No news OK for BNSF model railroading licensing agreement

Negotiations between the model railroad industry, represented by MTH Electric Trains CEO Mike Wolf, and BNSF Railway on a licensing agreement are quiet for now. For the model railroad industry, that’s not a bad thing. BNSF had sought to charge model railroad manufacturers a licensing fee to use the company’s trademarks on scale products, and […]

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Hornby America, Inc. Rivarossi HO scale Big Boy

Hornby America, Inc. HO scale Big Boy steam locomotive

Hornby America, Inc. HO scale Big Boy steam locomotive With a coat of factory-applied grime and rust, this HO scale Big Boy looks like it’s seen years of hard use. Since the late 1960s Rivarossi has manufactured Big Boy 4-8-8-4 locomotives in HO scale. This is the first Rivarossi Big Boy to be weathered and […]

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Con-Cor International N scale Aerotrain

Con-Cor International N scale Aerotrain

Con-Cor International N scale Aerotrain Following the success of the HO scale Aerotrain, reviewed in the May 2008 issue of Model Railroader, Con-Cor now offers this articulated passenger train in N. The ready-to-run model is designed for direct-current layouts, but provisions are included for adding Digital Command Control and sound. Prototype history. The two nine-car […]

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“The Chopper” by NorthWest Short Line

“The Chopper” by NorthWest Short Line Photo by Dennis Murphy I have a lot fun with my model railroading hobby. I find the different aspects to be the most enjoyable part. And lately, I’ve been working a lot with wood kits (buildings and bridges mostly).You can never have too many models on your layout, especially […]

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Reviewed: Lionel’s new no. 2219W Lackawanna “Thunderbird” set

ANYONE WHO HAS READ MY REVIEWS OVER TIME knows I have one simple mantra about reproductions of vintage trains. Simply put: “New is better.” So starts Bob Keller’s review of Lionel’s no. 2219W Lackawanna “Thunderbird” set, one of the new “Lionel Postwar Authentics – Conventional Classics.” Older trains (postwar or even prewar) are simple, rugged, […]

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Reviewed: MTH Premier line O gauge U30C

AMONG THE FIRST SIX-AXLE LOCOMOTIVES that caught my eye were the big General Electric U-boats, notably the U30C and its kin. The U30C was, of course, a six-axle 3,000-horsepower titan fielded by GE, and it has been credited with helping to push GE into the number two slot in “dieseldom.” More than 590 were built, […]

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Video: Watch the train elevator in action

Steve Harris

Model railroader Steve Harris uses a fully automatic train elevator to connect the two levels of his HOn3 Rio Grande Southern layout. Read about how he built the elevator in the June 2009 Model Railroader. Watch Steve describe and demonstrate this innovative device. […]

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Atlas HO scale Alco HH600/660 diesel locomotive

Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale Alco HH600/660 diesel locomotive

Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale Alco HH600/660 diesel locomotive An excellent HO scale model of an Alco HH600/660 switcher is the latest diesel locomotive released by Atlas. It’s a model of an early diesel engine that dates to the 1930s. This ready-to-run model has a powerful, smooth-running, dual-flywheel drive fitted into a superbly detailed […]

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