Seven ways to uncouple model railroad train cars on track

Backtobasicsuncoupling1Jul2003

Seven ways to uncouple model railroad train cars on tracks: Automatic knuckle couplers look great, and they make coupling cars extremely easy – you simply push them together. However, when it comes to uncoupling, far too many of us rely on the hand from the sky method (also known as the 0-5-0 switcher), reaching in […]

Read More…

Five details you can add to transition-era cabooses

Black-and-white photo of steel caboose with rooftop antenna

We’ll take a look at five details you can add to transition-era cabooses. Some details are railroad-specific, while others apply to many railroads. When in doubt, refer to prototype photos. The steam-to-diesel transition era, roughly 1940 to 1960, is the most popular modeling era. There are several reasons for this. Many people who model this […]

Read More…

Adjusting coupler height on passenger cars

The height of a knuckle coupler on an HO scale passenger car is checked with a Kadee gauge.

It’s important to mount couplers at the correct height and to do so consistently on all cars. Because of their length, passenger cars magnify the chance for unwanted uncouplings when track isn’t perfectly level. Of course, having made the car height accurate, I don’t want to change that, so to adjust coupler height I move […]

Read More…

New model trains for the week of November 5, 2020

Accurail HO scale Milwaukee Road 40-foot ribbed-side double-door boxcar

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Diesel/Progress Rail SD70ACU diesel locomotive. Canadian Pacific (red with monochrome beaver herald and maroon-and-gray heritage scheme with script lettering in two road numbers each; Army Arid Regions and Navy schemes in one number each) and Norfolk Southern (Thoroughbred scheme, four numbers). Prototype-specific details, light-emitting-diode headlights, and wire grab irons. Direct-current model […]

Read More…

Quick Look: Kadee HO scale early PS-1 boxcar

MRRPR0719_10

Kadee HO scale early PS-1 boxcar Price: $39.95 Manufacturer Kadee Quality Products Co. 673 Ave. C White City, OR 97503-1078 www.kadee.com Era: 1947 to 1980s Road names: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; New York Central; New York, New Haven & Hartford (with 7-foot door); Southern Ry.; and Union Pacific Comments: Kadee has released an early-production […]

Read More…

Quick Look: Bachmann HO scale bay window caboose

MRRPR0718_08

Bachmann HO scale bay window caboose Price: $59 Manufacturer Bachmann Trains 1400 E. Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19124 www.bachmanntrains.com Era: 1952 to 1964 (as decorated) Comments: For those who want to add variety to their caboose fleets, these HO scale bay-window cabooses from Bachmann Trains are worth a look. The plastic models are built with […]

Read More…

Kadee HO boxcar

Kadee HO boxcar with a working cushion underframe An operating cushion underframe is a great new feature that Kadee has incorporated into its HO scale line of Pullman-Standard 50-foot PS-1 boxcars. The characteristic extensions of the car’s sliding center sill make this distinctive model easy to spot anywhere. Cushion underframes have been around since the […]

Read More…

An MR quick look: Kadee HO scale whisker couplers

Kadee HO scale whisker couplers

Kadee HO scale whisker couplers Price: $3.95 (2 pair)ManufacturerKadee Quality Products Co.673 Avenue CWhite City, OR 97503-1078www.kadee.comDescription: all-metal scale-size HO knuckle couplersComments: Three new scale-size couplers featuring an easy-to-install one-piece design are now available in HO. Kadee whisker couplers come in 1/4″ short shank (no. 153), 9/32″ medium shank (no. 156), and 25/64″ long shank […]

Read More…

Kadee HO scale PS-2 two-bay covered hopper is superbly done

Kadee HO scale PS-2 two-bay covered hopper

Kadee HO scale PS-2 two-bay covered hopper The roof hatches can be opened. The molded ladder rungs measure only a scale 1″ in diameter HO PS-2 covered hopper is superbly done A great-looking Clinchfield 70-ton covered hopper is the first model introduced in Kadee’s new line of Pullman-Standard PS-2 two-bay covered hoppers. It comes ready […]

Read More…