Life-Like’s HO SD60M is a heavyweight hauler Life-Like has released an Electro-Motive Division SD60M as its latest Proto 2000 locomotive and it’s a fine piece of work. The prototype 3,800-hp SD60M is a heavy-duty drag locomotive, and this model’s exceptional tractive effort allows it to perform the same role. Measuring more than 70 scale feet […]
Type of Train: Diesel Locomotives
Atlas HO scale EMD SD35 diesels feature railroad-specific details
Atlas HO scale EMD SD35 A trio of excellent HO scale SD35 road switchers has been released as Atlas Master Series Locomotives which feature superb performance, dual flywheel drives, dual-mode DCC decoders, and specific railroad detailing. They represent the Electro-Motive Division’s standard low-nose SD35 road freight locomotive; a high-hood version built for the Norfolk & […]
Life-Like N scale Fairbanks-Morse Erie-built diesel is a workhorse
Life-Like N scale Fairbanks-Morse Erie-built diesel Life-Like’s newest N scale locomotive is a nicely detailed, smooth-running model of the uncommon Fairbanks-Morse six-axle, 2,000-hp “Erie-built.” Some Erie-builts were freight units, while others were built with a steam generator for passenger service. The Erie-built was FM’s first attempt to build a road locomotive using its powerful opposed-piston […]
Kato introduces HO EMD SD80MAC and SD9043MAC diesel locomotives
Kato HO EMD SD80MAC and SD9043MAC Two of North America’s largest road freight locomotives, the SD80MAC and the SD9043MAC, are the newest additions to Kato’s line of HO models. Both models feature excellent molded plastic bodies, smooth-running mechanisms, and numerous add-on parts that modelers once considered superdetails. With an overall length of 80′-2″, these Electro-Motive […]
Stewart Hobbies HO scale Baldwin DS-4-4-1000 (SC) diesel switcher
Stewart Hobbies HO scale Baldwin DS-4-4-1000 (SC) diesel switcher Stewart Hobbies has added a postwar DS-4-4-1000 (SC) diesel switcher to its line of HO Baldwin locomotives. Introduced in 1948, the DS-4-4-1000 replaced the VO1000 as the 1,000-hp switcher in Baldwin’s line. While it’s similar to its eight-cylinder predecessor, this locomotive produced its 1,000-hp with an […]
Atlas N scale General Electric Dash 8-40B diesel is beautifully detailed
Atlas N scale General Electric Dash 8-40B diesel Atlas has released an N scale General Electric Dash 8-40B road diesel locomotive and it’s a beautifully detailed, fine-running model. From the exquisitely rendered m.u. cables on the front and rear pilots to the amber warning beacon atop the cab, this Dash 8-40B sets a high standard […]
Kato’s N scale GE P42 “Genesis” passenger diesel is elegant and powerful
Kato’s N scale GE P42 “Genesis” passenger diesel Kato’s N scale P42 is an exquisite replica of Amtrak’s long-distance workhorse. Railfans might quibble over the prototype’s esthetic virtues (or lack thereof) but this new locomotive is truly a delight to the eyes. It’s also a powerful and smooth-running model. As the F40PHs began showing their […]
Kato N scale Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs)
Kato N scale Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) After admiring the crisp detail on Kato’s new N scale Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs), my next immediate thought was, “So where in heck’s the motor?” That’s because I could look right through the side windows of these well-engineered, DCC-ready models. Taking a design cue from the prototype, […]
E-R N scale Baldwin RF-16 sharknosed diesel locomotives
E-R N scale Baldwin RF-16 sharknosed diesel locomotives This set of well-detailed Baldwin “sharknose” RF-16 diesel cab units marks E-R Models’ entry into the N scale locomotive market. They’re also the first mass-produced N scale plastic models of this distinctive locomotive. The RF-16 was Baldwin Locomotive Works’ final attempt to capture a portion of the […]
Atlas N scale GE B30-7 road diesel locomotive
Atlas N scale GE B30-7 road diesel locomotive General Electric introduced the B30-7 to succeed its U30B and built 199 units between December 1977 and May 1981. Both were four-axle, 3,000-hp units and were GE’s answer to Electro-Motive Division’s 3,000-hp GP40 and GP40-2. Owners of B30-7s included Burlington Northern, which acquired eight via the 1980 […]
Atlas O GE Dash 8-40B diesel is a powerful, well-detailed O scale performer
Atlas O GE Dash 8-40B diesel This new Atlas O scale Dash 8-40B is the company’s first high-horsepower modern diesel, and like its prototype this is an impressive and powerful unit. General Electric introduced the standard-cab Dash 8-40B in May 1988. According to The Contemporary Diesel Spotter’s Guide – 2000 edition (Withers Publishing), GE built […]
Life-Like Proto 1000 HO scale FM Erie-built diesels
Life-Like Proto 1000 HO scale FM Erie-built diesels Here’s a change of pace for transition-era diesel locomotive rosters. Life-Like’s Fairbanks-Morse Erie-built locomotives are sturdy, fine-running replicas of a relatively rare prototype that was built for both freight and passenger service. Part of the Proto 1000 line, these models lack the fuller detailing of their Proto […]