Action may be required on your Trains.com account in order to continue accessing content. Click here to learn more.
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page The wide array of scenery products available for making a model railroad look realistic can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just getting started in the hobby. In this video, Kent Johnson takes a quick look at some of the most common varieties of […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page In this bonus installment of the Family Train Layout project, David guides viewers through the steps for building a simple plastic water tower kit. Of course, the tools and modeling techniques demonstrated here can also be used to assemble numerous other structures for […]
It’s a warm Oct., 1, 2013, morning as CSX train K931-01 is coming off the Plymouth Subdivision in its namesake Michigan city with 52 empty stone hopper cars from Lansing behind BNSF No. 4992. In the distance, CSX No. 2741 waits for open track. Photo by Chris Paciocco […]
This is an O gauge set that wouldn’t normally be making a second appearance in reviews. We covered Lionel’s Polar Express in the January 2005 issue of Classic Toy Trains. It was a good model of the train in the movie Polar Express, and we had high hopes it would be a natural draw for […]
Dreams come true. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a big dream, but when I first saw the Woodland Scenics Built-&-Ready line of O gauge structures I hoped it would soon include industrial facilities as well as downtown-type retail shops (browse through the Woodland Scenics HO structures in shops and you’ll see the possibilities). I even turned […]
FULL SCREEN Mark Llanuza The headlights of an eastbound Metra train slice through the rain and heavy fog setting in over Elgin, Ill., in November of 2012. FULL SCREEN Mark Llanuza An early morning mix of rain and sleet greets commuters as they board a Metra train at the Bartlett, Ill., station in 2012. FULL […]
Bachmann N scale F7A and B units Bachmann Trains is introducing an N scale model of one of the most iconic locomotives ever built, equipped with a Digital Command Control decoder. The N scale locomotives, which come in A and B versions, have sharp paint jobs, are powered by can motors with dual brass flywheels, […]
Athearn Trains HO scale GE ES44AC GEVO diesel locomotive A mainstay of today’s main lines, the General Electric Evolution Series (GEVO) ES44AC is now available as part of the Athearn Genesis line of superdetailed HO scale locomotives. We tested a BNSF and a Union Pacific version. Both models feature prototype-specific detailing and a SoundTraxx Digital […]
Walthers HO scale Magnolia Hotel Price: $34.98 Manufacturer Wm. K. Walthers Inc. 5601 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53201 www.walthers.com Era: late 1800s to 1950s Comments: The Magnolia Hotel is one of the latest structure offerings from Walthers. The injection-molded plastic kit, part of the Cornerstone Main Street USA series, features a decorative peaked-roof cornice […]
ExactRail HO scale TrentonWorks 67′-11″ bulkhead flatcar Price: $38.95 Manufacturer ExactRail 251 W. River Park Dr., Ste. 300 Provo, UT 84604 www.exactrail.com Era: 2005 to present Road names: TTX (“Forward Thinking” herald or black rectangle herald with three white or five yellow reflective stripes). Multiple road numbers per scheme. Comments: A common modern-era bulkhead flatcar […]
Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale 50-foot boxcar An HO scale model of a 70-ton double-door boxcar used by western railroads to transport wood products and other freight is now available from Atlas. The 5,077-cubic-foot-capacity boxcar is based on a prototype built by FMC during the mid- to late 1970s and features a one-piece injection-molded […]
In the December 2013 issue, author Jim Kottkamp shows you how to build a functional workbench. He has generously shared his drawings of this project. The link will download a PDF file. […]
