Meet Jim Providenza

Man in plaid shirt stands near HO scale layout

Meet Jim Providenza What was your first train set (or locomotive)? Our family had a Lionel train set that we set up around the Christmas tree each year. At about age 10, it moved onto a sheet of plywood on the floor of the “playroom” on a semi-permanent basis. In 7th grade my parents agreed […]

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Meet Mark Bottrill

blue model train on a garden railway

Meet Mark Bottrill In a paragraph, how did you get started in the hobby? Despite being a lifelong railfan, I had no knowledge of large scale or US garden trains prior to 2003. This changed when I saw a screensaver on the computer monitor of a USAF Major I met while serving in the military […]

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Preview April and May Garden Railways content

man on garden railroad near sculpture of human head

Preview April and May Garden Railways content While we may no longer be printing Garden Railways magazine, we’re adding new content to Trains.com every week! Here’s a few recent items, and a preview of what’s coming in the next month. Become a Trains.com member so you don’t miss any of this great content! Kitbash a […]

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News & Products for the week of March 27th 2023

News & Products for the week of March 27th 2023: An image of a model locomotive

News & Products for the week of March 27th 2023 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 March 27th 2023. […]

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In Memoriam: LaVerne F. Bleifuss

Photo of man wearing necktie with model trains in foreground.

LaVerne F. (Vern) Bleifuss, former art director for Model Railroader magazine, died on March 1, 2023. He was 87 years old. LaVerne was born April 30, 1935 in the village of Summit, Wis. After graduation from Oconomowoc High School, he attended the Layton School of Art, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree. Following his honorable […]

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The man behind The Fabelmans and its Lionel trains

The Fablemans Lionel Trains

The Fabelmans’ Lionel trains have been the subject of some speculation lately. You may have recently seen the semi-biopic about Steven Spielberg’s life and wondered about the company that provided them. The movie was recently nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. The man responsible for the toy train magic is Gary Rushton, owner of […]

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News & Products for the week of March 20th 2023

News & Products for the week of March 20th 2023: An image of a model locomotive

News & Products for the week of March 20th 2023 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 March 20th 2023. […]

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In Memoriam: Malcolm Furlow

Color photo of man on horseback

Malcolm Furlow, noted model railroader and artist, died in early March from the effects of long COVID. He was 77 years old. Though Malcolm had an American Flyer train set as a child, he didn’t become interested in model railroading until later in life. Malcolm attended the University of Texas to pursue an art degree. […]

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Preview Model Railroader March and April content

Several skeleton log car models on a workbench

Preview Model Railroader March and April content We’ve added lots of great content to Trains.com. Here are recent highlights, and get a preview of some of the projects coming in April. Become a member today so you don’t miss any of these items!   Five finds from model railroad swap meets Swap meets are a […]

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RBP Trains, Trainworld team for custom locomotive

RBP Trains Trainworld custom Katy locomotive

Having your own YouTube channel is a cool thing. Getting your own custom-decorated locomotive is also pretty spectacular. Trainworld, in conjunction with Chris Raines, the creator behind YouTube toy-train channel RBP Trains, is producing a Lionel Legacy ES44AC in a modified Union Pacific heritage Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway paint scheme. RBP Trains, Trainworld make custom locomotive If […]

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MTH announces Christmas 2023 RailKing releases

MTH RuggedRails Christmas Caboose 2023

MTH Electric Trains announces its Christmas 2023 RailKing releases, and there promises to be something to get many O gaugers in the holiday spirit. At the top of the list is the RailKing Imperial ES44 diesel (No. 30-21157-1; $439.95) with sounds recorded from a prototype ES44AC. It features two flywheel-equipped motors, all-metal wheels and gears, […]

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News & Products for the week of March 13th 2023

News & Products for the week of March 13th 2023: an image of a model freight car

News & Products for the week of March 13th 2023 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 March 13th 2023. […]

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