Facts & features Name: Adamsville Branchline Scale: N (1:160) Size: 3′-3″ x 3′-6″ Prototypes: Freelanced Locale: New England Era: Steam-to-diesel transition era Style: Island Mainline run: 13 feet Minimum radius: 9.5″ Minimum turnout: No. 4 Maximum grade: 2% Benchwork: 1 x 2 open grid Height: 8″ Roadbed: Cork Track: Atlas code 80 flextrack Scenery: Cardboard […]
The Atlas O Premier Snow Plow is here, and just in time for winter! It seems like whenever a fresh delivery of blue Atlas boxes hits the hobby shop shelves it’s like Christmas morning. I feel this way for two reasons: first, Atlas produces some of the finest rolling stock in the industry; and second, […]
The EMD NW3 locomotive was the builder’s first entry into the eventually lucrative road switcher category, although it was intended as a passenger terminal switcher. Locomotive builders can be inconsistent when it comes to aesthetics. EMD, which on one hand could create stylish, wind-splitting passenger units would, if the situation warranted, produce some […]
The 4-6-6-4 Challenger was the most successful articulated steam locomotive design. Rating steam locomotives is a risky business. You might easily compare engines by weight or length or lists of accessories, but actual performance — judged by the engineering standards of 2023 — is somewhat subjective. It would be an exaggeration to say […]
Months ago, when the MR staff started talking about more toxic chemicals used on model railroads of the past, I had no idea there would be such a list of them! While hobbyists needed to be creative to get the job done, sadly, some of their choices were unsafe. In some cases, the chemicals were […]
The Lionel Legacy 0-6-0 switcher has a great feature set for a steam engine this small. Strasburg Rail Road’s No. 31 has immortalized in this run of the locomotive. Really, the hype for the heritage railway was the story of the Lionel 2021 Volume 2 catalog, all courtesy of the brass-hybrid offering of 2-10-0 No. […]
In model railroad snow plow rolling stock round-up, we thought it would be fun to take a look at models of snow fighting equipment available in N, HO, and O scales. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Rather, it’s a look at some of the ready-to-run models and a few kits that […]
The Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A has finally arrived, fresh from the Volume 1 2022 Lionel catalog. I have to say, this beautiful steam locomotive does not disappoint! This isn’t a rehash of the previous 2-6-6-4 model available in the Volume 1 2000 catalog. Thanks to all-new tooling, this engine is fresh […]
Looking at old Model Railroader back issues, I found poisonous model railroad materials. I give those hobbyists a lot of credit; you couldn’t drive over to the hobby store and pick up ground cover or resin to make a water feature. You often used materials from the hardware store, or whatever you had on hand. […]
Rapido United States Railroad Administration single-sheathed boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $49.95; six-pack, $299.70 Era: 1918+ Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com United States Railroad Administration single-sheathed boxcar features: New tooling Details including roof and handbrake KC or AB brakes as appropriate Wood or […]
Western Pacific Italian Red Bean salad is a quick and easy side dish to share at any event. It’s best made the night before, so the beans can marinate for the most flavor. This recipe is easily adaptable based on your preferences and what may be on hand in your fridge. The published recipe didn’t […]
United States Railroad Administration “clone” boxcar from Rapido Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $49.95; three-pack, $149.85; six-pack, $299.70 Era: 1920+ (depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com United States Railroad Administration “clone” boxcar features: New tooling KC or AB brakes as appropriate Murphy […]
