Small numbers on MR&T diesels

Color photo of blue-and-white HO scale diesel with small number next to herald.

Q: When I was looking at pictures of the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy locomotive fleet, I noticed small numbers near the herald on some diesels. Were those numbers tied to the control system used on the layout, or did they have another meaning? — Jason Trew A: Those single- and double-digit numbers near the herald on […]

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Athearn N scale F89-F TOFC flatcar

Color photo of N scale flatcar with trailer load on white background.

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.  Athearn recently released an F89-F TOFC flatcar in its Genesis line. The flatcar is based on a prototype built in the 1960s by Bethlehem Steel Co. at its […]

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News & Products for the week of April 28th 2025

A yellow and gray model coach car

News & Products for the week of April 28th 2025   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 April 28th, […]

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Diagnosing a stubborn diesel

Color photo showing HO scale diesel by white paper towel with streaks of dirt on it.

Q: I recently started working again on my HO scale layout, which features a Digitrax Super Chief Starter Set and Bachmann E-Z Track. I cleaned all of the track and have been testing locomotives. One of the units, an Athearn Genesis HO scale Electro-Motive Division GP38 that has not been used in some time, will […]

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News & Products for the week of April 21st 2025

An orange and green model locomotive

News & Products for the week of April 21st 2025   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 April 21st, […]

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Loads for a fertilizer blend plant

Color photo showing portion of three-bay covered hopper painted light orange.

Q: I have a question about one of the articles in your special issue Best of Industries. On page 16, Rich Cobb wrote about a fertilizer blend plant. Can you tell me what kind of loads a plant like this would receive? — Markus Russ A: We released that special-interest publication in 2021, so I […]

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News & Products for the week of April 14th 2025

A yellow model caboose

News & Products for the week of April 14th 2025   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 April 14th, […]

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Troubleshooting a noisy locomotive

Color photo of handing holding locomotive wheelset with cracked gear

Q: I have a pair of Northern Pacific HO scale Proto 1000 Alco RS11 locomotives that were stored new many years ago. I got them out the other day, and as I expected, the bearings on both sides of the worm gears were frozen. I oiled them and got them spinning again, then lubed everything. […]

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News & Products for the week of April 7th 2025

An orange model caboose

News & Products for the week of April 7th 2025   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 April 7th, […]

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Athearn Genesis HO EMD GP38-2

Screen capture of video with orange and black HO scale diesel and title bar in lower left corner.

The Athearn Genesis HO EMD GP38-2 recently arrived at our offices. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the four-axle road switcher and Milwaukee Road No. 363; points out the many prototype-specific details on the model; and demonstrates the sound and light functions on our review sample, which […]

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Athearn Genesis HO EMD GP38-2

Screen capture of video with orange and black HO scale diesel and title bar in lower left corner.

The Athearn Genesis HO EMD GP38-2 recently arrived at our offices. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the four-axle road switcher and Milwaukee Road No. 363; points out the many prototype-specific details on the model; and demonstrates the sound and light functions on our review sample, which […]

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News & Products for the week of March 31st 2025

An orange and black model locomotive

News & Products for the week of March 31st 2025   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 March 31st, […]

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