Bachmann large scale 45-ton industrial diesel switcher A 45-ton General Electric industrial diesel switcher is Bachmann’s latest ready-to-run 1:20.3 scale locomotive. It’s a common center-cab design with eight-wheel drive and electrical pickup, two smoke units, and a choice of coupler heights. The locomotive is modeled from a GE center-cab prototype, introduced in 1939, that evolved […]
Broadway Limited’s HO GGI electric locomotive Broadway Limited Inc.’s third HO locomotive is a model of another American legend, the Pennsylvania’s GG1 electric. It has two can motors, a heavy metal shell, and excellent sound effects. This powerful model is capable of hauling prototype-length trains. A beauty with gutsServing the Pennsylvania RR and its successors […]
CVP Products RF1300 wireless DCC cab control The RF1300 digital wireless cab from CVP Products has several new features that make running trains with the firm’s EasyDCC Digital Command Control system even easier. CVP built what it terms its “second-generation throttle” to replace the firm’s older TX900 series wireless cab. If you have an existing […]
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Bachmann HO USRA heavy 4-8-2 Mountain steam locomotive Will fans of HO scale remember 2003 as the year of the steam locomotive? Perhaps – we’ve already seen several outstanding new releases from a variety of manufacturers. Now Bachmann has stepped forward with its second new steamer of the year, a USRA (United States Railway Administration) […]
Tony’s Train Exchange HO scale couplers Digital Command Control (DCC) offers model railroaders a lot of operating function, the earliest of which included a variety of locomotive light and sound effects. Now you can add DCC-controlled locomotive uncoupling to that growing list. Tony’s Train Exchange offers Digital Direct Couplers as a retro-fit kit for Proto […]
roadway Limited HO N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 steam locomotive Back in the late ’80s, my wife, Cindy, and I went to see Norfolk & Western Class A 2-6-6-4 no. 1218 when it came through Chicago on a fan trip. I’d seen quite a few other steam locomotives by that time, so I didn’t expect to […]
Walthers HO Pullman-Standard lightweight 6-6-4 sleeper A lightweight sleeper from 1942 is the first model of a Pullman-Standard prototype included in Walthers’ current line of HO passenger cars. This “6-6-4” is a model of the second-most-popular type of streamline sleeper, representing a car with six open sections, six roomettes, and four double bedrooms. It comes […]
Branchline Trains HO 1937 AAR 40-foot boxcar Branchline Trains has followed its highly detailed kit of the postwar AAR 40-foot boxcar with this kit of a 1937 car. While the design of the new car is in many ways similar to that of its predecessor, this model has molded-on ladders and stirrup steps. Branchline calls […]
Align every rail joint Every rail joint must be carefully aligned, properly fitted, and level. Sight along the rail to check the alignment through the rail joiner. After the track is spiked down, use a fine file to smooth the top and inside corner of the rail joint until you can slide a fingernail across […]
Rivarossi HO three-truck Heisler geared steam locomotive A finely detailed HO three-truck Heisler geared steam locomotive with RP25 flanges and a DCC plug has been released by Rivarossi. Geared steam engines have short-wheelbase trucks which allows them to negotiate tight curves and rough track. Heislers may be easily spotted due to their V-shaped two-cylinder engine […]
Atlas HO F-M H-15-44 and H-16-44 diesel road switchers A series of smooth running HO scale Fairbanks-Morse B-B road switchers is now available with manual dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoders. Made by Atlas, these models feature superb plastic carbodies that include railroad-specific details. Two groups of similar prototype locomotives (which F-M designated as the […]
