Loads for a fertilizer blend plant

Color photo showing portion of three-bay covered hopper painted light orange.

Q: I have a question about one of the articles in your special issue Best of Industries. On page 16, Rich Cobb wrote about a fertilizer blend plant. Can you tell me what kind of loads a plant like this would receive? — Markus Russ A: We released that special-interest publication in 2021, so I […]

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News & Products for the week of January 6th 2025

A red model rolling stock snowplow

News & Products for the week of January 6th 2025   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 January 6th, […]

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Tangent HO Trinity 4750 covered hopper

Side view of HO scale three-bay covered hopper painted green on white background.

The Trinity Industries “Pullman-design” 4,750-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper is now available from Tangent Scale Models. Features on the HO scale car, designed from Pullman-Standard plans and field measurements, include road-specific details, Barber S-2 100-ton trucks with rotating bearing caps and separate brake beam detail, and Kadee scale couplers. Prototype history The Tangent model is […]

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Selecting N scale track

Black-and-white illustration showing different N scale rail sizes.

Q: I will be starting my first model railroad soon, a small N scale layout. I want to use code 55 track, but I’ve read mixed reviews about it. Do you have any suggestions, or should I stick with code 80 track? — Damien Bouchey A: When shopping for N scale track, you’ll see it […]

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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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How railroads identify buffer service cars

Color photo of HO scale covered hopper painted gray with black graphics.

Q: Although I’m an N scale modeler, I read the review of the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy HO scale buffer car on Trains.com. Reading the description brought up a question. Do railroads designate cars to dedicated buffer service? If so, how are these cars identified as used in buffer service only? — Perry A. Pollino […]

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News & Products for the week of September 9th 2024

A green and white model locomotive against a gray background

News & Products for the week of September 9th 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 September 9th […]

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News & Products for the week of September 3rd 2024

A black model steam locomotive

News & Products for the week of September 3rd 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 September 3rd […]

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News & Products for the week of August 26th 2024

A collection of model cabooses in various paint schemes

News & Products for the week of August 26th 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 August 26th […]

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News & Products for the week of April 22nd 2024

A model tank car in a white paint scheme with black lettering

News & Products for the week of April 22nd 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 April 22nd […]

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News & Products for the week of March 11th 2024

A model house structure with scenery

News & Products for the week of March 11th 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 March 11th […]

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Tangent Scale Models HO postwar boxcar

Color 3/4 view of HO scale boxcar painted brown with black and white graphics.

A line of Pullman-Standard Southern Pacific Lines 40’-6” postwar boxcars is now available from Tangent Scale Models. Designed from PS blueprints and field measurements of full-size cars, the HO scale models include prototype-specific details, new American Steel Foundries 50-ton A-3 Ride Control trucks, and Kadee scale couplers. The prototype Many railroads looked to improve their […]

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