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David and Bryson can’t run trains on the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout without routing power to the rails! Follow along, as the hosts work to attach feeders to the rails and string a network of wiring underneath the model railroad. You won’t want to miss any of the insider tips […]
Working with suitcase connectors | While also known as insulation displacement connectors, the name “suitcase connector” is a more common term used to describe one the most helpful fasteners in all of model railroading. These plastic cases include a conductive metal blade used to bridge (electrically) two press-fit wires. Let David show you how to […]
Broadway Limited N scale EMD NW2 Scale: N (1:160) Price: Stealth (no sound), $189.99; with dual-mode Paragon4 sound decoder, $259.99 Era: 1939 to 1970s (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; 386-673-8900; broadway-limited.com Broadway Limited N scale EMD NW2 features: All-wheel electrical pickup Body-mounted knuckle […]
Most model railroaders strive for accuracy in the construction of their model railroad layout. Of course there are modelers who do not, and of course “accuracy” means different things to different modelers, but broadly, accuracy, in one form or another, is the target for most model railroaders. When constructing their model railroad layouts, many modelers […]
It’s a great day to be railfanning at Tug Tower in Welch, W.Va. As a westbound Norfolk Southern unit coal train comes downgrade, NS General Electric units prepare to ascend the grade. Lou Sassi took the photo on Scott Teague’s N scale layout in Granite Falls, N.C. Model Railroader‘s Photo of the Day features images […]
I’m a huge fan of commuter services, and that definitely includes Chicago’s Metra. So when I heard that Atlas was releasing Metra Nippon Sharyo gallery cars in HO scale, I had to get my hands on some. Since Metra runs a push-pull operation, the Type 8500 cab car gets as much time leading trains as […]
Athearn HO scale EMD GP38-2 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $229.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $329.99 Era: 1970s to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn HO scale EMD GP38-2 features: All-wheel drive and electrical pickup Body-mounted […]
Louisville & Nashville GP40 no. 3002 and U23B no. 2737 pass over the Powell River on John Wilkes’ HO scale L&N Thornhill Division. John models the railroad’s coal operations in eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia between 1968 and 1978. Paul Dolkos photo Model Railroader‘s Photo of the Day features images from our archives, celebrating decades […]
Walthers HO ACF 5250 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Era: 1960s to 2000s Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO ACF 5250 covered hopper features: 36” turned-metal wheels on plastic axles All-new tooling from rails to roof Based on prototypes used to haul plastic […]
The following is a series of edited excerpts from an interview conducted by David Popp with Jason Shron, owner and CEO of Rapido Trains Inc. on May 20, 2025 on the subject of United States tariffs in relation to the model train industry. You can find the complete interview on Trains.com Video by clicking here. […]
The Chesapeake & Ohio was known for its large steam locomotives and tried to head off converting to diesels with three massive M-1 class coal-fired steam-turbine electrics. Here we see one of the turbines taking on coal at Clifton Forge, Va. Jeb Kriigel of Palmyra, Va., scratchbuilt the coal tower and photographed the O scale […]
See the General Motors Diesel Ltd. SD50F from Aurora Miniatures North America in action our HO scale Winston-Salem Southbound in our latest product review video. Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno provides a brief history of the six-axle road locomotive and Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western 5454; points out the many factory-applied details on the […]
