HO scale freight cars American Car & Foundry two-bay Center Flow covered hopper. New paint schemes: BNSF Ry. (gray with black circle-cross herald, five road numbers) and Cemex Mexico (gray with reporting marks only). New road numbers: Burlington Northern (Cascade Green with large herald), Chicago & North Western (yellow), CSX (tan), Norfolk & Western (gray), […]
Section: News
New model trains for the week of March 19, 2020
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD60M diesel locomotive. Burlington Northern (four road numbers), BNSF Ry. (Cascade Green patchouts in two numbers, Heritage II and Heritage III schemes in one number each), Canadian Pacific (without gold beaver herald in two numbers, with herald in one number), Norfolk Southern (Thoroughbred scheme, three numbers), and Union Pacific (as-delivered […]
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Model Railroader offices closed to tours and tour groups
Due to public health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, the Model Railroader offices will be closed to the public for tours until further notice. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. […]
New model trains for the week of March 12, 2020
Broadway Limited Imports HO scale Pennsylvania RR GG1 electric locomotive HO scale locomotives Pennsylvania RR GG1 electric locomotive. Pennsylvania RR (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel with brown roof, five gold leaf stripes, and Futura or Roman lettering in three numbers each; Dark Green Locomotive Enamel with broad buff stripe and Roman lettering in two numbers; and […]
Josef Lesser, pioneer of realistic ‘hi-rail’ modeling with Lionel trains, dies at 83
Josef Lesser, one of the pioneers of realistic “hi-rail” modeling with new and vintage Lionel trains, has died at the age of 83. Joe contributed to the growth of the toy train hobby as a modeler and author. His landmark O gauge layout, the JL&ATSF Railroad, was featured prominently in Classic Toy Trains throughout the […]
2020 Model Railroader Readers Choice Winners
We had another year of great model railroading products for this year’s Readers Choice Awards. From locomotives and rolling stock to scenery and structures to track and electronics and more, there were many worthy entries nominated by model manufacturers, but ultimately chosen by you, our readers. The only real limitation we put on the choices […]
SoundTraxx celebrates 30th anniversary
SoundTraxx, a well-known manufacturer of sound decoders and HOn3 narrow gauge trains marketed under the Blackstone Models label, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The company is based in Durango, Colo. SoundTraxx was founded in 1989 as the Throttle Up! Corp. in Pocasset, Mass., producing the Hyperlight lighting system. In the 1990s the company […]
New model railroad products for the week of March 5, 2020
Rapido Trains HO scale General Electric B36-7 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives General Electric B36-7 diesel locomotive. Southern Pacific (as delivered); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; British Columbia Ry. (red, white, and blue “lightning stripe”); Conrail (as delivered, CSX patched numbers, and Norfolk Southern patched numbers); CSX (blue, yellow, and gray); Minnesota Commercial; Seaboard System […]
New model trains for the week of February 27, 2020
Bachmann HO scale 2-10-0 Russian Decapod steam locomotive HO scale locomotives 2-10-0 Russian Decapod steam locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Erie; St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco, with doghouse); Western Pacific; and painted black but unlettered. Dual-mode TCS WOWSound decoder; Keep-Alive capacitor; Chuffinity technology; cog V-belt flywheel drive; metal motor bearings; separately applied stack, domes, cab, […]
Rapido Trains Inc. celebrates 15th anniversary
Model Railroader reviewed the Rapido Trains Inc. HO scale Santa Fe-rebuilt Budd cars in the September 2019 issue. Rapido Trains Inc., manufacturer of North American prototype HO and N scale locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and accessories, as well as British-outline models, celebrated its 15th anniversary in November 2019. Jason Shron, president of Rapido, shared […]
New model trains for the week of February 20, 2020
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD40-2. BNSF Ry. (four Burlington Northern patchouts); Burlington Northern (as-delivered scheme); Chessie System (Baltimore & Ohio reporting marks), Chicago & North Western (Stagecoach and Zito Yellow schemes); CSX (Chessie System patchout, “S” scheme, and YN2 scheme); and Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (standard blue-and-yellow and Mt. Rushmore schemes). Multiple road numbers […]
New model trains for the week of February 13, 2020
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division FP7, F7A, F7B, and F9B diesel locomotives. Chicago & North Western (two single FP7s and two FP7/F7B sets in yellow-and-green scheme), Rock Island (FP7 in silver-and- maroon scheme and two FP7 sets [one each in silver-and-maroon and gray-and-maroon schemes]), Southern Pacific (FP7, F7B, FP7/F7B set, and FP7/F7A set in “black […]