News & Products for the week of January 27th 2025

A set of three model freight cars

News & Products for the week of January 27th 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 January 27th, […]

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An N scale carferry inspired by MR

Color photo showing N scale carferry with lights.

In 1980 and 1981, my wife and I rode round trips on the Viking and Badger, respectively, when they were still being used as railroad carferries operating between Wisconsin and Michigan. After those trips, I wanted to build an N scale version of the Viking. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time or skills required back […]

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The Basics of Model Train Repair and Maintenance

A hand manipulates a partially disassembled model locomotive

Most of us who love model trains value them for some aspect of their engineering, artistry, and nostalgia. We tend to be a meticulous and detail-oriented community, and we prize and cherish the integrity and aesthetics of the layouts we painstakingly build. Like any machinery, model trains need maintenance and cleaning to look and function […]

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Rapido HO mechanical refrigerator car

Color photo of HO scale freight car painted silver and black on white background.

A National Steel Car Corp. Ltd. (NSC) 3,294-cubic-foot capacity mechanical refrigerator car is now available from Rapido Trains. The model, offered in Canadian Pacific’s script and Multimark paint schemes, features injection-molded plastic construction, metal wheels mounted on plastic axles, and body-mounted metal couplers. Prototype history In the late 1960s, NSC built a group of mechanical […]

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Introducing the East Troy Industrial Park RR in HO scale

A large room with tan floor and blue walls with wood benches built along two of the walls and featuring dark-brown vertical panels. This room will eventually be home to the East Troy Industrial Park RR in HO scale.

Industrial park railroading has long been an area of interest to model railroaders. This type of railroading serves a concentrated group businesses, and it may or may not be affiliated with a class one railroad. Often the industrial park has its own railroad, or its tracks are served by a local company or nearby short […]

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Preserving the history of model railroading

A brick building on a model railroad building with a sign that reads "Reddy Electric" on the roof

I have hunted for a variety of antiques and collectibles over the years. From old phonographs and projectors to motion lamps and of course, model trains. I often wonder about how an item ended up where it was when I ran across it. For example, I have a complete collection of the first two years […]

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Upgrade old freight cars

The underside of a red model freight car with coupler

Q: Was there ever an article on converting old railcars to accept modern trucks and couplers? I have a few HO Tyco cars that need to be converted. — Jason Trew A: Jim Kelly and Andy Sperandeo co-authored “Kadee couplers” in the May 1981 issue of Model Railroader. The article covered both N and HO […]

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News & Products for the week of January 21st 2025

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

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Atlas N Alco RSD5

Color photo showing nose details on N scale diesel.

The Alco RSD5 diesel locomotive is back for another run in the N scale Atlas Classic line. The six-axle road switcher, part of the Atlas lineup since 1999, is now offered with a factory-installed speaker (Silver Series), an ESU LokSound V5 Digital Command Control and sound decoder (Gold Series), and a revised chassis. Prototype history […]

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The Mon Yough Valley Railroad layout in HO scale

A model railroad track plan for the Mon Yough valley railroad layout

Facts and features Name: Mon Yough Valley RRScale: HO and HOn3Size: model railroad: 41 x 53 feet, room: 44′-0″ x 55′-6″Prototype: freelanced Class I and short linesLocale: western PennsylvaniaEra: late 1950s – early 1960sStyle: walk around with operator aislesMainline run: combined double track main of 13.5 scale miles.Minimum radius: 32″ (main), 22″ (industrial and branch […]

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The Sn3 Rio Grande Southern layout

The track plan for the Sn3 Rio Grande Southern layout

Facts and features Name: Rio Grande SouthernScale: Sn3 (1:64 proportion, 3-foot gauge track)Size: 22 x 22 feetPrototype: Rio Grande SouthernLocale: ColoradoEra: 1930Style: walk-inMainline run: 154 feetMinimum radius: 36″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: 4%Benchwork: open gridHeight: 34″ to 56″Roadbed: plywood and HomasoteTack: code 70 flextrack with scratchbuilt turnoutsScenery: plaster over chicken wireBackdrop: photosControl: NCE Digital Command […]

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