Bachmann On30 derrick car Price: $99 Manufacturer Bachmann Trains 1400 E. Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19124 www.bachmanntrains.com Era: 1900 to 1950s (or later on a tourist railroad) Comments: Fans of O scale narrow gauge can keep the right-of-way clear with this derrick car from Bachmann Trains. The On30 (O scale, 30″ gauge) car is a […]
Athearn Genesis HO scale EMD GP40P-2 No longer solely the province of kitbashers, Electro-Motive Division’s GP40P-2 is available in HO scale from Athearn Trains. Part of the Genesis line of superdetailed locomotive models, this HO scale Geep is especially good news for those modeling Southern Pacific’s “commute” trains of the 1970s and ’80s. Our review […]
ScaleTrains.com HO scale Thrall carbon black covered hopper A Thrall 4,727-cubic-foot capacity carbon black covered hopper is the latest addition to the ScaleTrains.com Rivet Counter line of superdetailed models. The injection-molded plastic model features roadnumber-specific details, photo-etched stainless steel running boards and crossover platforms, and Barber S-2 70-ton trucks with rotating bearing caps. Carbon black […]
WalthersMainline HO scale GE ES44 diesel General Electric Evolution Series (GEVO) diesel-electrics lead today’s freight trains throughout the North American rail network. Available in a variety of prototypical road names, an HO scale GE ES44 joins the value-priced WalthersMainline series. Along with an accurately dimensioned body shell and some roadname-specific details, the model features the […]
Athearn Ready To Roll HO scale SD40-2 Although it’s part of Athearn’s value-priced Ready-To-Roll series, this SD40-2 bristles with enough roadname-specific detail to satisfy most prototype-savvy modelers. The SD40-2 also marks a big upgrade for Athearn RTR locomotives. Instead of the SoundTraxx RTR decoder with limited functionality found in previous Athearn RTR releases, this new […]
Truck shown with coupler removed Flashing rear-end devices, or FREDs, started taking the place of cabooses on trains starting in the 1970s. The small rectangular boxes are now a ubiquitous part of modern-era railroading. Bachmann Trains is offering a light-emitting-diode (LED) illuminated HO scale FRED that works on direct-current (DC) or Digital Command Control (DCC) […]
Atlas HO scale General Electric U33B diesel locomotive The Rock Island was a mighty fine line, but by the time General Electric’s U33B locomotives were delivered in the late 1960s, the Rock was in a hard place. The 3,300hp diesels were designed for fast freight, but the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific was a granger […]
Lowell Smith N scale sleepers Price: $54 each Manufacturer Lowell Smith Signature Series P.O. Box 219 Gresham, OR 97030 www.lowellsmith.net Car names: Death Valley and Grand Canyon Era: late 1940s to early 1950s Comments: The Lowell Smith Signature Series has launched a new line of N scale passenger cars, the Pullman Park Series. The first […]
Woodland Scenics HO scale Double Decker Trailer Price: $74.99 Manufacturer Woodland Scenics P.O. Box 98 Linn Creek, MO 65052 www.woodlandscenics.com Versions: Sunny Days, Grillin’ & Chillin’, and Double Decker trailers Era: 1950s to present Comments: Modelers looking for downscale housing for their trackside towns should check out this Landmark Structures offering from Woodland Scenics. The […]
Atlas O 55-ton coal hopper Price: $74.95 Manufacturer Atlas O 378 Florence Ave. Hillside, NJ 07205 www.atlasrr.com Era: 1960s (as decorated) Road names: Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf; Boston & Maine; Canadian National; Virginian; and Westmoreland Coal Co. Four road numbers each. Data only and undecorated versions also available. Comments: One of the enduring freight-car designs […]
Engine Driver screenshot Smartphone apps such as Engine Driver or WiThrottle have become an increasingly popular alternative to traditional Digital Command Control (DCC) throttles. In addition to downloading the app, to turn a smartphone or tablet into a DCC throttle usually involves setting up a computer running Java Model Railroad Interface (JMRI) software and a […]
Kato N scale Olympian Hiawatha train set Hiawatha is the name the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific, also known as the Milwaukee Road, used for its first streamlined passenger trains in 1935. By the late 1940s, there were Hiawathas providing fleet passage between many cities of the upper Midwest and the Pacific Northwest. The […]
