Q: I have some N scale cars from Micro-Trains. Recently, I swapped out the factory-installed plastic wheelsets with metal wheelsets, but now the cars don’t roll freely. What can I do to fix this? — Kelly Walton-Harper A: Metal wheelsets aren’t one-size-fits all. The first thing you’ll want to check is wheel size, as it’s […]
Era: 1946 - 1970
Mountain meet
Westbound and eastbound Western Star streamliners meet along Whitefish Lake near Whitefish, Mont., in the 1950s. Great Northern photo […]
News & Products for the week of June 30th 2025
News & Products for the week of June 30th 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 June 30th, […]
Walthers HO Pullman-Standard 4427 covered hopper
Walthers HO Pullman-Standard 4427 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Era: Mid-1960s to 2000s (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO Pullman-Standard 4427 covered hopper features: 36″ metal wheelsets 4-3-4 exterior-post pattern Body-mounted Proto-Max metal couplers Detailed bottom outlet gates […]
Rapido HO Pennsylvania RR H21 hoppers
Rapido HO Pennsylvania RR H21 hoppers Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $54.95; three-pack, $164.85; and six-pack, $329.70 Era: 1909 to 1970s (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St., Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Features on Rapido HO Pennsylvania RR H21 hoppers: AB or K brake systems as appropriate Body-mounted Rapido […]
Atlas Classic HO Alco RS11
The Atlas Classic HO Alco RS11 is back in new paint schemes and road numbers. We recently received a sample decorated for Burlington Northern, and our resident BN fan, Senior Editor Cody Grivno, is here with the scoop. Learn about the full-size Alco RS11 and Burlington Northern 4183; get a close-up look at the factory-applied […]
Atlas Classic HO Alco RS11
The Atlas Classic HO Alco RS11 is back in new paint schemes and road numbers. We recently received a sample decorated for Burlington Northern, and our resident BN fan, Senior Editor Cody Grivno, is here with the scoop. Learn about the full-size Alco RS11 and Burlington Northern 4183; get a close-up look at the factory-applied […]
News & Products for the week of June 23rd 2025
News & Products for the week of June 23rd 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 June 23rd, […]
Toy trains in Argentina
In the 1920s, as Argentina’s economy boomed and its railway system expanded, toy trains began to capture the imaginations of children and adults. Because British investors and engineers played a key role in Argentina’s railroad development, it made sense that the first toy trains came from European manufacturers like Hornby. It was a simple matter […]
5 traits of the Ann Arbor Railroad
Michigan was and still is no stranger to railroads small yet unique enough to attract a following. The former Ann Arbor Railroad, not to be confused with today’s incarnation under Watco, certainly fit the bill with these 5 traits of the Ann Arbor Railroad that range from quirky to charming. More car ferry […]
Athearn N F89-F flatcar review
Price: Flatcar only, $43.99; flatcar with 45-foot trailer, $69.99 Manufacturer Athearn Trains 2904 Research Rd. Champaign, IL 61822 athearn.com Road names: Trailer Train (mineral red and yellow schemes), Kansas City Southern, and Southern Pacific. Three road numbers per scheme (two without trailer, one with). Era: 1960s+ to 1990s+ (varies by paint scheme) Comments: Athearn recently […]
Art Kear’s Wellsville, Addison & Galeton in HO scale
In the August 2025 issue of Model Railroader, we featured Art Kear’s HO scale Buffalo & Susquehanna to Wellsville, Addison & Galeton. The 12 x 32-foot multi-deck walk-in layout features a logging line circa 1910 and the steam-to-diesel transition era in 1950. “Once the train room was completed, it was time to get started on […]
