Kevin Strong Rubber roadbedLGB of America6444 Nancy Ridge DriveSan Diego CA 92121Price: $7.99/sectionWeb site: www.lgb.com 300mm (1′) rubber roadbed (# 61000) to match LGB 1′ sectional straight track (other roadbed sections are available to match all of LGB’s other track sections). Dimensions: Length, 300mm (approx. 1′); width, 138mm (5½”); height, 15mm (5/8″)Pros: Durable; crisp “ballast” […]
Marc Horovitz 1:20.3-scale figuresRailroad Avenue Model WorksBox 550Willits CA 95490Price $12 each + $6 s&h (minimum qty. for direct order: four)Web site: www.railroadavenue.com Cast resin, fully painted figures in 1:20.3 scale; eight currently available, all menPros: Well proportioned; interesting poses; subdued, realistic colors; figures are “weathered” for greater realismCons: Lips a little too red; some […]
Vance Bass Servo bracket unit for Accucraft RubyElectronic Model Systems22605 East La Palma Avenue, Ste. 516Yorba Linda CA 92887Price: $129 + shippingWeb site: www.rc-steamers.com Anodized aluminum bracket; two micro-servos; mounting hardware; mounts in Ruby cabPros: Compact unit makes easy work of installing R/C servos in a Ruby live-steam locomotive; elegant, sturdy, and attractive packageCons: None […]
Tower 55 HO GE ES44AC This superbly detailed model of a General Electric ES44AC heavyduty road diesel is the initial offering in a new line of HO plastic locomotives from Tower 55. Tower 55 is a subsidiary of Overland Models, a manufacturer of brass locomotives and rolling stock. The Explorer-series locomotive reviewed here includes an […]
Atlas HO scale EMD MP15 Here’s a great looking, smooth-running model of Electro-Motive Division’s versatile MP15 heavy-duty yard switcher. At first glance it may look like any other EMD switcher, but this one is a hauler capable of moving up to 42 free-rolling cars on straight, level track. Atlas offers the MP15 in a Silver-series […]
Con-Cor N scale Zephyr An excellent replica of a famous early streamlined passenger train – the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy’s Zephyr is now available in N scale. The drawbar-coupled, articulated three-car model combines fine detail, clever construction, and jaw-dropping performance – our sample crept at just 1 mph! The train. A joint project by the […]
THE Q1 DUPLEX 4-6-4-4 is a footnote to the Pennsylvania Railroad’s efforts to improve the performance of its M1-class locomotives. The railroad’s question: “Could a duplex-drive locomotive perform better than the railroad’s M1-class locomotive?” The answer was “yes, but…” The Q1 was completed in May 1942. Unfortunately, wartime restrictions limited the development of the new […]
ON REAL RAILROADS, signal lights tell locomotive engineers what’s ahead, how fast to proceed, when to stop, when to go, and the position of a track switch. Pretty simple stuff, right? Yes, but in real railroading this basic concept also is applied in layers – envision the signaling on a bi-directional main line with plenty […]
ATLAS O IS OFFERING a rugged rendition of one of the stalwart diesels of the second-generation period – the GP35. The EMD GP35 was a prominent and reliable player in the game against General Electric and Alco for control of the U.S. locomotive market. The 2,500-horsepower, four-axle locomotives were built from October 1963 through January […]
THE ROYAL SCOT is British manufacturer Bassett-Lowke’s latest modern re-creation of one of its own classic prewar O gauge locomotives. The London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) created the Royal Scot to boost its express service in the competitive London-to-Glasgow passenger market. The first batch of 50 engines was ordered from the North British Locomotive […]
WHO HASN’T HAD the daydream? You buy the local branch line railroad and find a small switcher, and next thing you know, you’re the Commodore Vanderbilt of your town. But if your dream came true, chances are that your business plan (and wallet) would probably call for an industrial switcher, not an SD90MAC diesel. Industrial […]
SOMETIMES O GAUGE products hit the market that aren’t quite as practical as you might first believe, but nevertheless score a 10 on the “Neat-Oh”scale. The K-Line operating voltmeter car is one of those products. The voltmeter car is exactly that: a boxcar that reads track voltage. While the model rolls along, an analog meter […]
