Back in the day the postwar-style GG! was an impressive model of the nation’s premier electric-profile locomotive. This Lionel model is a well-made rendering of a postwar icon. […]
Section: Reviews
O gauge GP7 by Atlas O
you want an all-round utility engine that looks great, performs better, and can do every job from commuter hauler to work train, the Atlas O GP7 is the locomotive for you. […]
Mantua HO scale Union Pacific 4-6-2 Pacific
David Schoedel photo This is a very nice engine made by Mantua. It has a black die-cast metal shell and a working headlight. It is very heavy so naturally, it pulls a ton! It also has electrical pickups in the tender and a working valve gear. It does unfortunately take a lot of power to […]
Bachmann Spectrum 2-10-2 Steam engine Southern #5224
I recently purchased this product, and to be honest, it is one of the best 2-10-2 models ever made by Bachmann. The model features directional lighting and is equipped with a DCC decoder for compatibility with a DCC Controller. It also has unique drive rod connections on the wheels. I recently gave it a break-in […]
Kato N Scale SD70ACe Rio Grande Heritage
I just received my new (and long anticipated) Kato N scale SD70 ACe D&RGW Heritage locomotive. I am truly impressed with the detail. The locomotive has flawless paintwork, crisp decaling and runs like a dream with the Kato five-pole motor with dual brass flywheels. This locomotive comes prototypically accurate with bolsterless non-radial HTSC truck and […]
Bachmann HO scale 44- and 70-ton switchers
Bachmann HO scale 44- and 70-ton switchers Price: $75 (44-ton), $69 (70-ton)Manufacturer: Bachmann TrainsRoad names: 44 ton: Boston & Maine, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Pennsylvania. Painted/unlettered versions: Yellow with black stripes (pictured), black, green with yellow handrails. 70 ton: Bethlehem Steel, Louisville & Nashville, Southern Pacific, all two road numbers each. Painted but unlettered […]
Bachmann HO scale 45-ton switcher
Bachmann HO scale 45-ton switcher Operating siderods and smooth slow-speed performance highlight this HO scale General Electric 45-ton industrial switcher. Part of Bachmann’s Spectrum series, the HO 45-tonner features die-cast metal construction and a dual-mode Digital Command Control decoder that operates on DC and DCC layouts. Prototype. General Electric built 475 45-ton switchers for North […]
Summit Models HO scale Jack in the Box
Summit Models HO scale Jack in the Box Price: $69.95ManufacturerSummit USA LLC512 Ford St.Lake Charles, LA 70601www.summit-customcuts.comEra: presentComments: Nothing says modern America like fast food, and now you can have a contemporary burger joint on your HO scale layout. Jack in the Box is a laser-milled styrene structure kit that includes drive-through menu boards, clear […]
Atlas O EMD GP7 diesel locomotive
Atlas O EMD GP7 diesel locomotive Here’s a brand new model of Electro-Motive Division’s classic GP7 road switcher, and it’s a beauty. It combines the utilitarian look of the prototype with a powerful mechanism that’s suitable for nearly any assignment. Manufactured by Atlas O, this well-detailed locomotive is offered ready-to-run with a factory-installed QSI sound […]
M.T.H. Electric Trains HO scale 60-foot flatcar
M.T.H. Electric Trains HO scale 60-foot flatcar A nicely detailed reproduction of a 60-foot flatcar is M.T.H. Electric Trains’ first entry into the HO scale freight car market. The MTH car is based on a prototype Pullman-Standard built in the 1960s and ’70s for Trailer Train, and accurately matches photos and dimensions printed in the […]
Athearn DCC-sound-equipped N scale F45
Athearn DCC-sound-equipped N scale F45 Price: $199.98ManufacturerAthearn Trains1550 Glenn Curtiss St.Carson, CA 90746www.athearn.comEra: 1966 to 1990sComments: I reviewed the DC-only Athearn N scale F45 and FP45 in the February 2009 issue. This DCC version includes a dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Command Control decoder. The decoder and a single downward-facing speaker are on top of the […]
Lionel’s new O gauge “Thunderbird” train set
Below, you can watch a streaming video of this “Blast from the Past” as Lionel revisits the olden days with the O gauge “Thunderbird” set, part of the “Lionel Postwar Authentics – Conventional Classics” series. […]