Collectibles

 

Microsoft Train Simulator
Train Simulator takes the obsessive realism of Microsoft's best-of-breed Flight Simulator games down to earth. Six real-world rail lines are included from throughout history, including the Flying Scotsman line of 1920s England and the modern Odakyu Electric Rail commuter line in Tokyo. Attendees at the National Model Railroad Association's August 2000 convention marveled at the game's painstaking attention to detail. But this game is not a model railroad game; it simulates the real thing. The game's developers traveled across the world with cameras and microphones in order to authentically capture the trains in their natural habitats. Train Simulator lets you experience the world's greatest trains in all their glory. For Windows 95/98/Me/2000. Amazon.com

 

Railroad Tycoon 2 Gold
Railroad Tycoon 2 puts players in control of 34 types of cargo cars and 51 train engines from around the world. Players can span the ages from 1804 to beyond 2000 while establishing transportation empires and outmaneuvering robber barons. Scenarios allow for worldwide exploration and expansion. A sophisticated economy and stock market let players test their entrepreneurial prowess.

Features:

  • 34 different cargo cars
  • 51 different engines from around the world
  • 1024 x 768 16-bit graphic engine
  • S3-D engine renders up to 300,000 polygons
  • Zooming and rotating viewpoints

Pros:

  • Complete, realistic business model
  • Fascinating historical simulation
  • Plethora of cars, engines, and towns
  • Great use of visuals and sounds

Cons:

  • Track laying is needlessly tricky
  • Manual is weak in some areas

Windows 95/98/Me/2000. Amazon.com

 

Railroad Tycoon 2 Platinum
Get in on the good old days of cigar-chomping, market-cornering capitalism with Railroad Tycoon 2. The rich realism of this simulation will absorb you in the worlds of transportation and communication from 1804 to 2020 -- the early days of steam to tomorrow's bullet trains. Play any of 40 different chairmen at different times and places, hire managers with different skills and abilities, pay attention to the economy and stock market, and bully the competition into the history books as you keep the trains running on time. The graphics are splendid, and the details you must keep up with are realistic and challenging, creating an engaging game system that keeps you entertained for hours at a time.

Windows 95/98/Me/2000. Amazon.com

 

Railroad Tycoon 2: Second Century Expansion Pack

Features:

  • New buildings, weapons plants, army barracks, and a distillery
  • New train engines such as the French TGV, Eurostar, and the Brenner 412
  • New cars such as Metra passenger cars, troop transports, and weapons flatbeds
  • New architectural elements such as suspension bridges
  • Multiplayer mode

Windows 95/98/Me/2000. Amazon.com

 

Greenberg's Wiring Your Lionel Layout: A Primer for Lionel Train Enthusiasts, by Peter H. Riddle
Shows how to wire a basic Lionel layout. Explains standard electrical principles and recommends tools and supplies. Includes detailed photos and diagrams for powering track, operating accessories, and troubleshooting circuits. 80 pages. Paperback. Amazon.com

 

Rails Across America

Windows 95/98/Me/2000. Amazon.com

 

Express: The Railroad Card Game
Express is as easy to learn as rummy. Players start with a one-car train and build on their meld to maximize points and bonuses. But players must be wary of train wrecks and derailments. Unique play allows partners to pass key cards to each other during the game. Amazon.com

 

222 Tips for Building Model Railroad Structures (Model Railroad Handbook, No. 34), by Dave Frary, Michael Emmerich
Expert tips and techniques for building plastic, wood, plaster, paper, and metal structures. Includes roofing, painting, weathering, and detailing information. 64 pages. Paperback. Amazon.com

0890242895 

How to Build Model Railroad Benchwork, by Linn Hanson Westcott and Rick Selby
Demonstrates how to plan and build the basic framework to support layouts of any size, shape or gauge. 80 pages. Paperback. Amazon.com

 

American Shortline Railway Guide: Facts, Figures, and Locomotive Rosters for over 500 Short Lines (Railroad Reference Series , No 17), by Edward A Lewis, George H. Drury
Lists nearly 600 shortline and regional railroads in the United States and Canada. Includes line history, locations, radio frequencies, and locomotive data. 368 pages. Paperback. Amazon.com

 

48 Top-Notch Track Plans: From Model Railroader Magazine (Model Railroad Handbook, No 39), by Bob Hayden
These outstanding track plans are designed to work in any amount of space or scale preference, including HO (HOn21/2 and HOn3), O, S, N, and Z scale. Includes photographs, diagrams and materials listed for plans ranging from small modules to room-size layouts. 120 pages. Paperback. Amazon.com

 

Realistic Animation, Lighting, and Sound: 21 Projects for Your Model Railroad , by Kent J. Johnson
Model railroaders can add more realism to the operation of their layouts with animated accessories, lighting, and sound. These simple projects are easy to implement and don't require complicated circuitry. Step-by-step instructions and color photos or illustrations demonstrate the featured effects in each chapter. 80 pages. Paperback. Amazon.com

 

HO Railroad From Start to Finish (Model Railroad Handbook, No 36), by Jim Kelly
Provides the construction steps for building a walkaround 4 x 8 layout. Photographs, diagrams, and helful instructions show how to construct benchwork and scenery, lay track, build detailed structures, weather freight cars, and more. 88 pages. Paperback. Amazon.com

 

Gilbert American Flyer Instruction Book, by A.C. Gilbert Company
It provides complete and detailed instructions on the use and maintenance of an American Flyer train layout, with sections on track assembly, train operation, accessories, wiring, the transformer, locomotive maintenance and train care. 52 pages. Paperback. Amazon.com