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AS THEY SAY, nothing succeeds like success, and the EMD F40 is nothing if not a winner. In the early days of Amtrak in the 1970s, it became clear that the railroad’s aging fleet of mismatched locomotives inherited from various passenger railways needed both standardization and modernization. First out of the gate to power Amtrak’s […]
The Simpsons are the titular stars of the longest-running animated series on television. Their TV-time fun has now come to O gauge! So why toy trains? Why now? Simple. To make money, of course. If Mickey Mouse was the cat’s meow back in the prewar era, Homer and his dysfunctional family are the cartoon of […]
Lillian “Curly” Lawrence and the history of live-steam locomotives Lillian “Curly” Lawrence was a British model engineer who lived from 1882 to 1967. He built his first live-steam locomotive at the age of 13 on a used treadle lathe. A curious and reclusive fellow, he wrote live-steam columns for British model-engineering magazines under the pen […]
Electro-Motive Division GP9 road switcher Here’s a great-looking model of the classic Electro-Motive Division GP9 road switcher that includes a powerful mechanism and provisions for easy conversion to Digital Command Control (DCC). Atlas O offers it in two versions for two-rail layouts that operate with either DC or Lionel’s TrainMaster Command Control and RailSounds 4.0 […]
Atlas O scale GP60 Atlas O has introduced an excellent model of Electro-Motive Division’s GP60 road diesel that captures the prototype’s angular good looks and delivers plenty of pulling power. It’s a well-detailed mainline locomotive similar to the GP35 reviewed in the February 2004 Model Railroader. Two GP60s are available for use on two-rail layouts. […]
Atlas O scale EMD GP35 diesel O scale GP35 is a top performer This versatile EMD GP35 diesel road switcher is a good-looking and powerful second-generation general purpose locomotive that will be right at home hauling a hotshot freight or switching a yard. It’s made by Atlas O in two versions for two-rail layouts that […]
Atlas O scale NE-6 cupola caboose An excellent postwar steel caboose is now available from Atlas O. It comes ready-to-run in two versions fitted with different wheel-sets and couplers for use on either two-rail scale or three-rail tinplate layouts. The model follows a prototype class NE-6 scale caboose built by International Car Co. for the […]
Downtown Deco O scale hotel and bar The Atlantic Hotel is one of the fine limited-run plaster structure kits produced by Downtown Deco in O scale. Its rectangular design is typical of older masonry structures found in cities nearly anywhere in the country. The kit consists of well-detailed and textured plaster wall castings that had […]
Atlas O scale PS-1 50-foot boxcar There’s a lot you can say about Atlas O’s new 50-foot PS-1 boxcar, but the first word that comes to mind is “Wow!” Straight out of the box, the car makes a positive impression with its size, heft, and fantastic detail. Fifty-foot boxcars became the railroad industry’s de facto […]
Model Tech’s O scale Baltimore & Ohio station This new station from Model-Tech is a wood craftsman kit that builds into an excellent model. With the addition of a train order signal and a few distinctive details, it would make a fine focal point in any small town. The kit is based on the station […]
Atlas O GE Dash 8-40B diesel This new Atlas O scale Dash 8-40B is the company’s first high-horsepower modern diesel, and like its prototype this is an impressive and powerful unit. General Electric introduced the standard-cab Dash 8-40B in May 1988. According to The Contemporary Diesel Spotter’s Guide – 2000 edition (Withers Publishing), GE built […]
