Home Page Photo

Great Northern 2-8-2 Mikado #2549 in a handsome green, black, and red paint scheme, is heading east bound with a string of Western Fruit Express reefers in tow. The action was captured on Steve Lunde's layout.

The steam engine is a Lionel 2-8-2 which Steve repainted and decorated for the GN. He also converted its wheels to scale by turning down the wheel flanges. The tender is a brass model produced by SouthWind Models that Steve painted and decorated as well. The reefers are built from Pacific Rail Shops kits. The plate girder bridge is an S-scale model by Bark River Models.

In the background, the passenger train is the west bound Empire Builder pulled by an FP7 A-B consist.

These engines are from American Models. The main span for the west bound upper bridge is a Walther's HO-scale kit, while the girder bridge on the short approach span is by banta modelworks.

This photo is featured in the NASG's inside-the-cover ad of the August 2026 Railroad Model Craftsman magazine.

This RMC issue also features an article by Brooks Stover about how he modeled the same engine with two different paint schemes by simply swapping the shells.

Also featured is an article by S-scale modeler Trevor Marshall about how he integrates audio into the scenery of his layout.

Explore Further