Athearn HO GP40X An Electro-Motive Division GP40X with railroad-specific detail is offered by Athearn Trains. The Ready-to-Roll model, which features an upgraded Rail Power Products shell, is based on the short-lived EMD prototype manufactured from December 1977 through June 1978. Only 23 units were built, all for railroads in the United States. The GP40X was […]
EVEN CONSIDERING THE fact that most kids (and adults) have never gotten closer to a steam locomotive than, say, an episode of Petticoat Junction, a steam-powered starter set is tough to beat. The visual elements of moving side rods and puffing smoke, combined with the gift-giving mood around the holidays, make a steam-engine starter set […]
S-HELPER SERVICE is one of the leaders in producing modern trains that improve upon postwar standards of detail and performance while retaining the ability to operate with vintage S gauge trains. Gone are the cast-in details that may have been pleasing back in a time when guys were building freight cars from cardboard or wood […]
Atlas HO scale Alco C-420 A great looking, smooth-running model of Alco’s smallest Century-series road locomotive, the 2,000-hp C-420 road switcher, has been released by Atlas. This model represents what railfans call the Phase 1 version, and it’s decorated for all of the prototype’s original owners. Atlas offers the C-420 in a Silver-series DC version, […]
A powerful workhorse of the Pennsylvania RR, the M1a class 4-8-2, is now available in HO scale as part of Broadway Limited Import’s BlueLine series of DC sound-equipped locomotives. This new model uses the same tooling as the Digital Command Control (DCC) version released a few years ago, but has a new BLI-designed sound system. […]
American Model Builders O scale grain elevator kit Price: $149.99Manufacturer American Model Builders8229 Brentwood Industrial Dr.St. Louis, MO 63144www.laserkit.comDescription: Laser-cut wood structure kitComments: Based on a North-western Line Elevator from the 1913 Grain Dealers Journal, this Laserkit model depicts a design commonly seen along the tracks across the country. The kit includes laser-cut wood and […]
WHEN I SAW a Coors Silver Bullet commercial in 2004, I said, “Cool.” When I saw MTH’s announcement that it was making an O gauge model of the Coors Silver Bullet, I said, “Cool, but they’ll never really make that.” When I opened the shipping carton, I said, “Cool, look at all that crazy chrome!” […]
THIS “RETROVILLE” MONORAIL from MTH is a hoot. It had me recalling an old TV show where a character from the past ends up in the 21st century. He exclaims, “Where are the flying cars? We were promised flying cars!” Well, we were also promised jet backpacks, robot maids, and, of course, monorails. Seven years […]
InterMountain Railway Co. HO Caswell gondola Introduction of this Caswell drop-bottom gondola in HO scale is a big event for Santa Fe modelers. Few freight cars are as closely associated with one major railroad as are these composite (wood and steel) general-service gondolas with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. InterMountain can take credit for […]
Athearn HO scale weathered boxcars Price: $27.98 Manufacturer Athearn 1550 Glenn Curtiss St. Carson, CA 90746 www.athearn.comDescription: ready-to-run plastic model Comments: Factory-weathered freight cars are now available in HO scale as part of Athearn’s Genesis series. We reviewed a smooth-side 50-foot boxcar lettered for Missouri Pacific no. 782043 and an exterior post 50-foot boxcar lettered […]
PIKO Spielwaren Ltd. wireless DCC system PIKO of Germany has introduced an entry-level Digital Command Control (DCC) system that features infrared wireless operation. The Digi 1 system comes with a wireless remote, receiver base station, and two decoders. It’s intended for a model railroader who wants to operate two or three locomotives at a time. […]
Walthers HO EMD F7 A powerful ready-to-run HO scale model of Electro-Motive Division’s (EMD) popular F7 diesel locomotive is now part of the Proto 2000 series from Walthers. The model faithfully captures the streamlined appearance of the classic mid-century locomotive. By the numbers. Electro-Motive Division manufactured the F7s between February 1949 and December 1953. During […]
