Welcome to the new home of Model Railroader!

Man gesturing before a gray-white graphic background.

  Welcome to Trains.com, the new home for Model Railroader online and for all the content we publish on model trains. In this video, Trains.com Executive Producer David Popp talks about how to log-in to the new Trains.com website so you can get the most out of a Model Railroader subscription AND what more MR […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, structure, decal, and roadbed announcements for March 18, 2021

Burlington Northern locomotive

Product news 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 18, 2021. HO scale locomotives General Electric U30C diesel locomotive. Chessie […]

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March 2021

Model Railroader Cover image from March 2021.

More in this issue FROM THE EDITOR •Dreaming, planning, and model railroading NEWS & PRODUCTS •Hobby industry news ASK MR •What’s a demonstrator locomotive? REHAB MY RAILROAD •Adding water scenes to Jones Island DCC CURRENTS •Digitrax UT6D throttle and Peco Unifrogs PRODUCT REVIEWS •Atlas Classic HO Scale RSD-5 diesel •Kitwood Hill Models 36-foot On30 •Athearn […]

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Ballast track easily

Applying Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement with pipette.]

On Model Railroader’s Beer Line project layout, which was set in 1947 Milwaukee, I ballasted the track on the entire layout using a favorite technique. I used a 50:50 blend of Highball Products Light Gray and Dark Gray limestone ballast, which looks similar to ballast used by the Milwaukee Road [Highball Products ballast is no […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, detail, and decal announcements for March 11, 2021

Bay-window caboose

Product news 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 11, 2021. HO scale freight cars American Car & Foundry 5,250-cubic-foot-capacity […]

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Tips for better passenger cars: Car height

Two olive green HO scale heavyweight passenger cars are compared for height.

The height of freight cars can vary tremendously, but passenger car heights were very consistent in late steam/early diesel times. Most heavyweight cars, including the Pullman Co.’s standardized sleepers, measured 14 feet from the rails to the top of the roof. It’s important to me to know that Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe heavyweights were […]

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