Facts and features Name: Southern Pacific Tehachapi SubdivisionScale: HOSize: 72 x 128 feetPrototype: Southern Pacific Tehachapi SubdivisionLocale: Bakersfield to Mojave, CaliforniaEra: 1950s-1960sStyle: Multi-level walkaroundMainline run: Bakersfield to Mojave: 1,500 feet; between staging yards, Goshen Jct. to Lancaster: 1,800 feetMinimum radius: main tracks, sidings and yards: 48″; branch lines and industry tracks: 36″Minimum turnout: main tracks, […]
Scale: HO Scale
The HO scale Winnebago Rapids & Northern RR
Facts and features Name: Winnebago Rapids & Northern RRScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 14 x 18 feetPrototype: freelancedLocale: WisconsinEra: 1956Style: walk-inMainline run: 120 feetMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: 31⁄2%Benchwork: L-girderHeight: 41″ to 49″Roadbed: HomabedTrack: code 83 (handlaid in visible locations, extrack in hidden areas)Scenery: extruded-foam insulation board and clothshellBackdrop: painted drywallControl: NCE ProCab Click the […]
News & Products for the week of August 5th 2024
News & Products for the week of August 5th 2024 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 5th […]
Exclusive Layout Extra | Final ride along the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy in HO scale
Final ride along the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy | In this salute to Model Railroader magazine’s renowned MR&T (a.k.a “Myrt”) 28 x 54-foot model railroad in HO (1:87) scale, Trains.com cameras capture the final run over the entire +200-ft mainline route. Enjoy this first-ever, on-track perspective video of the storied layout that thrilled MR staff […]
Meet Tim Garland
What was your first train set (or locomotive)? I remember as a small child being fascinated with all types of transportation. Cars, trucks, ships, planes and trains, but I can definitely recall getting bitten by the model train bug when I was 6 years old. I distinctly remember visiting one of my father’s co-workers, who […]
Beginner’s guide to airbrushing
In my 20-plus years with Model Railroader magazine, I’ve written several how-to articles on airbrushing. Some have focused on using the tool to re-create models you can’t find on the shelf, such as “How to paint multi-color locomotives” in the September 2013 issue. Others, including “How to weather coal hoppers” in December 2012, have demonstrated […]
Why do railroads use catenary?
When you think about electrified rail lines today, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. But in the first half of the 1900s, before the start of the diesel era, railroads used electrified lines to move freight and passengers. Examples in the east included the New York, New Haven & […]
ScaleTrains HO Rivet Counter EMD GP30
An Electro-Motive Division GP30, one of the most recognizable diesels of the second generation, is now available in HO scale from ScaleTrains. The Rivet Counter line model has railroad-specific details, semi-scale Type E couplers, and all-wheel drive and electrical pickup. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the GP30 between July 1961 and November 1963. During the […]
A real-world industry you can model
While on a recent trip to the National Model Railroad Association’s Southeast Regional Convention in Decatur, Ala., I was fortunate enough to go on a trip to Huntsville’s International Intermodal Center. Right when our van arrived in the parking lot, I knew that this would be a perfect real-world industry that anyone can model on […]
High Street Trains to offer British OO gauge trains to US modelers
High Street Trains is set to become the first U.S.-based distributor of British OO gauge model railroad products. The Menominee Falls, Wisconsin-based retailer, which began business operations in 2024, aims to meet a domestic demand for OO gauge trains. In years past, most OO gauge trains have been sourced from overseas manufacturers and distributors, which […]
Rapido Trains HO scale GP9RM
The Rapido Trains HO scale GP9RM, based on prototypes rebuilt by Canadian National in the 1980s, recently arrived at our offices. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of CN No. 4000; highlights the many separate, factory-applied parts on the model; and demonstrates the sound and lighting effects (and a few […]
Rapido Trains HO scale GP9RM
The Rapido Trains HO scale GP9RM, based on prototypes rebuilt by Canadian National in the 1980s, recently arrived at our offices. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of CN No. 4000; highlights the many separate, factory-applied parts on the model; and demonstrates the sound and lighting effects (and a few […]