Model Railroader Readers Choice Winners

The Model Railroader’s 2019 Readers Choice Awards Results are in! View the results below.

WINNER: The HO MP15DC locomotive is available in DCC ready and DCC and sound-equipped versions.

HO SCALE DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: HO MP15DC Locomotives

RUNNER UP | ScaleTrains.com: Rivet Counter GE Tier 4 GEVo

N SCALE DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE

WINNER | Broadway Limited Imports: EMD F3/F7

RUNNER UP | Kato Trains: EMD Milwaukee Road FP7 & F7B

HO SCALE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

WINNER | Broadway Limited Imports: C&O J3a Greenbrier

RUNNER UP | Athearn Trains: CSA-1 and CSA-2 4-6-6-4

N SCALE STEAM LOCOMOTIVE

WINNER | Broadway Limited Imports: PRR T1

RUNNER UP | Athearn Trains: CSA-1 and CSA-2 4-6-6-4

TROLLEY, STREETCAR OR SUBWAY CAR – ANY SCALE

WINNER | Bachmann Trains: PCC with sparking pole and DCC sound

RUNNER UP | Bowser: PCC streetcars

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE – ANY SCALE

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: HO ALP-45DP

RUNNER UP | Bachmann Trains: ACS-64 (with TCS WOWSound)

NARROW GAUGE LOCOMOTIVE

WINNER | Blackstone Models: HOn3 K-27 Mikado 2-8-2 “Mudhen”

RUNNER UP | Bachmann Trains: On30 2-6-0 (DCC-equipped sound ready)

S SCALE LOCOMOTIVE

WINNER | American Models: EMD GP9 standard

RUNNER UP | MTH Electric Trains: F3 locomotive

HO SCALE TRAIN SET

WINNER | Lionel Trains: The Polar Express HO Set

RUNNER UP | Bachmann Trains: The Greatest Show On Earth (Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey)

N SCALE TRAIN SET

WINNER | Bachmann Trains: Broadway Limited set

RUNNER UP | Kato Trains: Operation North Pole Christmas train 6-unit book case collector’s set

HO SCALE PASSENGER CAR

WINNER | Broadway Limited Imports: California Zephyr

RUNNER UP | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Proto 70-foot Heavyweight Railway Post Office-Baggage

WINNER: The N Trainman 60-foot passenger cars are based on C&NW and CNJ prototypes.

N SCALE PASSENGER CARS

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: N Trainman passenger cars

RUNNER UP | Intermountain Railway Co.: 52-seat fluted-side coach

HO SCALE PASSENGER CAR SET

WINNER | Broadway Limited Imports: Wabash Blue Bird

RUNNER UP | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Proto George Washington C&O train

N SCALE PASSENGER CAR SET

WINNER | Kato Trains: Milwaukee Road Olympian Hiawatha 9-car train set

RUNNER UP | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: N Trainman 5-car passenger car set

WINNER: Pre-1950 PS-1 boxcars 4328 ATSF. Pre-order today.

HO SCALE BOX CAR

WINNER | Kadee Quality Products Co.: ATSF pre-1950 PS-1 boxcar

RUNNER UP | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Mainline 60-foot high-cube Plate F boxcar

WINNER: Kadee Quality Products Co.: 40-foot PS-1 boxcar kits 6-, 7- or 8-foot door cars.

HO SCALE BOX CAR KIT

WINNER | Kadee Quality Products Co.: 40-foot PS-1 boxcar kit

RUNNER UP | Accurail: Pullman-Standard 4750 covered hopper kit

N SCALE BOX CAR

WINNER | Broadway Limited Imports: NYC steel boxcar

RUNNER UP | Atlas Model Railroad Co. Inc.: N ATSF BX-177 boxcar

HO SCALE HOPPER CAR / COVERED HOPPER

WINNER | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Mainline 39-foot Trinity 3281 2-bay covered hopper

RUNNER UP | Broadway Limited Imports: H2a 3-bay hopper

N SCALE HOPPER CAR / COVERED HOPPER

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: N Trainman ACF 3560 covered hopper

RUNNER UP | ScaleTrains.com: Rivet Counter Gunderson 5188cf covered hopper

WINNER: These striking TopGon models are available in single packs, 3-packs and 6-packs.

HO SCALE GONDOLA CAR

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: Norfolk Southern G-86R TopGon

RUNNER UP | ExactRail: Gunderson 7466 wood-chip gondola

N SCALE GONDOLA CAR

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: Norfolk Southern G-86R TopGon

RUNNER UP | Intermountain Railway Co.: Bathtub coal gondola

HO SCALE FLAT CAR / INTERMODAL

WINNER | Athearn Trains: Genesis F89 tri-level auto rack

RUNNER UP | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Mainline 60-foot Pullman-Standard flatcar

N SCALE FLAT CAR / INTERMODAL

WINNER | Athearn Trains: F89 bi-level/tri-level auto rack

RUNNER UP | Intermountain Railway Co.: 60-foot wood deck flatcar

WINNER: Expand HO freight service in minutes with railroad-ready WalthersMainline 50-foot exterior-post mechanical refrigerator cars.

HO SCALE REFRIGERATOR CAR

WINNER | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Mainline 50-foot AAR mechanical refrigerator car

RUNNER UP | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: HO 40-foot wood reefer

N SCALE REFRIGERATOR CAR

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: N 40-foot wood reefer

RUNNER UP | Intermountain Railway Co.: R-40-23

HO SCALE TANK CAR

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: HO 11,000-gallon tank car

RUNNER UP | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Proto 55-foot Trinity modified 30,145- gallon tank car

N SCALE TANK CAR

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: 11,000-gallon tank car

RUNNER UP | Athearn Trains: Tank Train

HO SCALE CABOOSE / MAINTENANCE OF WAY

WINNER | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Proto Jordan Spreader

RUNNER UP | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: HO Trainman cupola caboose

N SCALE CABOOSE / MAINTENANCE OF WAY

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: N extended-cupola caboose

RUNNER UP | Micro-Trains Line Co.: 31-foot bay-window caboose

S SCALE ROLLING STOCK

WINNER | MTH Electric Trains: 40-foot wood-sided reefer – Columbia Soups

RUNNER UP | American Models: 40-foot Deluxe boxcar

NARROW GAUGE ROLLING STOCK

WINNER | Blackstone Models: D&RGW 30-foot refrigerator cars

RUNNER UP | Bachmann Trains: Derrick car

WINNER: Cornerstone urban bridge kits fit industrial, commercial, and residential HO scenes in all popular eras.

HO SCALE STRUCTURE KITS

WINNER | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Cornerstone urban bridges

RUNNER UP | Bar Mills Scale Model Works: Chalky White’s Pool Hall

WINNER: Build trackside business with the N Scale Cornerstone Central Beverage Distributors with office annex kit.

N SCALE STRUCTURE KITS

WINNER | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Cornerstone Central Beverage Distributors with office annex

RUNNER UP | Woodland Scenics: Fire station

O SCALE STRUCTURE KITS

WINNER | Bar Mills Scale Model Works: Shipyard Brewing

RUNNER UP | Woodland Scenics: County Store Expansion

HO SCALE BUILT-UP STRUCTURE

WINNER | Woodland Scenics: Letters, Parcels & Post

RUNNER UP | Bar Mills Scale Model Works: Operating Water Tower

N SCALE BUILT-UP STRUCTURE

WINNER | Woodland Scenics: Rustic Water Tower

RUNNER UP | Bar Mills Scale Model Works: Operating Water Tower

O SCALE BUILT-UP STRUCTURE

WINNER | Woodland Scenics: Old weathered barn

RUNNER UP | Bar Mills Scale Model Works: Operating Water Tower

WINNER: SceneMaster UPS package cars come in two schemes and deliver great detail to HO layouts.

VEHICLES – ANY SCALE

WINNER | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: SceneMaster UPS package car

RUNNER UP | Awesome Diecast: Iconic Replicas Greyhound Bus Line motor coach

WINNER: Put life in HO layouts with this contemporary railroad yard crew figure set from Walters SceneMaster.

FIGURES – ANY SCALE

WINNER | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: SceneMaster railroad yard crew

RUNNER UP | Woodland Scenics: Train Personnel

WINNER: If you like the Zephyr Xtra, you’ll LOVE the Zephyr Express!

DCC, ELECTRONICS & CONTROLS

WINNER | Digitrax: Zephyr Xtra starter set

RUNNER UP: A throttle, booster, and command station in one unit, the PowerCab is a user-friendly way to get started in DCC.

DCC, ELECTRONICS & CONTROLS

RUNNER UP | NCE Corporation: NCE PowerCab

WINNER: Tsunami2 are available in steam, diesel, or electric versions.

DCC SOUND DECODER – FAVORITE BRAND

WINNER | Soundtraxx: Tsunami2 decoders

RUNNER UP: Digitrax has decoders for ALL your locos – all sizes, shapes, and features!

DCC SOUND DECODER – FAVORITE BRAND

RUNNER UP | Digitrax: Digitrax Decoders

WINNER: Rede”Fi”ne possibilities for your model railroad operations: Simplify … WiFi … LocoFi.

NON-DCC COMMAND CONTROL

WINNER | WiFi Model Railroad Co.: LocoFi

RUNNER UP | Bluerail Trains: BlueRail Trains Blue Horse

LAYOUT SOUND SYSTEMS

WINNER | Broadway Limited Imports: Rolling Thunder subwoofer system

RUNNER UP | SoundTraxx: SurroundTraxx DSP-80

WINNER: Digitrax PS2012E: The best power supply on the market.

DCC POWER PACK

WINNER | Digitrax: 20 Amp Power Supply

RUNNER UP | Model Rectifier Corp.: Throttle Pack 9950

WINNER: Wm. K. Walthers Inc. Layout Control System brings easy, affordable turnout control to HO, N, S, and O.

TRACK & SIGNAL CONTROL

WINNER | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: Wm. K. Walthers Inc.

RUNNER UP | Circuitron, Inc.: AR-2 automatic reverse circuit with delay

RUNNER UP: Digitrax breakout boards make wiring Digitrax Logic boards a much easier task..

MISCELLANEOUS ELECTRONICS

WINNER | Broadway Limited Imports: Address Changer

RUNNER UP | ACCU-LITES: Breakout boards for Digitrax

READY-TO-INSTALL TREES

WINNER | Woodland Scenics: Premium trees

RUNNER UP | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: SceneMaster trees

SCENERY TOOLS

WINNER | Woodland Scenics: Static King

RUNNER UP | Wm. K. Walthers Inc.: SceneMaster tear and plant meadow mat

RUNNER UP: Backdrop Junction supplies the highest quality in photo backdrops, personal custom service, and reasonable prices.

BACKDROPS

WINNER | RailroadBackdrops.com/Affordable Model Railroads: Custom backdrops

RUNNER UP | Backdrop Junction: Custom Backdrops

RUNNER UP: Micro Engineering HO Code 83 Flex-Trak with wood grain detail and scale size spikes and tie plates.

HO SCALE FLEXTRACK

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: Code 100 & Code 83 flextrack

RUNNER UP | Micro Engineering: HO Scale Flex-Trak, weathered or non-weathered rail

N SCALE FLEXTRACK

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: Code 80 flextrack

RUNNER UP | Micro Engineering: Flex-Trak, weathered and non-weathered

HO SCALE SECTIONAL TRACK

WINNER | Kato Trains: Unitrack

RUNNER UP | Bachmann Trains: E-Z Track

HO SCALE TURNOUTS

WINNER | Pritchard Patent Product Co. Ltd. (Peco): Code 83 and 100 turnouts

RUNNER UP | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: Curved HO scale turnout

TRACK LAYING TOOLS

WINNER | Atlas Model Railroad Co.: Rail joiner sidekick tool

RUNNER UP | Fast Tracks: Assembly fixtures

FAVORITE BRICK & MORTAR HOBBY STORE (STOREFRONT) – NORTHEAST REGION

WINNER | MB Klein, Cockeysville, Md.

RUNNER UP | TrainLand, Lynbrook, N.Y.

FAVORITE BRICK & MORTAR HOBBY STORE (STOREFRONT) – SOUTHEAST REGION

WINNER | Little Choo Choo Shop, Spencer, N.C.

RUNNER UP | TrainMaster, Buford, Ga.

RUNNER UP: Lombard Hobbies…Your HO & N Scale value pricing leader for over 40 years!

FAVORITE BRICK & MORTAR HOBBY STORE (STOREFRONT) – MIDWEST REGION

WINNER | Des Plaines Hobbies, Des Plaines, Ill.

RUNNER UP | Lombard Hobby Shop, Lombard, Ill.

FAVORITE BRICK & MORTAR HOBBY STORE (STOREFRONT) – SOUTHWEST REGION

WINNER | Discount Model Trains, Addison, Texas

RUNNER UP | An Affair with Trains, Phoenix, Ariz.

FAVORITE BRICK & MORTAR HOBBY STORE (STOREFRONT) – WESTERN REGION

WINNER | Caboose Hobbies, Lakewood, Colo.

RUNNER UP | The Original Whistle Stop, Pasadena, Calif.

FAVORITE ONLINE RETAILER (Does not require storefront)

WINNER | Walthers.com

RUNNER UP | ModelTrainStuff.com

WINNER: Iowa Scaled Engineering’s ProtoThrottle, a wireless handheld DCC control stand throttle. The ultimate prototypical control!

MOST INNOVATIVE MODEL RAILROAD PRODUCT OF 2018

WINNER | Iowa Scaled Engineering – Proto Throttle

RUNNER UP: The Micro Engineering HO Ladder Track System for compact yards, utilizes five #5 turnouts, 5a thru 5e.

MOST INNOVATIVE MODEL RAILROAD PRODUCT OF 2018

RUNNER UP | Micro-Engineering Ladder System

Model Railroader Readers Choice Winners

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