“Dead Rail” or “Power on Board” — no matter what you call it, the concept is the same: a model locomotive that carries its own power source. This eliminates the need for alternating or direct current track power, along with multiple headaches such as short circuiting, dead frogs, and dirty rails. Rechargeable batteries have become […]
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The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) announces a Lionel custom-run train set for their members. The set includes an FT A unit diesel locomotive, Crocker coach car, Phelps dome car, and a Hopkins observation car, all decorated in Southern Pacific “black widow” paint scheme. The locomotive features Bluetooth, Lionel Voice Control, Voice Streaming and […]
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It was a sad day when those 1950s E7, E8, and assorted FP units reached the point where they were clearly reaching the end of their operational life. Their long car bodies and gentle curved noses symbolized North American passenger train travel. Both EMD and General Electric offered replacement models with varied results. The best […]
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News & Products for the week of December 8th 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 December 8th, 2025. […]
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Milwaukee and model railroading share deep, historic ties. Model Railroader Magazine, Wm. K. Walthers, Inc., and the National Model Railroad Association all had their humble beginnings in the beer city. This rich heritage has fostered a healthy and diverse group of model railroad clubs throughout Southeast Wisconsin that are still active today. Finding these clubs […]
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This end of year episode of Cody’s Office is packed with new products, a helpful modeling tip, and answers to viewer mail questions. Senior Editor Cody Grivno begins by showcasing the latest from Bachmann Trains–a Trinity 5161 cubic foot capacity, three bay covered hopper in HO scale, which retails for $59. Next, he spotlights the […]
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This end of year episode of Cody’s Office is packed with new products, a helpful modeling tip, and answers to viewer mail questions. Senior Editor Cody Grivno begins by showcasing the latest from Bachmann Trains–a Trinity 5161 cubic foot capacity, three bay covered hopper in HO scale, which retails for $59. Next, he spotlights the […]
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News & Products for the week of December 1st 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 December 1st, 2025. […]
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In the December 2006 issue of Classic Toy Trains, then-Editor Neil Besougloff presented his design for a “three times around the tree” layout. It has since become a favorite with many readers and has inspired several holiday layouts. We’re presenting Neil’s original plan, featuring Lionel O-42 tubular track curves, a tunnel, and a 45-degree crossing. […]
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Locomotives & rolling stock Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, has an Operating Log Dump Car as part of the Premier line. The car includes an operating dump mechanism, a load of logs, and O-31 operation (3001968 shown). Requires one piece of No. 6097 Accessory Rails track for operation (not […]
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Menards has released an accessory that just about any layout, big or small, could use: concrete blocks. Each package contains 100 pieces of scaled blocks measuring 1¾” x ¾” x ¾”. A standard size block measures a nominal 8” x 8” x 16”, with an actual size of 15⅝” x 7⅝” x 7⅝”. At 1:48 […]
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News & Products for the week of November 24th 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 November 24th, […]
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