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Athearn GP40-2 series diesels Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $229.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami sound decoder, $329.99. Add $10 for Primed for Grime models. Era: 1980s to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features on Athearn HO GP40-2 series […]
A northbound Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac freight rolls into Alexandria, Va., almost at its destination of Potomac Yard, on Dec. 29, 1949. The A-B-A set of blue-and-gray F units is nearly brand new. Charles Wales photo […]
REMEMBER the ads for Uniroyal’s “Tiger Paw” tires? When I was with the Southern Railway, some of us there referred to SR’s U-boats as “Whisperjets” (for the turbocharger noise) and to its SD40s as “Sport Models” (for the platforms). Now, I suggest tagging the Dash-2 SD40s “Tiger Paws.” Those HT-C trucks look as though they’re […]
Rapido HO Amtrak Non-Powered Control Unit Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin plug, $239.95; with dual-mode sound decoder, $289.95 Era: Mid-1990s to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St., Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido HO Amtrak Non-Powered Control Unit features: Enlarged marker lights Etched-metal radiator grills and […]
A variety of road-freight locomotives, including EMD Geeps and Alco FAs, stand at the servicing tracks at New York Central’s West Detroit, Mich., terminal in the early 1960s. J. David Ingles photo […]
News & Products for the week of June 16th 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of June 16th, […]
Now that trains are running on the HO scale East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) project layout, David Popp hosts this BONUS video to share some of the behind-the-scenes efforts and design considerations the MR crew still needs to tackle. As so many model railroaders can attest, there’s no such thing as “finished” layout…especially when structure […]
NORTH WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The Metro-North Railroad has unveiled the seventh unit in its heritage locomotive series and the first to be repainted, rather than wrapped. The scheme on MN P32AC-DM 203 replicates the image applied to seven Conrail FL9s in 1980 when New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority funded their rebuild by General Electric […]
Classic Trains Film Archive | Illinois and Ohio Highlights, J. David Ingles Reel 0050 – Explore the fascinating world of 1960s Midwest railroading with rare footage and historic action across Central Illinois and Ohio. Visit Jacksonville, Ill., to see legendary trains from Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q), Gulf, Mobile & Ohio (GM&O), and Norfolk & […]
ABILENE, Kan. — The Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad has reactivated one of its vintage diesel locomotives for the first time in over 20 years. No. 34, a GE 44-ton center-cab switcher, was unveiled on Sunday (June 8, 2025) at the tourist railroad’s former Rock Island depot in Abilene. This comes after an extensive restoration […]
The U23B was General Electric’s competitor to the EMD GP38. The little U-boat has a 12-cylinder FDL engine, necessitating six tall engine access doors on each side. Buyers included Santa Fe, Conrail, Delaware & Hudson, Lehigh Valley, Milwaukee Road (pictured), Monon, Penn Central, Western Pacific, and others. Most rode on AAR type B trucks, but […]
Snow begins to melt on an early spring day in 1974 as two six-axle General Electric “U-boats” head south along Seneca Lake at Geneva, N.Y., on the former New York Central “Fall Brook” line. Ken Kraemer photo […]
