WAUKESHA, WIS. — For two model manufacturers, Trainfest is a must-attend event. The show that resumes this weekend after closing during the Pandemic, is drawing eager support from sponsors Kalmbach Media, World’s Greatest Hobby, and Great American Train Shows, attendees, as well as manufacturers such as Walthers and Kato USA. “We are happy to have […]
Whitcomb 65-tonner Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct current, $279.99; with PIKO SmartSound 5.1 sound decoder, $389.99 Era: 1940s+ (depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: PIKO America LLC, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego, CA 92120; piko-america.com Whitcomb 65-tonner features: Diecast chassis and hood Metal handrails Factory-applied details Maryland Midland locomotives feature American-style end beams, fully enclosed around the […]
EMD E7 from American Z Line Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: 1945+ Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com EMD E7 features: 7mm motor dual flywheels prototype specific details directional controlled light-emitting diode lighting optional front truck with mounted coupler blackened metal wheels AutoLatch couplers DCC ready Release date: […]
Model railroaders, their friends, and family might be struggling to find great model railroading gifts for 2022 that are just right: affordable, fun, and right on the mark when it comes to getting model trains just right. Each year, Trains.com and sister website Kalmbach Hobby Store announce gifts that are spot-on and sure to please. See our annual list […]
American Z Line ALCO PA1 Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: Late 1940s+ Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com ALCO PA1 features: prototype specific details 7mm can motor dual flywheels directional controlled light-emitting diode lighting six-axle trucks with blind middle axle blackened metal wheels traction tires optional snowplow, optional […]
TSU-N18 sound decoder Price: $124.95 Manufacturer: SoundTraxx, 141 Burnett Dr., Durango, CO 81301; 970-259-0690; soundtraxx.com Features: Sound library including 10 exhaust chuffs, up to 12 diesel engines per profile, up to 12 bells, 90 whistles, and more than 40 airhorns Plugs into models equipped with Next18 socket Additional couplers, dynamos, cab chatter, and more Dimensions: 25 x 9.5 […]
Gunderson Multi-Max auto racks Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $79.99 Era: 2014 to present (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Rd. NE, Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com Gunderson Multi-Max auto racks feature: Railroad, road number, and era-specific details Four body variations, three ladder styles, two types of end doors, three end sill configurations, and two different upper and […]
Wall-mounted billboard three-pack Scale: N (1:160) Price: $17.98 Era: 1920s to present Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Wall-mounted billboard three-pack features: Newly tooled Parts to build three complete billboards Models a billboard without any lights Printed color signs Release date: Winter 2023 News & Products is a regular feature of Trains.com […]
Meet Seth Puffer What was your first train set (or locomotive)? My parents started me out (like many I suppose) with a 2-rail Lionel set when I was four or five. I was thrilled! My first HO scale layout was a few years later. I still have the shell from the locomotive that came with the set. My […]
One of the hobby’s most influential contributors, W. Allen McClelland, died at age 88 on October 28, 2022, following a massive stroke the previous day. He had been his usual ebullient self to the very end. I had the privilege of knowing and working with Allen beginning in 1970, and along with Doug Gurin and […]
Santa Fe RR-56/60/61 mechanical reefer Scale: N (1:160) Price: Single car, $41.95; four-pack, $167.80 Era: 1955+ (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Santa Fe mechanical reefer features: Separate, factory-applied door posts, door latches, and uncoupling levers Underframe piping and equipment Cushion draft gear detail Positionable roof […]
W. Allen McClelland, builder of the HO scale Virginian & Ohio, died on October 28, 2022 following a massive stroke. Allen worked on the first version of the V&O over the course of several decades at the McClelland home on Walnut Street in West Carrollton, Ohio. The 30 x 33-foot model railroad, expanded to 33 […]
