In introducing the issue-length article on Santa Fe’s 2-10-4s dominating the August 1975 issue of Trains Magazine, Editor David P. Morgan wrote: “We broke our word. We promised you after our single-subject issues in 1972 on L&Ns “Big Emma” 2-8-4 and Electro-Motive’s 50th anniversary that Trains would not publish any more all-steam or all-diesel editions. […]
I found this manuscript from the late John Grams in our manuscript files. There was no date on the envelope but it’s likely from the early 1990s. The article discusses 12 Lionel products that, while great inventions, were fraught with problems or didn’t work exactly as advertised. He included the following disclaimer: Lionel trains were […]
A century can seem like a long time, especially given the accelerating rate of change that oppresses all of us. At the same time, 100 years is one long lifetime. Almost 100,000 now-living Americans were on this Earth in 1925, the year a group of Black Pullman employees organized the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters […]
Athearn HO EMD Model 40 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $134.98 Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn HO EMD Model 40 features: All-wheel drive and electrical pickup Bi-directional, constant light-emitting-diode lighting Celcon handrails and stanchions Detailed injection-molded plastic body Direct-current model with Digital Command Control Quick Plug Factory-installed bell, exhaust […]
News & Products for the week of August 4th 2025 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 August 4th, […]
Price: $49.99 Manufacturer Menards 5106 Menard Dr. Eau Claire, WI 54703 menards.com/trains Era: 1930s to present Comments: Kids on the porch swing, a dog in the front yard, and a neatly manicured yard. Those are just some of the highlights of Grandma’s House, a new HO scale structure from Menards. The two-story house has laser-cut […]
Walthers HO ACF-design 1958 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $38.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO ACF-design 1958 covered hopper features: 33” metal wheels All-new model Based on American Car & Foundry 1,958-cubic-foot capacity two-bay covered hopper Proto-Max metal couplers Separate, factory-applied Ajax brake […]
News & Products for the week of July 28th 2025 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 July 28th, […]
I found this manuscript from the late John Grams in our manuscript files. There was no date on the envelope but it’s likely from the early 1990s. The article discusses 12 Lionel products that, while great inventions, were fraught with problems or didn’t work exactly as advertised. He included the following disclaimer: “Lionel trains were […]
News & Products for the week of July 21st 2025 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 July 21st, […]
Q: How do Tightlock couplers work? — Thor Clemens A: Longtime staff member Jim Hediger provided an explanation of the Type H, or Tightlock, coupler in a sidebar that appeared with his article “HO knuckle coupler guide” in the November 2007 Model Railroader. He wrote, “The need to reduce slack and improve passenger train safety […]
The history of ore cars dates back to around the time of the Civil War, when they were primarily made of wood. Body construction shifted to steel starting in the late 1880s to the early 1900s, allowing for increased strength and capacity. Ready Made Toys (RMT) has released a new version of its ore car, […]
