ALTOONA, Pa. – On Saturday June 16, at 12:13 p.m., Norfolk Southern’s Alto tower in downtown Altoona was vacant for the first time in 97 years, as signal crews shifted authority from the Alto control operator to a Norfolk Southern train dispatcher. Maintenance crews also removed the classic Pennsylvania Railroad signal bridges from both ends […]
Section: News & Reviews
Bachmann HO scale 2-6-0 Mogul

Bachmann HO scale 2-6-0 Mogul The HO scale 2-6-0 Mogul from Bachmann is the company’s first steam engine equipped with the SoundTraxx Sound Value Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder. The Sound Value is an entry-level version of SoundTraxx’s Tsunami decoder, but the effects produced are just as strong and authentic as the full version. The […]
Kato N scale EMD SD9043MAC diesel locomotive

Kato N scale Electro-Motive Division SD9043MAC diesel locomotive Whether on 1:1 rails or in 1:160 proportion, an SD90MAC diesel draws the attention of railfans and modelers alike. At more than 80 scale feet long, this re-release of the N scale SD90MAC from Kato USA is an accurately detailed model of its massive prototype. Model Railroader […]
Atlas HO scale Thrall triple 53-foot articulated well car

Atlas HO scale Thrall triple 53-foot articulated well car Price: decorated, $109.95, undecorated, $89.95 ManufacturerAtlas Model Railroad Co.378 Florence AvenueHillside, NJ 07205atlasrr.com Road names (five road numbers each): TTX (yellow and black), Pacer Stack Train (blue, white, and red), and undecorated. Era: 2000 to present Comments: This common Thrall articulated intermodal car is now available […]
Woodland Scenics track cleaning system

Woodland Scenics track cleaning system This innovative tool from Woodland Scenics is part of the firm’s Tidy Track line and makes it easy to clean the rails almost anywhere on a model railroad. A complete system. The Rail Tracker is a 21⁄2″ inch long plastic tool that swivels on a knob. Indentations on the knob […]
Athearn N scale FMC 50-foot double-door boxcar

Athearn N scale FMC 50-foot double-door boxcar Price: $19.98 ManufacturerAthearn Trains2883 E. Spring St., Ste. 100Long Beach, CA 90806athearn.com Era: early 1970s to present Road names (three numbers each): British Columbia Ry., Burlington Northern, Northern Alberta Rys., Western Pacific Comments: For those modeling the 1970s and later, the 50-foot exterior post boxcar is a ubiquitous […]
Video: MTH HO scale Alco PA/PB set
The MTH Electric Trains HO Scale Alco PA/PB diesel locomotives feature the Digital Command System (DCS) and the Proto-Sound 3.0 system. See and hear the locomotives in action as they haul a streamlined passenger train around our model railroad. […]
Men caught stealing railroad tie plates in Pennsylvania NEWSWIRE
SOUDERTON, Pa. — Two men arrested for stealing tie plates from the Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad told police they didn’t know they were breaking the law. Each man faces 115 counts of theft and receiving stolen property, after they admitted to police they took the tie plates from the tracks. A citizen observed the men loading […]
New products for May 24, 2012

HO scale locomotives General Electric U25B diesel locomotive. New road name: Southern Pacific (road no. 3100). Upgraded handrails, separately applied details, and RP-25 contour metal wheelsets. Bowser will donate $15 from each sale to Orange Empire Ry. Museum. Direct current, $199.95. With SoundTraxx Digital Command Control sound decoder, $299.95. Late 2012. Ready-to-run. Executive Line. Bowser, […]
VIA Rail Canada sued by Industrial Rail NEWSWIRE
MONCTON, New Brunswick – Industrial Rail Services has filed two lawsuits against VIA Rail Canada, alleging the company breached a contract to rebuild Renaissance cars and acted in bad faith by terminating the contract, CBC News reports. VIA terminated the uncompleted portion of a contract with Industrial Rail to rebuild 98 cars on April 11. […]
New products for May 17, 2012

Atlas HO scale Trinity 25,500-gallon-capacity tank car HO scale freight cars Trinity 25,500-gallon-capacity tank car. New paint schemes: ADM (leaf logo), Bunge, ConAgra Foods, and Chevron. New road numbers: Cargill Vegetable Oils and IBPX. Three car numbers each. See-through platform grating, prototype-specific details, and knuckle couplers. $31.95. Ready-to-run. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, […]
MTH HO scale Alco PA-1 and PB-1 diesel locomotive

MTH HO scale Alco PA-1 and PB-1 diesel locomotive This HO scale Alco PA captures the streamlined form and distinctive diesel growl of the prototype. The MTH model also adds simulated white exhaust to the mix. Equipped with the MTH Digital Command System (DCS), the Alco PA operates on direct-current, Digital Command Control (DCC), and […]