News & Products for the week of November 25th 2024

News & Products for the week of November 25th 2024   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of November 25th […]

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Inside Trainfest 2024

Model steam locomotive on display

America’s largest operating model railroad show returned to Milwaukee over the weekend. After a 2023 hiatus, Trainfest 2024 was held Nov. 23-24 at the Baird Center, located in the downtown area. The center itself was recently renovated and featured 300,000-contiguous sq. ft. of exhibit space, with highlights from the show that included the following: Dozens […]

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A versatile Christmas train layout

A model train layout in a bay window

Every year starts with lights, and then trees. And upon the tree are decorations. Then there are tracks. And upon the tracks are trains. With the trains come happy children, followed by basement layouts. My grandkids have loved trains since before they could walk. The first train was a circle of track on the carpeted […]

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Atlas N scale GE B23-7

Title screen of product review video with N scale diesel locomotive on model railroad.

The Atlas N scale GE B23-7 is back in new paint schemes and road numbers. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the four-axle road unit and Conrail 1948; highlights the molded and factory-applied parts on the locomotive; and demonstrates the sound and light effects on the B23-7, […]

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InterMountain HO Trinity 5161 covered hopper

Color photo of HO scale covered hopper painted light gray on white background.

The Trinity 5,161-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper is a new addition to the InterMountain Railway Co. product range. The HO scale model has an injection-molded plastic body, InterMountain metal wheelsets, and body-mounted Kadee couplers. Prototype history Since making its debut in 1995, the Trinity 5161 has become one of the most common three-bay covered hoppers […]

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In Memoriam: John Tews

Color photo of man in yellow hat and shirt.

Longtime Trainfest executive director John Tews passed away on Oct. 10, 2024. He was 81 years old. John, a resident of Milwaukee suburb Sussex, Wis., since the mid-1960s, was a project manager for Wisconsin Electric for 35 years, retiring in 2006. His HO scale Timber River Ry. was featured in the January 1985, November 1992, […]

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What is a pool caboose?

Color photo of N scale caboose painted red, black, and silver.

Q: I recently ordered one of the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy N scale bay-window cabooses from Shop.Trains.com. What does the “P” on top of the bay window stand for? — R. Anderson A: The “P” indicates it’s a pool caboose, one not assigned to an individual conductor or specific crew. Former Senior Editor Jim Hediger […]

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N scale manual turnout control 

A yellow and blue Chessie System EMD diesel locomotive sits next to a switch stand facing the camera in an N scale yard

My N scale model railroad has about 50 mainline and storage track turnouts, all controlled by Tortoise by Circuitron motors and Digitrax SE8s for total control via Java Model Railroad Interface (JMRI) as well as manual local and via Digital Command Control with a DCC throttle. I’m adding another 30 to 40 or more turnouts […]

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5 tips for great rural scenery

A model grain elevator structure on a model railroad layout

Last month we took a look at modeling urban scenery. This time around, we’ll step back from the big city and focus on rural scenery. I spent my formative years in the Red River Valley of the North, which was dotted with small towns up and down the Minnesota and North Dakota sides of the […]

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News & Products for the week of November 18th 2024

A black and green model locomotive

News & Products for the week of November 18th 2024   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of November 18th […]

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