The Greenville 73-foot wood-chip hopper has returned to the Wm. K. Walthers Inc. HO scale freight car lineup. The model, part of the Mainline series, is based on a prototype designed for transporting wood chips between sawmills and paper mills. Prototype history Greenville Steel Car Co., located in its namesake in Pennsylvania, produced the 7,000-cubic-foot […]
There are many reasons you might need to bring a locomotive back to life. Here are some tips for resurrecting unused locomotives. Disassembly The first thing you’ll need to do is to get inside the locomotive shell. Maybe you’re lucky enough to have an exploded-view diagram of your model. If not, you can check the […]
Q: On the Winston-Salem Southbound Tar Branch project layout there were three small industries in the middle. Do you have the brands and descriptions of the structures used? — Andy Sestak Before I answer your question, Andy, I want to back up a step to catch everyone up to speed. The Winston-Salem Southbound Tar Branch […]
Contrary to popular belief, modeling an urban scene doesn’t require a bunch of space. Want proof? Check out the Winston-Salem Southbound, our 2018 project layout, shown in the photo above. The 2’-9” x 8’-2” HO scale shelf layout depicted the railroad’s Tar Branch in Winston-Salem, N.C. It featured more than a half-dozen rail-served industries, as […]
Q: Why are the flanges on model steam engine drive wheels so much larger than on the prototypes? Is it because the models don’t weigh very much? Or is it because they have to navigate tight curves? And do larger scales (like G scale and live-steam models) have flanges that are closer to the prototypes? […]
The 1970s were a time of change. Model railroading was no exception. Modelers tested new techniques and technologies, while the niches of different scales and styles grew into mainstays. During that pivotal decade, these Model Railroaders stood out as pioneers of the hobby and industry. Their contributions have helped shape the hobby we know and […]
Amtrak RS3 diesel locomotives supported operations on the Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. The RS3 was Alco’s best-selling road switcher model with 1,265 units sold to more than 50 railroads between 1948 and 1962. Marketed as a multi-purpose unit, some roads, including but not limited to Pennsylvania, Rock Island, and Western […]
The General Electric Dash 8-40CM diesel locomotive is back in the Rapido Trains product lineup. The redesigned six-axle road locomotive features a newly tooled fuel tank, cab interior, and trucks; railroad-specific details; and full underbody details. Prototype history General Electric (GE) produced the Dash 8-40CM from February 1990 through March 1994. During the course of […]
Q: Please explain how to tell the difference between horizontal and vertical cut rail nippers. — Dave Smith A: To answer your question, I turned to a blog on the Xuron Corp. website. The well-known manufacturer of hobby tools, based in Saco, Maine, recommends using its 2175B track cutters on new installations. The tool, which […]
Model Railroader’s famed 28 x 54-foot, HO scale staff layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy, is no more. The layout, which celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2024, began as a concept in Kalmbach Media’s downtown Milwaukee offices in 1975. I won’t attempt to write the full history of the layout; indeed, there is likely no […]
An American Car & Foundry 2,970-cubic-foot capacity two-bay Center Flow covered hopper is now part of Athearn’s Genesis series. The N scale model, which we last reviewed in the June 2010 issue, still features injection-molded plastic construction, body-mounted couplers, and metal wheelsets. Among the product upgrades are rubber train line hoses; separate, factory-applied uncoupling levers; […]
The much-anticipated InterMountain HO scale GP16 diesel locomotive recently arrived at our new Brookfield headquarters. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he provides a brief prototype history of the Seaboard Coast Line-rebuilt engines and United States Army No. 4630, points out the various detail parts, and demonstrates the sound and light features on […]
