Facts & features Name: The Eastern Loggers Scale: HO (1:87) in standard, narrow (3-foot), and dual gauges Size: 10 x 20 feet Prototypes: Pennsylvania logging railroads Locale: mountains of Pennsylvania Era: summer, early 1920s Style: sectional Mainline run: 60 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 6 percent Benchwork: open grid Height: […]
John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch was featured in Great Model Railroads 2023. This is John’s second New England-themed railroad with that name; the layout includes several segments salvaged from his previous version, which was published in the March 2013 Model Railroader. For another look at John’s layout, watch his video on YouTube. You […]
Gunderson Auto-Max articulated auto rack Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $74.99 Era: 1999+ to 2016+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Gunderson Auto-Max articulated auto rack cars feature: Separate, factory-applied ladders, brake rigging, stirrup steps, and handbrake details Simulated corrugated roof Full articulation with flexible diaphragm […]
Custom-decorated refrigerator cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $50 + shipping Manufacturer: Produced by InterMountain Railway Co., available from Three Notch Rail, HOI@hotmail.com, threenotchrail.blogspot.com Features: Based on Pacific Car & Foundry R-70-15 prototype Etched-metal side screens and roofwalk supports 33” InterMountain metal wheelsets Metal knuckle couplers Minimum radius: 22” Release Date: Available now Road name: Sun […]
What do you do if you have a car that has different colored numbers on each side and you want to change them? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email […]
200-ton crane and boom car Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $94.99 Era: 1960s+ to 1980s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features: Rotating boom Boom and blocks raise and lower Flatcar with boom support arms Machined metal wheels with RP-25 contours Body-mounted McHenry knuckle couplers Injection-molded […]
In Memoriam: Stephan Lamb. The founder and owner of Stephan Lamb Associates, passed away on the morning of October 8th, 2022. He started his business to help his friends which grew into building professional model railroads for so many clients throughout the years. Stephan took a personal interest in every layout that he built and […]
50-foot Superior plug-door boxcar Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $37.99 Era: 1971+ to late 2000s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features: Separate, factory-installed brake wheel and ladders 70-ton roller bearing trucks 33” machined metal wheels with RP-25 contours Body-mounted McHenry knuckle couplers Injection-molded plastic body […]
Rapido Trains recently released their General Motors Diesel F40PH-2D diesel locomotive. Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy hosts a Product Review video of this new N scale passenger locomotive. He demonstrates the details on the locomotive as well as lighting and sound effects from the dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder. Finally, he takes passengers on the […]
In this episode of Midday Modeler — 10-12-22 The Crew is reporting from the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill. A tour of the museum and some interviews with staff ensue. Midday Modeler is a new, regular video segment, recorded on-site and unscripted from Kalmbach Media beginning in February 2022. The segment features Kalmbach Media […]
Super Signals Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: Single, $39.99; five-pack, $179.99; and 10-pack, $349.99 Manufacturer: Dallas Model Works, 6009 W. Parker Rd., Unit 149 No. 196, Plano, TX 75093; dallasmodelworks.com Super Signals feature: Hand-built with fine detail Tested multiple times during assembly Fully painted Copper tube and resin construction Red/green light-emitting diode provides two light aspects Necessary resistor included […]
48-foot intermodal containers Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $89.99 Era: 1990s+ Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features: New road numbers Injection-molded plastic construction Fully assembled Stackable Each container is individually numbered Release date: November 2023 Road names: Conrail (white with “Conrail Mercury” lettering); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (white with […]
