Athearn N 45-foot Fruehauf trailer Scale: N (1:160) Price: $31.99 Era: 1970s to 2000s Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn N 45-foot Fruehauf trailer features: Factory-applied mud flaps Factory-printed builder’s plates on sides and ends Free-rolling plastic tire and wheel assemblies One-piece injection-molded plastic body Red rear-facing lights and […]
I began collecting O and 027 gauge trains in middle school. Like many toy train enthusiasts, the trains were eventually packed away for various reasons. Years later, I unpacked my Lionel and Marx collection. It had been a long time since I had seen these trains. I unpacked mostly postwar and modern 2-4-2 outline steam […]
With the sun just about to set, Charlie Comstock photographed a Southern Pacific local switching cars in Jallen. The workload is pretty light, so SD7 no. 5327 will be sufficient power for today’s train. Charlie, of Hillsboro, Ore., took the photo outdoors on his HO scale Timesaver switching layout. Model Railroader‘s Photo of the Day […]
News & Products for the week of May 26th 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 May 26th, […]
Railroads spend a lot of time worrying about clearances. One low bridge or a narrow tunnel will limit the kinds of cars able to move across that line. To sort out which cars can operate on a given line, the Association of American Railroads categorizes freight cars based on their outside dimensions. The AAR cross-section […]
WORTHINGTON, Ohio — The 2025 National Train Day on May 10 became the perfect opportunity for the Ohio Railway Museum (ORM) to unveil its plans for the future. In a presentation by ORM President William (Bill) DeVelin, the new development plan titled “Vision for the Future” showcased an initiative to revitalize both the current and […]
A look at international rail news of note: ‘Locomotion’ set for Greatest Gathering Locomotion No. 1, the first steam locomotive to operate on a public railway, has been added to the equipment slated to appear at ‘The Greatest Gathering,’ the three-day festival of historic equipment that is part of the United Kingdom’s Railway 200 celebration. […]
Walthers HO 50-foot single-door boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Era: post-World War II to 1980s Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO 50-foot single-door boxcar features: 4-3-1 improved Dreadnaught ends 7-run side and end ladders 8’-0” Youngstown doors 8-panel riveted car sides 33” turned-metal wheelsets […]
JUNEAU, Alaska — A resolution calling for federal funding for two extensions of the Alaska Railroad network is dead for this year after failing to advance out of a Senate committee. The Senate Rules Committee voted 14-6 on May 20 against advancing House Joint Resolution 14. Features of the resolution include a call for the […]
[…]
Lucius Beebe was a major figure in railroad literature and photography for nearly three decades, but contemporary readers might be amazed at just how far his reputation spread beyond railroading. He could have starred in the old TV show, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” Beebe was born Dec. 9, 1902, in Wakefield, Mass. His […]
WASHINGTON — Minnesota Republicans in the House of Representatives on Friday (May 23) announced an effort to eliminate federal funding for three rail programs: the Northstar commuter service; Blue Line light rail extension in the Twin Cities, and the proposed Northern Light Express between the Twin Cities and Duluth. The four legislators — Tom Emmer […]
