We recently reviewed the HO scale Montreal Locomotive Works RS-18 from Rapido Trains in the June 2020 Model Railroader. The superdetailed model also features an ESU LokSound decoder. See and hear the diesel in action on the Model Railroader staff’s HO scale layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. […]
Section: Reviews
Micro-Trains N scale heavyweight coach
Micro-Trains N scale heavyweight coach Removing the heavy-weight coach’s press-fit roof reveals a one-piece interior with seat and partition detail. A workhorse New York Central heavyweight coach is now available in N scale from Micro-Trains Line Co. Our review sample is accurately detailed and decorated for NYC coach no. 2347. The prototype no. 2347 was […]
Sneak peek: Broadway Limited Imports HO scale streamlined PRR K4s
Broadway Limited Imports HO scale streamlined PRR K4 The detailed tender includes an operating backup light. The detailed cab interior includes painted crew figures. Broadway Limited Imports Paragon3 HO scale streamlined Pennsylvania RR K4s tender front Broadway Limited Imports Paragon3 HO scale streamlined PRR K4s steam locomotive It was a lucky day for the Pennsy […]
Rapido Trains HO scale MLW RS-18 diesel
The model features separate handrails and other detail parts. For the first time in plastic an accurate, roadname- and roadnumber-specific version of a Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) RS-18 is available as a ready-to-run, HO scale plastic model. The Canadian road switcher is available with a factory-installed LokSound 5 dual-mode decoder, featuring sound files recorded from […]
JLWII2000 exclusive video: Rapido Trains HO scale RDC
In this exclusive product video by our friend James Wright of the JLWII2000 YouTube channel, you’ll get an unboxing and demo of an HO scale Boston & Maine RDC from Rapido Trains. The model features and ESU Digital Command Control decoder and a multitude of prototype specific details. […]
MTH Tinplate Traditions Standard gauge 4-4-4
Forget your prewar Standard gauge electric-outline locomotives. I don’t care how large or flashy or colorful those slab-sided toasters are, they can’t hold a candle to the King Salami of big trains – the No. 400E 4-4-4. The size, look, and color of this model set a standard in its day for power and authority. […]
S-Helper Service S gauge diesel freight starter set
Anyone who thinks that S gauge starts and ends with American Flyer should take a look at the S-Helper Service line. For years the crew at S-Helper Service has been in the vanguard of manufacturers rising above postwar levels of detail, regardless of train gauge. Out are the cast-in handrails and roofwalks; in are add-on […]
Lionel O gauge track gang car
In popularity, the postwar Lionel gang car is exceeded by only the trolley car in terms of Auto-Pilot fun on the tinplate rails. Lionel’s release of the 1950s favorite lives up to its reputation. Both the gang car and trolley operate on the same concept. The car runs in one direction until it hits an […]
MTH Premier line O gauge BB3 Long Island
MTH brings us a B-class switcher. As Al Staufer noted in his book Pennsy Power, few electrified railways could dedicate electric locomotives simply to the task of switching cars. But the Pennsylvania Railroad, with its vast network of yards and terminals under wire, could. In 1926, the Pennsy’s Altoona, Pa., shops began producing these little […]
MTH Premier line O gauge EMD F7 A-B-A set
Cab units are a staple of O gauge model railroading. They are crowd pleasers and are updated every few years with new features or improvements. A corollary of that statement is the increased expectations on the part of hobbyists. The greater the level of detail you see, the more you expect. The better the low-end […]
Lionel O gauge “B6” 0-4-0
Stepping into the “wayback” machine, Lionel’s 0-4-0 steam switcher is a model of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s B6-class 0-6-0. Just before World War II, Lionel made several variations of its B6 switcher, two of which – Nos. 1662 and 1663 – used 0-4-0 instead of 0-6-0 wheel arrangements. The model was in and out of the […]
Tidy Track cleaning system by Woodland Scenics
Tidy Track cleaning system by Woodland Scenics Price: $34.99 (No. TT4550) Features: Rail Tracker handle and cleaning head, cleaning and maintenance pads, bottle of track cleaning fluid You can clean track using just the Rail Tracker or the Rail Tracker handle. To illustrate how dirty our track was before we cleaned it, we used the […]