Milwaukee’s “Viroqua Patrol”

Milwaukee’s “Viroqua Patrol”

Alco RSD5 572 leads the Milwaukee Road’s local freight to Sparta and Viroqua, Wisconsin, out of La Crosse in October 1971. At right is Grand Crossing tower, guardian of a tangle of tracks that includes the Chicago–Twin Cities main lines of MILW and Burlington Northern. Photo by J. W. Schultz […]

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News & Products for the week of September 2nd 2025

Five yellow model passenger cars

News & Products for the week of September 2nd 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 September 2nd, […]

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Classic Toy Trains new products for September 2025

blue and yellow model hopper car

Locomotives & rolling stock MTH Electric Trains, 7393 Washington Blvd. Ste. 101, Elkridge, MD 21075 has announced 50 Waffle Boxcars as part of the Premier line. The boxcars feature sliding doors, metal handrails, and O-31 operation (20-99481 shown). Estimated delivery in February 2026. Price: $84.95. Website: mthtrains.com Trainworld, 751 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11218, is […]

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Rapido Trains HO EMD GP40

Color photo showing nose of HO scale four-axle road switcher painted silver, orange, and black on white background

Rapido HO Trains EMD GP40 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single unit — direct current, $239.95; with ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, $349.95. Locomotive with slug — direct current, $449.95; with ESU LokSound V5 decoder, $669.95 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido Trains HO EMD GP40 diesel locomotive features: Ditch […]

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Long-running success

Long-running success

Electro-Motive’s four-wheel road-diesel truck, named for the mechanical engineer who designed it, Martin Blomberg, was introduced on the NW3 and FT models of 1939. Since then the Blomberg truck has been used under tens of thousands of diesels, including new models introduced more than 75 years later. Photo by Classic Trains collection […]

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Visiting Jim Kelly’s Tehachapi Pass layout

Diesels in the middle of a N scale freight train

Retired Model Railroader Managing Editor Jim Kelly remains active in honing his N scale skills and craftsmanship. The result has been the fourth incarnation of his Tehachapi Pass layout. Set in 1985, both the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and Southern Pacific traverse the 2% grade between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, Calif., with the famous Tehachapi […]

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Wabtec unveils more fuel efficient EVO Advantage engine

PITTSBURGH — Wabtec this week introduced its EVO Advantage engine, which features eTurbo technology that improves fuel efficiency by as much as 7%. The EVO Advantage — which is currently undergoing extensive field testing — will be available for Evolution series Tier 3 and Tier 4 locomotive modernizations, the manufacturer said this week. “The heart […]

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Safety First: A railroad industry slogan

A nighttime photograph of a silver-painted turntable bridge in the foreground with seven yellow diesel locomotives in the background

Given the dangers inherent in the railroad industry, it’s no surprise the slogan “Safety First” has a long history with railroading, appearing on posters, signs, and other safety materials — and even turntable bridges like this one in the western Nebraska community of Chadron. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the first recorded use of […]

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Interstate Alco

Interstate Alco

One of the Interstate Railroad’s ten Alco RS3 diesel locomotives switches hopper cars in the road’s yard at Andover, Virginia, in May 1960. The 88-mile coal-hauler’s diesels wore a colorful gray-orange-silver scheme. The Southern Railway bought the Interstate in June 1961. Photo by Steve Patterson […]

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Atlas N EMD GP60 with sound

Color photo showing nose of N scale diesel painted scarlet and gray on white background.

Atlas N EMD GP60 with sound Scale: N (1:160) Price: Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $144.95; with ESU sound decoder, $254.95. Subtract $10 for undecorated models. Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas N EMD GP60 with sound features: Body-mounted Accumate couplers Clear window glazing Factory-applied air horn […]

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East Troy Industrial Park Sidetrack | Building a glass plant, Part 4

Follow Model Railroader magazine Editor Eric White as he demonstrates how to scratchbuild generators for the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad. Using manufactured shipping containers as a guide, Eric constructs the generator structures using .040″ styrene sheets. He details the process of cutting and assembling the frame for the units, and […]

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News & Products for the week of August 25th 2025

A red model boxcar with white lettering which reads "DSSA"

News & Products for the week of August 25th 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 August 25th, […]

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