The MR&T heritage fleet

Screen capture from Milwaukee, Racine & Troy heritage fleet video.

During the past two decades, Class 1 railroads Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and CSX have unveiled heritage units. The diesels, painted in the schemes of predecessor railroads, are popular with railfans and model railroaders alike. Union Pacific got the ball rolling in 2005 and 2006 by painting six diesels in the schemes of its merger […]

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Atlas N scale EMD SD9

Screen shot of Atlas N scale EMD SD9 Product Review video title screen.

The Atlas N scale EMD SD9 is back, this time with a factory-installed speaker in Silver Series models and a LokSound V5 sound decoder in Gold Series models. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno as he takes a closer look at the sound-equipped Burlington Northern sample we received. Check out the sound and light […]

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Atlas N scale EMD SD9

Screen shot of Atlas N scale EMD SD9 Product Review video title screen.

The Atlas N scale EMD SD9 is back, this time with a factory-installed speaker in Silver Series models and a LokSound V5 sound decoder in Gold Series models. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno as he takes a closer look at the sound-equipped Burlington Northern sample we received. Check out the sound and light […]

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Guide to N scale couplers

Color photo of freight car truck with a Mange-Matic coupler.

In the 60-plus years that N scale has been around, there has been a great deal of change in couplers. Rapido, an early manufacturer of N scale models (not to be confused with today’s Rapido Trains), let other companies use its coupler design. The wedge-front coupler, which was used on most N scale models (except […]

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Converting to body-mounted N scale couplers

Photo showing N scale freight car underbody and tap in pin vise.

Prototype locomotives and freight cars have body-mounted couplers, but that hasn’t always been the case on N scale models. Truck-mounted couplers were the standard for many years. Today, almost all N scale locomotives and most newly tooled freight cars have body-mounted N scale couplers. The primary reasons for making the switch from truck-mounted couplers to […]

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Atlas O Fall 2023 Premier Catalog

Catalog cover image

The Atlas O Fall 2023 Premier Catalog was recently posted on the manufacturer’s website. The 32-page catalog features a mix of locomotives, commuter cars, and rolling stock from the Premier, Master, and Trainman product ranges. The last four pages of the catalog include previously announced track, structures, and accessories. Two models that will be making […]

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Model a pike-size passenger train

Color photo of three-car passenger train with blue truck in front of last car.

When you think of Burlington Northern, passenger service may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But from March 2, 1970 (Burlington Northern’s first day) to April 30, 1971 (the day before Amtrak started operations), the railroad offered passenger service. Among the name trains were the Empire Builder, Mainstreeter, North Coast Limited, and […]

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MTH and Atlas announce shared tooling deal

orange and black steam locomotive with passenger cars from MTH

MTH Electric Trains and the Atlas Model Railroad Company announced a shared asset deal that will allow each company to use select models from the other company’s O scale tools and molds. The first of these shared assets will be passenger car tooling that can complement locomotives being produced by the other company. The program […]

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Atlas N scale S4 diesel locomotive

Screen capture from video with N scale locomotive in blue and yellow paint.

The Atlas N scale Alco S4 diesel locomotive recently paid a visit to our N scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy State Line Route layout. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno and associate editor Bryson Sleppy as they discuss the features on this newly tooled model, demonstrate some of the sound and light functions, and […]

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Atlas N scale S4 diesel locomotive

Screen capture from video with N scale locomotive in blue and yellow paint.

The Atlas N scale Alco S4 diesel locomotive recently paid a visit to our N scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy State Line Route layout. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno and associate editor Bryson Sleppy as they discuss the features on this newly tooled model, demonstrate some of the sound and light functions, and […]

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5 tips for better scenes on your toy train layout

Toy train grade crossing depicting the transition era as a New York Central cab unit approaches a crossing and stopped traffic. Five numerals in red circles 1 through 5 highlight portions of the scene discussed in the text. Photo by Dennis Brennan

5 tips for better scenes on your toy train layout   Whenever someone asks me what makes a toy train layout special, I reply that detail is the key. Size and scope don’t matter as much as what a modeler does in the space available. Developing memorable scenes – “vignettes,” as they’re called – can […]

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New CTT products for September 2023

silver model of locomotive

New CTT products for September 2023 Locomotives and rolling stock An Electro-Motive Division SD70MAC road diesel locomotive has joined the Atlas O Premier Line. Paint schemes include BNSF Ry. (green and cream), CSX (dark blue and yellow), Lake State Ry. (blue and gray), Metra (blue, black, and orange), Paducah & Louisville (green and white), R.J. […]

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