PIKO SmartControl Light HO ICE 3 train set Zooming by in a flash of red and pale gray, Deutsche Bahn (DB) Intercity-Express (ICE) trains are 21st century icons of high-speed rail travel in Germany and its surrounding countries. PIKO has upgraded its HO scale ICE 3 passenger train set to include the firm’s new SmartControl […]
Walthers HO scale Trinity two-bay covered hopper The Walthers car features separate end cages and brake appliances. A TrinityRail 39-foot, 3,281-cubic-foot-capacity two-bay covered hopper has been added to the WalthersMainline. The HO scale model is based on a contemporary freight car used to haul frac sand, roofing granules, cement, and other dense materials. Our sample […]
Rapido N scale New Haven 8600-series coach Price: $59.99 Manufacturer Rapido Trains Inc. 500 Alden Rd., Unit 21 Markham, Ont. L3R 5H5 Era: 1947 to 1988, depending on paint scheme Road names: New York, New Haven & Hartford (delivery with skirts, McGinnis with skirts, McGinnis without skirts); Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) without skirts; Penn […]
LocoFi board and pre-wired speaker Throttle app screenshot For those who don’t wish to convert a layout to Digital Command Control (DCC), LocoFi by WiFi Model Railroad provides an intriguing option for independent locomotive control as well as on-board sound. Unlike DCC, LocoFi doesn’t require additional layout components such as command stations, boosters, or conventional […]
Broadway Limited Imports N scale EMD F7 Electro-Motive Division’s F7, the most popular hood unit diesel ever made, is being offered in N scale with a little something extra – Broadway Limited Imports (BLI)’s Rolling Thunder. The subwoofer system turns the sounds generated by the model’s Paragon3 decoder into an earth-shaking experience. Broadway Limited’s N […]
Bachmann HO scale Sound Value GG1 GG1s have been riding the model rails almost as long as they did the prototype railroads. Bachmann Trains has added an HO scale model of Raymond Loewy’s Pennsylvania RR masterpiece to their Sound Value line. The dual-mode-decoder-equipped model operates with sound on direct-current (DC) and Digital Command Control (DCC) […]
Atlas Santa Fe class BX-177 boxcar in N, HO scales An Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe class BX-177 plug-door boxcar is now available in N and HO scales from Atlas Model Railroad Co. Don’t confuse this Master Line car with the BLMA (now Atlas) class BX-166 double-plug-door boxcar that I reviewed in the March 2016 […]
SPROG USA Pi-SPROG One DCC system Instead of conventional throttles, the Pi-SPROG relies on smartphones or tablets running throttle apps, such as WiThrottle (above) or Engine Driver. Android-based WiFi throttles, such as PIKO SmartControl or ESU CabControl, can also be used with the system. Raspberry Pi isn’t a tasty dessert. It’s an inexpensive, single-board computer […]
Athearn HO scale SD70ACe with Tsunami2 A skew-wound motor with brass flywheels is secured to the center of the die-cast metal frame. Plastic driveshafts power all 12 wheels, which also pick up current. In 1943, employees of the Union Pacific RR agreed to an extra deduction in their paychecks to buy War Bonds during World […]
Atlas O Pullman-Bradley coach Price: $139.95 Manufacturer Atlas O 378 Florence Ave. Hillside, NJ 07205 www.atlasrr.com Era: 1950 to 1968 (as decorated) Road names: New York, New Haven & Hartford; Boston & Maine; Kansas City Southern; Long Island Rail Road; and Southern Pacific. Four road numbers per scheme. Also available painted dark green with black […]
Bachmann N Sound Value Baldwin 2-8-0 It was only a few months ago – in the September 2018 issue – that we last reviewed a Baldwin 2-8-0 steam locomotive from Bachmann. But that was an HO scale model. Bachmann’s new Consolidation is an N scale model. This freight hauler is well detailed, nicely decorated, and […]
Amtrak’s ACS-64 Cities Sprinter has been rushing passengers up and down the Northeast Corridor for nearly five years, including a stretch not far from the Bachmann Industries headquarters in Philadelphia. Now you can add it to your layout with Bachmann’s latest sound-equipped HO scale release. The prototype. The Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS) 6,400kW (the -64 […]
