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John Tews’ Timber River Line Price: E-book (pdf), $13.95; softcover book, $45.95 Publisher: Shiny Script LLC, N1510 State Road 32, Oostburg, WI 53070; shinyscript.com John Tews’ Timber River Line from Shiny Script LLC features: 245 color photos by Bonnie and Kevin Domrois Descriptions of various scenes on layout Track plans with photo arrows Information on […]
53-foot spine car Scale: N (1:160) Price: Three platform, $119.95 ($99.95 undecorated); five platform, $199.95 ($164.95 undecorated) Era: 1997 to present Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com 53-foot spine car features: Die-cast metal and plastic construction Chemically etched walkways Assembled collapsed or raised hitches BLMA 70-ton American Steel Foundries Ride Control trucks […]
40-foot steel boxcars Scale: N (1:160) Price: Two pack, $54.99; four-pack, $104.99 Era: 1922+ to 1970s (varies depending on railroad) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports LLC, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; 386-673-8900; broadway-limited.com 40-foot steel boxcars feature: ABS plastic body and chassis Metal wheelsets Separate, factory-applied doors, running boards, brake wheel, and brake […]
Why I love the Electro-Motive Division SD40-2 Many modelers have a locomotive that they are fond of, probably one of their first models that they received as a kid. My first engine was an O gauge F7, a far cry from the locomotive that I love, the Electro-Motive Division SD40-2. In fact, nine years later […]
Thrall articulated auto carrier Scale: O (1:48) Price: $159.95 Era: 1997 to present Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Thrall articulated auto carrier features: ¼” scale details and dimensions Die-cast metal chassis Positionable end doors Interior deck Modeler-installed articulated diaphragm Separate, factory-applied wire grab irons 70-ton roller-bearing trucks Brake line details Minimum […]
Rapido Trains recently released its bi-level commuter coaches and cab cars in HO scale. The manufacturer sent samples of its coaches to the team at Model Railroader magazine. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he takes a close-up look at the ready-to-run cars. Features on the bi-level commuter cars from Rapido Trains include a body […]
When two trains running in opposite directions on a single-track main have to pass each other, the dispatcher will schedule them to meet at a passing siding. But what happens when one or both of those trains is too long to fit into the siding? Engineers coped with this situation with a maneuver called a […]
American Car & Foundry Coalveyor bathtub gondola Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $39.95 (undecorated, $30.95) Era: 1980s to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Coalveyor bathtub gondola features: Die-cast metal chassis Interior bracing Removable coal load Accumate couplers Brake detail 100-ton roller-bearing trucks Metal wheels Release date: […]
Bay Area Rapid Transit Legacy Fleet Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: A-B-B-A with dual-mode sound decoder, $712.45; A-B-B-A with direct-current, $522.45; C end car with dual-mode sound decoder, $322.95; direct-current C end car, $218.45; A end car with display case; $142.45; B intermediate car, $85.45. Era: 1972–present Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 […]
Interview with Industry Leader Jason Shron | Earlier this summer, Trains.com staff finally had the opportunity to resume post-pandemic travel into Canada. The first destination for Director David Popp and crew would be the world headquarters of Rapido Trains Inc, located in the Toronto, Ontario, metro area. That’s where Jason Shron, one of the hobby […]
Additional American Z Line diesel locomotive announcements for September 2022 Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: Southern Pacific Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive, 1980s. Cotton Belt Alco PA-1 diesel locomotive, 1956 to January 1960 (as decorated). Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com EMD SW1500 features: AutoLatch couplers Prototype-specific details Directional light-emitting-diode lighting Blackened […]
What is the difference between HOn3 and HO scale? Track? Rolling stock and equipment size? What size buildings are used for each? All the interesting steam engines seem to be HOn3. Can they be used interchangeably with HO on a layout? – Jon LaVasseur, Minneapolis, Minn. A: The answer to your question lies in the […]
