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Also in this issue: ON TRAINS.COM, pg. 6 The latest features on our website FROM THE EDITOR, pg. 8 Novi convention: Not your father’s NMRA NEWS AND REVIEWS, pg. 10 Hobby industry news ASK MR, pg. 17 Understanding N scale couplers STEP BY STEP, pg. 24 Do-it-yourself building interiors PROTOTYPE TO MODEL, pg. 60 Fisher […]
Freight Car Class: Lesson 1, Kit Building Basics| Building, operating, and weathering freight cars are essential skills for any modeler to acquire, regardless of experience level. This five-part video series is designed to help you create better freight cars! In the first lesson, expert instructor David Popp gets things rolling with the basics of kit […]
Model Railroader Classroom Series Trailer | Learn essential skills for assembling, detailing, and weathering freight cars with an all-new, multi-lesson video series set to stream on Trains.com Video! Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, this Model Railroader Classroom series is designed to help you build better freight car models – in any scale! Hosted […]
Also in this issue: EDITOR’S DESK, pg. 4 Solving a Marx mystery YOUR LETTERS, pg. 6 YOUR PHOTOS, pg. 8 NEWS & REVIEWS, pg. 12 Lionel U28C diesel, MTH Bump-N-Go trolley, Menards mine shaft, custom runs, and more COLLECTIBLE CLASSICS, pg. 18 Lionel’s No. 395 Floodlight Tower QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, pg. 58 Wire a signal […]
Also in this issue: ON TRAINS.COM, pg. 6 The latest features on our website FROM THE EDITOR, pg. 8 Adding skills adds to our enjoyment NEWS AND REVIEWS, pg. 10 Hobby industry news ASK MR, pg. 18 Why won’t my N scale freight cars roll? STEP BY STEP, pg. 23 How to model ball signals […]
Freight on the Iron Range The Canadian-owned Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific line (now part of Canadian National) links the Midwestern United States with the CN’s east-west line in Ontario and provides CN with a direct route to the Port of Duluth on Lake Superior. According to The Historical Guide to North American Railroads, Third Edition […]
Time capsule When construction of Pennsylvania’s iron ore and coal-hauling East Broad Top began in 1872, more than 150 years ago, its builders decided it would be a narrow gauge line, with rails set 3-feet apart instead of the North American standard gauge of 4-feet, 8.5-inches. Narrow gauge offered significant advantages, as the smaller locomotives […]
Steam over Cumbres Pass On a sunny June morning in Antonito, Colorado, Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad’s 4-6-0 No. 168, built by Baldwin in 1883, is readied for another run over the mountains. Its relatively tall 46-inch drivers made it suitable for fast passenger service. Carl Swanson The 64-mile-long Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is […]
TILTON, N.H. — Dwight A. Smith, founder of the Conway Scenic Railroad, has died at age 100. Smith, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in World War II, had been living at the New Hampshire Veterans Home in Tilton since 2020. The Conway Scenic said in a statement that it “mourns the passing of its […]
Also in this issue: ON TRAINS.COM, pg. 6 The latest features on our website FROM THE EDITOR, pg. 8 What’s the right size layout for you? NEWS AND REVIEWS, pg. 10 Hobby industry news RAILWAY POST OFFICE, pg. 16 Letters from our readers ASK MR, pg. 18 Burlington Northern renumbering STEP BY STEP, pg. 22 […]
Trains Magazine, the world’s leading publication on railroading and trains, has launched TrainsPRO as a new website under the Trains.com family of brands. TrainsPRO features articles on railroad industry news and analysis, covering areas such as freight rail, passenger rail, mechanical, maintenance of way and regulatory updates. These coverage areas are nothing new for Trains […]
On July 22, 2025, Chicago Union Station in Downtown, Chicago, Ill., hosted a centennial celebration of the site’s official dedication in 1925. As referenced in the companion Trains.com article, notable city, regional, state, and federal officials staged near the Great Hall to recognize the station’s quintessential role, longevity, and impactful renovations aimed to keep it […]
