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News & Products for the week of December 1st 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 December 1st, 2025. […]
Former Editor Neil Besougloff purchased this manuscript in 2002, and wondered why it hadn’t been used. I found the answer while scanning the slides–the photo quality is not great. While the photos are not usable in print, I hope they find some value in this online version. I’ve also learned that author Peter J. Corrigan […]
The New York Central System was a vast and legendary railroad, connecting the East Coast to the Mississippi River. A key component — let alone multiples — to its long-lasting status as a powerhouse was the subsidiary railroads. Though operating under the Class I system, many of these New York Central components maintained distinct identities […]
Chicago has always had a plethora of terminal railroads. Many have come and gone, but a handful with historical roots dating to the late 19th Century are still active today, and vital to keeping the freight and passenger traffic consistently moving in and out of the city. These are Historical Chicago terminal railroads that are […]
Lionel Trains is no stranger to modeling preserved steam locomotives we know and love, including those still operating today. The latest offering is Soo Line 2-8-2 No. 1003 (No. 2531120), a local steam star here in southeastern Wisconsin. The locomotive is one of six O-scale, 3-rail United States Railroad Administration (USRA) heavy Mikados that were […]
Walthers HO 40-foot double-sheathed boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO 40-foot double-sheathed boxcar features: 5-5-5 Murphy steel ends 33” turned-metal wheels on plastic axles Detailed AB brake gear Andrews trucks Based on later rebuilds and upgrades of older, wood […]
Sunset Models 3rd Rail has announced a partnership with Third & Townsend Models, marking a shift in the company’s operations. Jay Escamilla of Third & Townsend will now oversee all production for Sunset Models and Golden Gate Depot projects. Scott Mann, CEO of Sunset Models Inc., announced he will enter a phase of semi-retirement in […]
In the waning months of World War I, the USRA worked to develop a locomotive that would provide mixed service to railroads across the country. The 4-8-2 Light Mountain, with its longer wheelbase and lighter build, can navigate railroads with light-weight track where its heftier cousins can’t. These locomotives were built between 1918 and 1930, […]
WalthersProto HO heavyweight RPO-baggage car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $94.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersProto HO heavyweight RPO-baggage car features: 30-foot postal apartment with mailbag stanchions, sorting cases, and more Based on prototypes in service from 1914 to 1970s Clear window glazing Detailed underbody with […]
In the 1910s, Lawson Billinton of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway was tasked with designing a successor to the E1 Class 0-6-0T steam locomotives, designed by William Stroudley in 1874. The “answer” became the E2 Class 0-6-0T that would go on to have a complicated legacy during its flawed career and after its […]
Q: I own the Ives train set my father had as a boy. Based on information found at the Ives Train Society website, I believe locomotive No. 3253 dates from between 1921-1923. The three passenger cars seem to match set No. 504. The overall condition of the paint and sheet metal is poor. I doubt […]
The N Scale Architect interlocking tower Scale: N (1:160) Price: $59.95 Manufacturer: The N Scale Architect, 4063 County Highway 2, DeLancey, NY 13752; thenarch.com The N Scale Architect interlocking tower features: Based on Kansas City Terminal Ry. Tower No. 2 in Kansas City, Mo. (Kit depicts tower before it was modified with two brick additions […]
