This S gauge model is a major step forward for American Flyer enthusiasts. The arrival of the Union Pacific Challenger clearly affirms Lionel’s intention of marketing die-cast metal steam locomotives that are both esthetically and operationally the equal of anything in O gauge, but in 1:64 scale, of course. The Union Pacific Challenger needs no […]
Rail Yard Models, a manufacturer of HO scale resin model railroad freight car kits, ceased operations on March 1, 2012. In a statement on the company’s website, owner Gene Fusco wrote, “I have had a great deal of satisfaction designing, manufacturing, and selling my kits to some of the best modelers in the railroad hobby. […]
The Walthers HO scale model of the Pennsylvania RR Broadway Limited passenger train is led by two WalthersProto General Motors Electro-Motive Division E8A diesel-electric locomotives. Each locomotive includes a SoundTraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder. Watch the model train run on the Model Railroader club layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. […]
Kevin Strong 1:29 scale, gauge-1 2-8-0Aristo-Craft Trains698 S. 21st St.Irvington NJ 07111Price: $891Website: www.aristocraft.com Plastic model of a 2-8-0, based on the Baltimore & Ohio E-27-class Consolidations. Dimensions: length, 29″ over couplers (70′ scale); width, 4″ (9.6′ scale); height, 6.5″ to top of stack (15.7′ scale). Minimum radius, 4′ (8′ diameter) Pros: Smooth, quiet motor […]
Kevin Strong 1:29 scale, gauge 1, Class 66 diesel-electric locomotiveAristo-Craft TrainsAvailable in the US exclusively from: Trainworld751 McDonald Ave.Brooklyn NY 11218Price: $799.99Website: www.trainworld.com Plastic model of Canadian-built Class 66 locomotives, produced for the UK and Europe between 1998 and 2008. Dimensions: length, 29″ (70′ scale); width, 3.5″ (8.5′ scale); height, 5.5″ (13.3′ scale). Minimum radius, […]
Kevin Strong Automatic station-stop control for DCC-controlled railroads (all scales)DCC BitSwitch31190 Eagle Crest LaneEvergreen CO 80439Prices: Timed-stop station control, $89.95; DC brake generator (needed in conjunction), $25Website: www.dccbitswitch.com Circuit boards to provide automatic station stops for DCC-powered railroads Pros: Wiring diagrams clear and easy to follow; simple installation Cons: Only works on track powered, DCC-controlled […]
Marc Horovitz 1:24-scale Helms Bakery TruckJuDee’s Collectibles, LLCPO Box 385El Segundo CA 90245Price: $125 + s&hWebsite: www.judeescollectibles.com Ready-to-use model of a Helms Bakery truck; die-cast construction; operating side doors and vent windows; full interior; rolling wheels (not steerable). Dimensions: length, 67/8″; width, 3″; height, 39/16″. In 1:24 scale, this works out to 13’9″ x 6′ […]
Making Model Buildings for Garden Railways by Peter Jones with Kes JonesCrowood PressThe Stable Block, Crowood Lane, RamsburyMarlborough, Wiltshire SN8 2HRUnited KingdomAvailable in the US from:Quayside Publishing Group400 First Avenue North, Suite 300Minneapolis MN 55401 7¾” x 10″, 192 pages, hardbound, profusely illustrated in color Price: $39.95 Website: www.qbookshop.com The legions of Peter Jones fans […]
Athearn HO scale Electro-Motive Division GP35 diesel locomotives HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP35 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes and road numbers: Southern Pacific; CP Rail; Denver & Rio Grande Western; Nickel Plate Road; Toledo, Peoria & Western; and Western Maryland. Three road numbers each. Directional headlights, prototype-specific details, and McHenry scale magnetic knuckle couplers. […]
The Canadian Maple Leaf freight set may be the “Sir Mix-a-Lot” of starter sets because it jumbles up Canadian road names as well as eras. This is the third Lionel O gauge set we received for review in late 2011, and it may be the best of them. It combines an uncommon road name (for […]
Why, oh, why, you ask, is Bob reviewing plastic buildings? Has he gone crazy? Are submarines from the HO-conspiracy torpedoing container ships hauling O gauge trains from China to America? Are there no new boxcabs or triplexes to cover? Nope. It’s not that. The answer is actually quite simple. Here is a smart new product […]
VICTORIA, B.C. — Contract crews this week removed a short but important stretch of track that had enabled VIA Rail Canada’s Malahat to serve downtown Victoria directly. The service is currently shut down, its future uncertain. If it does return, the train will have to call at a station on the city’s west side where […]
