Old Iron Designs gladhands

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Kevin Strong 1:20.3-scale gladhands Old Iron Designs, LLC 203 Afton Ave. Trenton NJ 08618 Price: $20/package of 8 (enough for 4 cars) Website: www.oldirondesigns.com 1:20.3 scale, nickel-silver castings of air brake gladhands; magnetic connections; air hoses included; 1:32-scale version coming soon Pros: Highly detailed castings; prototypical operation; easy to install Cons: None Kevin Strong Kevin […]

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Piko 0-6-0 with DCC sound and control

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Kevin Strong Freelance gauge-1 0-6-0 with DCC sound and control Piko America, LLC 4610 Alvarado Canyon Road, Suite 5 San Diego CA 92120 Price: $469.99 (decoder available separately: $144.99) Website: www.piko-america.com Plastic, gauge 1, freelance, steam-outline 0-6-0; integrated DCC control and sound; also compatible with traditional analog DC track power; directional lights; whistle blows correct […]

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Proxxon miniature chop and miter saw

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Marc Horovitz Miniature chop and miter saw Proxxon Prox-Tech, Inc.   PO Box 1909 Hickory NC 28603 US Price: $310 Website: http://shop.prox-tech.com Miniature chop and miter saw (#KGS80); will cut non-ferrous metals, plastics, and wood, as supplied; swiveling table, indexable at 15° intervals; built-in work vise; built-in work stop for multiple cuts of the same […]

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Union Pacific Big Boy: The rebirth of a legend NEWSWIRE

4014 Pomona Lustig

Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4014 on display at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, Calif., in December 2012. David Lustig Through the 1940s and 1950s, Union Pacific’s 25 4-8-8-4 Big Boys symbolized powerful, big-time railroading in the wide-open American West. Now, Union Pacific is bringing one of these legendary locomotives, No. 4014, […]

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MR Product Review: Bachmann HO scale F7 with DCC and sound

Bachmann HO scale F7 with DCC and sound

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Bachmann’s latest addition to its Sound Value line is a Elctro-Motive Division F7A and F7B diesel locomotives. The models come with Digital Command Control sound decoders and can be run on DCC or DC layouts. Steven Otte takes a pair for a test […]

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Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad rejects grant NEWSWIRE

ABILENE, Kan. – A $500,000 grant from the federal government to repair a bridge on the Abilene & Smoky Valley tourist railroad has been rejected and returned to the government. The grant through the Kansas Department of Transportation was requested by the Dickinson County Commission to repair the railroad’s bridge across the Smoky Hill River. […]

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S gauge SD70ACe diesel by American Flyer (Lionel)

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In the September 2013 issue, I offered a critique of Lionel’s well-executed American Flyer passenger cars done in the postwar style. Although the cars were nicely made, their design followed the limited detailing of an older day, and so might not be up to par with a scale-detailed model railroader. This time we’ll examine an […]

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Bachmann HO scale F7A-B diesel locomotive

BachmannHOscaleF7ABdiesellocomotive

Bachmann HO scale F7A-B diesel locomotive The F7 diesel-electric locomotive has been a popular subject for scale modelers since it rolled out of General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division shops more than 60 years ago. Now Bachmann Trains is expanding its Sound Value line with F7A and F7B locomotives, each with ­dual-mode SoundTraxx Digital Command Control sound […]

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Walthers HO scale bi level commuter cars

WalthersHOscalebilevelcommutercars

Walthers HO scale bi-level commuter cars Initially offered about a decade ago, these HO scale bi-level cars have been retooled and upgraded to match Walthers’ other current passenger car models in every respect. They feature accurate molded and separate details as well as factory-installed lighting and an interior. The prototype. Bi-level commuter trains came to […]

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ExactRail HO scale center-beam flatcar

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ExactRail HO scale center-beam flatcar An HO scale center-beam bulkhead flatcar with injection-molded plastic, etched brass, and formed wire construction is the latest offering from ExactRail.   The Platinum Series model is based on a Thrall Car Manufacturing Co. prototype built in 1977. The center-beam bulkhead design proved popular with railroads, lumber companies, and receivers […]

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