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In the first and second generation of dieselization, Alco was the perennial odd man out. Although legendary for its steam locomotive designs and one of the first builders to dabble with diesel power, its diesel locomotives never really attained more than niche status with America’s railroads. The company quietly exited locomotive production in 1969. But […]
Bowser HO scale Alco C-630 diesel locomotive All-wheel electrical pickup, newly tooled Alco Hi-Ad or Tri-Mount trucks, and many separate brass, wire, and photo-etched detail parts are some of the highlights of this HO scale Alco Century 630 from Bowser. The model is an upgraded version of the Stewart Alco C-630 reviewed in the March […]
BLMA Models HO scale 64-foot refrigerator car A correctly proportioned model of a modern mechanical refrigerator car is now available from BLMA Models. The injection-molded plastic car features separately applied wire, plastic, and etched-metal details. The prototype cars began rolling out of the TrinityRail factory in late 2003. These excess-height cars, designated Plate F, can […]
Aztec Manufacturing TM3110S milled Kato E8 from and Digitrax SDN144KOA sound decoder The recently released batch of Kato Electro-Motive Division E8 passenger diesels in N scale are good-looking, smooth running models. [For a review, see the July 2011 Model Railroader. – Ed.] If you’re interested in adding Digital Command Control (DCC) and sound to your […]
Athearn Trains HO scale PC&F 50-foot boxcar with Landis doors Price: $37.98 ManufacturerAthearn Trains2883 E. Spring St., Suite 100Long Beach, CA 90806athearn.com Road names: St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) and Southern Pacific (four road numbers each with COTS, four without). Also available as an undecorated kit. Era: 1970 to 1990s Comments: Athearn has previously offered […]
In this “head shot” of the MTH O gauge Alco RS-11, you can see the top red light that illuminates with a change in direction while the center light flashes and the bottom light is a steady headlight. Enjoy this locomotive in action by watching the video. […]
If you’ve been in model railroading long enough, you may recall back in the 1960s seeing ads from the Wm. K. Walthers Co. showing some cute little heavyweight passenger cars all resting on a single truck. Even though dyed-in-the-wool rivet counters might scoff, you could tell by the crook at the corners of their mouths […]
The Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale Electro-Motive Division (EMD) GP40-2(W) includes a QSI Quantum Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder. Model Railroader senior editor Dana Kawala runs the locomotive on our model train layout. […]
Model Rectifier Corp. (MRC) makes a drop-in Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder for a Kato USA N scale GG1 electric locomotive. Model Railroader senior editor Dana Kawala demonstrates some of the DCC decoder’s sound effects. […]
Wm. K. Walthers Inc. HO scale locomotive crane A revised version of the Walthers HO scale American locomotive crane is now available ready-to-run. It comes assembled with an upgraded DC mechanism. The prototype for this diesel-electric crane dates to the mid-1950s. These 25- to 30-ton capacity locomotive cranes are self-propelled and capable of moving several […]
Kato USA N scale Penn Central’s “rainbow fleet” passenger cars Not too long ago, if a modeler was into N scale and the short-lived Penn Central’s passenger fleet, he would have some painting and decaling projects ahead. Now Kato has released its great-running GG1 electric locomotive and some passenger cars in accurate PC paint schemes. […]
In the toy train world, there is no mightier locomotive than the New York Central Hudson. Turbines and Berkshires or Pacifics and Challengers might turn heads, but they’re country cousins compared to the Hudson. Today we examine the “Lionel Vision line 700E Hudson.” Pairing the terms “Vision line” and “700E” is a bit confusing, because […]
