Rapido Trains HO Enterprise covered hopper

Color photo showing B end of HO scale two-bay covered hopper painted gray with black graphics on white background

Rapido Trains HO Enterprise covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $54.95; three-pack, $164.85; and six-pack, $329.70 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido Trains HO Enterprise covered hopper features: Designed from original blueprints and field measurements Detailed body and underframe Canadian National and New York Central versions available […]

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The HO scale Cincinnati Traction layout

A model railroad track plan for the Cincinnati street railway layout

Facts and features Name: Cincinnati Traction Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 2′-6″ x 14′-6″ Prototype: Cincinnati Street Ry. (city streetcars) and Cincinnati & Lake Erie (interurban) Locale: Cincinnati, Ohio Era: 1930s and ’40s Style: shelf Mainline run: Approximately 24 feet (dogbone on interurban rapid transit line) Minimum radius: 7″ on streetcar line, 11″ on interurban rapid […]

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The HO scale Pennsylvania RR Panhandle Division

A model railroad track plan for the Pennsylvania railroad panhandle division layout

Facts and features Name: Pennsylvania RR Panhandle Division Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 25 x 41 feet Prototype: Pennsylvania RR Locale: eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and West Virginia panhandle Era: late 1940s and early 1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 150 feet Minimum radius: 36″ (main), 24″ (branch) Minimum turnout: No. 6 (main), No. 5 (branch) Maximum […]

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Mark Albert’s Cincinnati Traction in HO scale

Dive into the captivating world of Cincinnati’s traction history with Mark Albert’s stunning HO scale model railroad! Originally built to travel to train shows, this layout, presented in the October 2025 issue of Model Railroader magazine, has found its permanent home, allowing for incredible new details and enhancements. Explore intricately modeled street scenes complete with […]

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WalthersProto HO Amtrak Viewliner I sleeper

Color photo showing vestibule end of HO scale modern passenger car with metal finish; tinted windows; and red, white, and blue graphics.

WalthersProto HO Amtrak Viewliner I sleeper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Unlighted, $109.98; lighted, $124.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersProto HO Amtrak Viewliner I sleeper features: 36” metal wheels on plastic axles Detailed underbody with air and waste tanks, battery and equipment boxes, HVAC ducts, transformer […]

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Rapido HO Alco PA1 and PB1 diesels

Color photo showing nose of HO scale six-axle cab unit painted gray, maroon, and yellow with black roof, trucks, and fuel tank on white background

Rapido HO Alco PA1 and PB1 diesels Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single A unit — without sound, $239.95; with ESU LokSound V5 decoder, $349.95. A-A and A-B sets — without sound, $459.90; with ESU LokSound V5 decoder, $669.90 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido Trains HO Alco PA1 and […]

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Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 28 | Creating a realistic river

In this episode, David Popp builds out a river with rapids and waterfalls for his Olympia & Sand Creek On30 logging layout. He gets things started by sharing his proven method for installing styrene dams to contain the resin “water” pour. Next, David focuses on creating the riverbed with a mix of sand, rock, and earth. […]

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News & Products for the week of September 8th 2025

A yellow blue and orange model caboose

News & Products for the week of September 8th 2025   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 September 8th, […]

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WalthersMainline HO 40-foot wood stockcar

Color photo showing B end of HO scale stockcar painted black with white graphics on white background

WalthersMainline HO 40-foot wood stockcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $31.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Features on WalthersMainline HO 40-foot wood stockcar: 33” metal wheels All-new tooling Auxiliary, emergency, and brake cylinder pipes Body-mounted Proto-Max metal couplers Detailed underbody with factory-applied air reservoir, brake cylinder, and […]

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East Troy Industrial Park, Ep. 21 | Building Mainline Bridges

Enthusiasts of railroad engineering will enjoy this helpful, instruction episode, which details how to build and install bridges and abutments on a model train layout. Following the Canadian National prototype, this video focuses on a 70-foot single-track deck girder bridge and a 30-foot single-track through girder bridge. Learn how to properly use a Walthers bridge […]

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Curt LaRue’s PRR Panhandle Division in HO scale

Embark on an epic journey back to the late 1940s and early ’50s, as depicted on Curt LaRue’s HO scale (1:87.1) Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle Division! Originally presented in the October 2025 issue of Model Railroader magazine, this stunning layout comes to life as cameras capture various modeled rural and industrial sites along the multi-track mainline […]

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Sources for modern vehicles

Color photo showing two N scale railroad trucks painted green with black graphics.

Q: I would like to feature modern automobiles on my currently under construction layout. Is there a manufacturer that makes vehicles from the late 1990s to modern day? If not, is there any way to make them? — Jake, via email A: You didn’t specify your modeling scale, Jake, but there are multiple sources for […]

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