Model Railroader Hall of Fame July nominees

A man with a wrench in front of a steam locomotive

It’s time for the next installment in the Model Railroader Hall of Fame series. If you didn’t now, we’re creating a hall of fame for the 90th anniversary year of Model Railroader. In order to be nominated for the hall of fame, a nominee must have made a significant contribution to the model railroading hobby […]

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The state of the model railroad industry

The 90th anniversary logo for Model Railroader

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “Model railroading is dying.” An adage seemingly as old as the hobby itself, right? That alone belies the truth of the statement. If it held any veracity, model railroading would be long dead, and I wouldn’t be writing this article, and you wouldn’t be reading it. It’s […]

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June 2024

The June 2024 cover of Model Railroader

Also in this issue: ON TRAINS.COM, pg. 6 The latest features on our website FROM THE EDITOR, pg. 8 The hobby to have when you’re having more than one NEWS AND PRODUCTS, pg. 10 Athearn Genesis HO scale GE AC4400CW reviewed, plus the latest new products RAILWAY POST OFFICE, pg. 16 Letters from our readers ASK […]

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News & Products for the week of June 3rd 2024

A model locomotive in a black paint scheme with yellow stripes

News & Products for the week of June 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 June 3rd 2024. […]

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Meet Larry Puckett

man wearing black shirt in front of model train layout

What was your first train set (or locomotive)? My big present for Christmas 1958 was a Lionel train set pulled by a Santa Fe F3a. It spent most of the time under my bed in an old suitcase. My brother and I would set it up and run trains in circles until we got bored […]

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5 layout improvement tips

Color photo of airbrush being used to weather HO scale track.

Regardless the size, model railroads require regular maintenance. Cleaning track, dusting scenery and structures, and maintaining equipment are just some of the things that require attention. Not keeping up on these tasks will lead to a layout that runs poorly, looks tired, and potentially cause you (and/or members of your operating crew) to lose interest. […]

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How do I get realistic sound in N scale locomotives?

A flat red plastic box sits atop a large black subwoofer enclosure

Q: I’m considering converting my N scale diesel fleet to DCC. I have a concern about getting realistic sound in N scale locomotives. On videos of model railroads I have watched, the diesel acceleration and running sound seems to feature the high-pitched whine of the diesel generators. When I railfan real diesels around the Pittsburgh […]

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Athearn HO scale GE P40DC

Screen grab of title screen from Product Review video.

The Athearn HO scale GE P40DC diesel locomotive is back, this time with new tooling and operating strobe lights. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he provides a brief history of Amtrak No. 813, points out the numerous details on the Genesis-series model, and demonstrates the sound and light functions. Then sit back and watch […]

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Broadway Limited N Reading T-1 4-8-4

Color photo of N scale steam locomotive on scenic base.

An unusual steam locomotive, born of wartime necessity, has joined Broadway Limited Imports’ N scale lineup. The Reading Co. class T-1 4-8-4 Northern, converted from 2-8-0 Consolidation locomotives near the end of World War II, mostly handled fast freight, but also pulled passenger and coal trains. In 1945, wartime restrictions kept Reading from buying new […]

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Build a yard office with an HO Atlas elevated gate tower

Model railroad building with yellow and red faded paint, as well as silver tweezer holding small red trim board.

While sifting through my “someday” project box, I found an old Atlas elevated gate tower.  I’ve had this little plastic structure since my earliest days in the hobby, but it’s been a number of years since I’ve used it on a layout. Despite its rough shape, I pulled it out of the box thinking it […]

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News & Products for the week of May 27th 2024

A model passenger car in a yellow and gray paint scheme

News & Products for the week of May 27th 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 May 27th […]

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Give your layout a summer vacation

Cold weather and limited train events keeping you indoors running trains? Well, we can relate. If you choose to give your favorite pastime a break for the summer to enjoy the weather with friends and family, then we suggest doing the following to ensure a smooth transition back into the hobby come those chilly, fall […]

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