tomorrow. So it's time for me to throw a "bone" out there, and drop a couple hints about just what we've got in store in V7 #3.

More often than not, the mailbox at RTR has something neat inside, and last month was no exception. We received an article from John Martin and some photos from Jim Patillo about an Inspection Special ran by the Rock Island in conjunction with the Santa Fe back in 1975. Too bad the weather didn't cooperate, but what the hey, February's all can't be as mild as this last one! Jim didn't mind being out in the rain with his camera though, and caught the special led by No. 392, a freshly painted Geep 40 heading through Yukon, Oklahoma.

The article features photography by Jon Martin, who chased the train between Little Rock and Brinkley, Oklahoma and a sidebar by Bill Pollard concerning the competition between carriers through the Memphis Gateway.

We've got not just one, but two, modeling articles in the new RTR. Bob Massey and Joe Sindelar burned the midnight oil getting projects completed by deadline time. The depot at Marlow, Oklahoma is the subject of a scratch building article by Joe, while Bob reviews the latest RTR offering from ExactRail.

There's a photo essay about Englewood Station by Dick Gill complete with some of Bob Fredland's killer color photography. Shot back in the day, it is Classic Rock at it's best!

And for you Chicago guys, there's something that's been years in the making, or shall I say editing, an interview I had with Bob Barcus back in 2005. Bob was good enough to invite me into his home for a couple of hours of conversation that I recorded on tape. Editor Phil Weibler, distilled it into Part 1, and let me tell you, it is a great read. Bob's career spanned the steam era to Metra, and boy he shares some great stories.