Meet James Royal

small layout on an oval table

Meet James Royal How did you get started in the hobby? I got started with my Dad back in the 1950s. He had a modular Lionel O scale layout in our attic with a Santa Fe Super Chief AB set with freight cars that was about 8 x 24 feet and included several operating accessories […]

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6 Questions with Pelle Søeborg

6 Questions with Pelle Søeborg | World-renowned model railroader Pelle Søeborg visited the Kalmbach Media studios during his railfanning trip to the U.S. this summer. He talks about his fascination with North American railroading; packing and shipping his modular layouts; favorite modeling tools; and more. Learn more about Pelle, Free-mo, plus other topics and talented […]

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Virginian Ry. class BL-4 ballast hopper decals from Great Decals

Sheet of decals on tabletop

Virginian class BL-4 ballast hopper black decals Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $4.99 postpaid Manufacturer: Great Decals, 3306 Parkside Terrace, Fairfax, VA 22031; greatdecals.com Decals feature: Printed by Tichy Train Group Includes herald, road name, and road numbers for sides and ends; dimensional data; and operator instructions Each set completes one car Suitable for Tyco operating hopper or other […]

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Greatest Moments in Model Railroading

Model train scene with vehicle and scale figure

Greatest Moments Greatest Moments Note: This speech was written by Andy Sperandeo and presented to the South Texas Division/San Antonio Model Railroad Association NMRA’s convention on June 23, 2006. We discovered these documents during some office clean up recently, and thought our readers would enjoy reading them. Good evening everyone. I’m very glad to be […]

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American Z Line September 2022 diesel locomotive announcements

Model of green locomotive with yellow lettering and stripes

Additional American Z Line diesel locomotive announcements for September 2022 Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: Missouri-Kansas-Texas SW1500 diesel locomotive, early 1970s to 1989. Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Alco PA-1 diesel locomotive, 1946 to early 1960s. Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com Electro-Motive Division SW1500 features: AutoLatch couplers Prototype-specific details Directional light-emitting-diode lighting […]

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Walthers executive house kit announced

Model of executive-style house

Executive house kit Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $44.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Executive house features: Injection-molded plastic construction Two-car garage and den addition on main structure Covered front porch Ornate trim Separate windows and shutters Measures: 9-15/16” x 5” x 4-3/4” Release date: Winter 2023 News & Products is […]

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Accurail HO scale freight car kits

Drawing of brown boxcar with white "Soo Line" lettering

HO scale freight car kits Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: See individual cars below Era: Varies depending on car type Manufacturer: Accurail, P.O. Box 278, Elburn, IL 60119; 630-365-1173; accurail.com Features: Injection-molded plastic construction Plastic wheelsets Solid-or roller-bearing trucks as appropriate Steel weight(s) Screws for trucks and draft-gear box covers Accumate couplers with modeler-installed trip pins […]

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5 Questions with Gerry Leone

5 Questions with Gerry Leone | Trains.com host Gerry Leone shares experiences building past model railroad layouts and his current project; reflects on his involvement with the NMRA; talks about an upcoming book he’s working on; and more! Getting to know Gerry Leone Gerry Leone is just as clever as he is comedic! But even […]

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Colonial house kit from Walthers Cornerstone

Model of colonial-style house

Colonial house kit Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $39.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Colonial house features: Injection-molded plastic construction Attached one-car garage with interior wall framing Covered front porch Ornate trim Separate windows and shutters Molded in four colors Measures: 6-3/4” x 5” x 4-3/4” Release date: Winter 2023 […]

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General American G85 85-foot flatcar from Walthers

Drawing of green flatcar with white background

Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Era: 1961 to late 2000s Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218, 414-527-0770, walthers.com General American 85-foot G85 flatcar features: Different size nameplates to match prototype General American (GATC) hitches in raised and lowered positions or container pedestals as appropriate Die-cast metal center sill Detailed […]

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53-foot intermodal container with refrigeration unit from Walthers

White intermodal container with "Tiger Cool Express" logo on side

53-foot reefer container Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $17.98 Era: Modern Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com 53-foot reefer container features: Injection-molded plastic construction Refrigeration unit Compatible with WalthersProto or Mainline well cars (sold separately) Release date: Winter 2023 Paint schemes: Axsun (white, black, and yellow), Canadian National (white, green, and black […]

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