Kato N scale double-track set Price: $98 ManufacturerKato U.S.A., Inc. 100 Remington Road Schaumburg, IL 60173 www.katousa.com Description: click-together single-piece track and roadbed set Comments: Modelers planning an N scale layout now have more options with this new sectional track set from Kato. Part of the firm’s Unitrack line, set V11 features a double-track main […]
Athearn HO MP15AC diesel switcher The eagerly anticipated Athearn Genesis HO Electro-Motive Division MP15AC switcher is here, and its performance is worth the wait. This great-looking model is offered in a DC version without sound or with a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder that produces sound effects in either mode. These models have excellent […]
CVP Products’ new throttle Once you’ve run a layout with wireless throttles, it’s hard to imagine running trains any other way. One of the earliest manufacturers of wireless Digital Command Control (DCC) systems, CVP Products, has recently made some notable improvements to its already solid EasyDCC wireless throttles. Through the use of upgrade chips, which […]
Walthers N scale 0-8-0 In the steam era, an 0-8-0 shifting back and forth in a freight yard was a common sight on many North American railroads, and now an accurate depiction of such a yard goat is available in N scale. This Heritage Steam Collection by Walthers N scale United States Railway Administration (USRA) […]
Don’t miss these cosmetic fixes for the K-27! Dave Goodson To do this modification, you must lock #1 and #4 axles! Photo 1 shows the magnets in place (set them where you want them), and the screws pre-threaded into the lower firebox holes provided. Dave Goodson Photo 2 shows a Sierra reed attached to the […]
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Dave Goodson Note: These modifications are optional. They do not change the runability or performance of the locomotive. Modification #1: Front couplerThe couplers that come installed with some of these locomotives are short-shank units. The front coupler, if the jaw is open, has about a 1″ throw, side-to-side. With the jaw closed, it is about […]
While the reissue of Lionel’s no. 2551W outfit as a Postwar Celebration Series set did not include the no. 110 trestle set or any Super O track sections to assemble into the “Hairpin-Turn” configuration, this millennium version of that classic from 1960 is every bit as “super” as its predecessor. The Great Northern EP-5 electric-profile […]
During the original incarnation of the Industrial Rail line, one of the nicest products offered was that trolley car (see my review in the May 2001 issue). It was an authentic-looking, traditional-sized (O-27) model that ran quietly, had the popular bumper-activated reverse unit for point-to-point operation, and was offered in three paint schemes. Industrial Rail […]
Q: I know there are four variable voltage controls on my Lionel 275-watt ZW transformer, but how many trains can I effectively run at the same time? – D. O. A: The number of trains you can run with a ZW depends on the locomotives and what they’re pulling. Large steamers and dual-motored diesels use […]
When Editor Wrinn mentioned his idea for an upcoming editorial (“BNSF, CSX, Please Buy a Vowel,”page 4, February 2008), I was in total agreement. I mentioned to him that since we were going ahead and renaming BNSF to Great Western, why don’t I fix their paint scheme while I’m at it. Jim thought that an […]
