2018 Railroad Hobby Show report

Athearn Trains HO scale Altoona, Pa.,-rebuilt SD60E diesel locomotive

Athearn Trains HO scale Altoona, Pa.,-rebuilt SD60E diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Altoona, Pa.,-rebuilt SD60E diesel locomotive. Norfolk Southern with Crescent cab. Four road numbers, including “Honoring First Responders.” Detailed cab interior, standard cab roof or Positive Train Control antenna array as appropriate, and railroad-specific long-hood detail. Direct-current model, $219.98; with SoundTraxx Digital Command Control […]

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In Memoriam: Steve Rodgers, 1952-2018

Steve Rodgers of Iuka, Ill., died Jan. 22, 2018. Steve was a veteran of the model railroad industry, starting with Micro Engineering in 1986. A decade later he became general manager of DeLuxe Innovations. In 2007 he co-founded Bluford Shops LLC, a manufacturer of HO and N scale products, with Craig Ross. […]

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Quick Look: Atlas O 55-ton coal hopper

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Atlas O 55-ton coal hopper Price: $74.95 Manufacturer Atlas O 378 Florence Ave. Hillside, NJ 07205 www.atlasrr.com Era: 1960s (as decorated) Road names: Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf; Boston & Maine; Canadian National; Virginian; and Westmoreland Coal Co. Four road numbers each. Data only and undecorated versions also available. Comments: One of the enduring freight-car designs […]

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Amtrak permanently retiring Pacific Parlour Cars NEWSWIRE

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Amtrak’s Seattle-to-Los Angeles Coast Starlight crosses a trestle at Goleta, Calif. Pacific Parlour cars used in the train’s consist will soon be removed from Amtrak service. Bob Johnston The Pacific Parlour Cars, which were built by Pullman-Standard for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway as hi-level lounge cars and have been a regular part […]

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New model trains for the week of January 18, 2018

Broadway Limited Imports HO scale Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4-8-4 Northern steam locomotive

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP7 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes: Algoma Central (maroon, gray, and yellow), Amtrak (silver and black), Central California Traction (red), Great Northern (Empire Builder scheme), and Missouri-Kansas-Texas (green and yellow). New road numbers: Bangor & Aroostook (gray, red, and black), Belt Ry. of Chicago (gray, black, and yellow, two numbers), […]

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Quick Look: Walthers HO scale 89-foot channel-side flatcar

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Walthers HO scale 89-foot channel-side flatcar Walthers HO scale 89-foot channel-side flatcars Price: $27.98 Manufacturer Wm. K. Walthers Inc. 5601 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53218 www.walthers.com Era: 1963 to present Road names: TTX (yellow and 1960s brown for 40-foot trailers, Twin 45 with KTTX marks in yellow and brown for 45-foot trailers, and general […]

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New model trains for the week of January 11, 2018

Schuylkill Iron Works HO scale Pacific Car & Foundry flatcars

Schuylkill Iron Works HO scale Pacific Car & Foundry flatcars HO scale freight cars Pacific Car & Foundry flatcars. Shielded-deck flatcar, rail deck flatcar, and I-beam deck flatcar. Cast-resin kits with trucks but no wheels. $29 each plus shipping (mix and match any three, $85). Pennsylvania residents add 6 percent sales tax. Schuylkill Iron Works, […]

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New model trains for the week of January 4, 2018

Wm. K. Walthers HO scale General Electric ES44AC and AH diesel locomotives

HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP40P-2 diesel locomotive. Southern Pacific (no. 3197 in American Revolution Bicentennial and scarlet and gray schemes; nos. 7600 through 7602 in factory weathered scarlet and gray) and Union Pacific (two road numbers). Light-emitting-diode headlights, vinyl m.u. hoses, and wire grab irons. Direct-current model, $189.98; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, […]

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First look at the Amfleet I coach fleet refresh NEWSWIRE

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The interior of a newly refurbished Amfleet 1 coach. Ralph Spielman NEW YORK – For Amtrak’s 450-odd, 40-something-year-old Amfleet I passenger car fleet, the Budd-built cars are newsworthy yet again, and the news is passenger comfort. The new interior redesign brings the 21st century to the Northeast and the Midwest. Trains News Wire recently toured […]

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New model trains for the week of December 21, 2017

Accurail HO scale assorted freight car kits

Accurail HO scale assorted freight car kits HO scale freight cars Assorted freight car kits. St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Pullman-Standard 4,750-cubic-foot-capacity three-bay covered hopper, $19.98. Baltimore & Ohio 50-foot welded-side plug-door boxcar, $17.98. Erie 36-foot double-sheathed boxcar with wood ends and straight underframe, $17.98. Fowler 36-foot single-sheathed boxcar (undecorated, Mineral Red with data only, and […]

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Friends of the 261 acquires two dome cars NEWSWIRE

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Steve Glischinski MINNEAPOLIS – The Friends of the 261, owners and operators of Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261, has purchased two dome cars from Canadian National. The cars are former Western Pacific California Zephyr dome coach Spirit of Superior and Algoma Central dome coach observation No. 901. The cars were last used on CN’s Algoma […]

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