Freight building block car R/C starter set from PIKO America

Small orange locomotive and two flat cars on track with building blocks in foreground and white background

Freight building block car R/C starter set Scale: Large scale (1:24) Price: $439.99 Era: Modern Manufacturer: PIKO America LLC, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego, CA 92120; piko-america.com Freight building block car R/C starter set features: Includes General Electric 25-ton diesel locomotive, two flatcars with building block decks, R/C pocket remote with eight selectable […]

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Scratchbuild a rural large scale depot

gray model building in a garden railway

I wanted to scratchbuild a rural large scale depot to replace one that was past its prime on my garden railroad. While I was working as an art director for a commercial printing company, one of my sales reps came across a 1916 combination freight/passenger-depot blueprint. He asked his client, a buyer for the Union […]

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Trains LIVE — Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston

Bob

Trains LIVE — Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston TrainsLIVE — 08-24-2022 — this week, Bob Lettenberger talks with Trains Magazine’s own Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston to talk about the best and brightest of Amtrak during Trains.com’s #amtrakweek! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Trains LIVE is a regular video segment, recorded live and unscripted from Kalmbach Media. The series began in July […]

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Trains LIVE — Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston

Bob

Trains LIVE — Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston TrainsLIVE — 08-24-2022 — this week, Bob Lettenberger talks with Trains Magazine’s own Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston to talk about the best and brightest of Amtrak during Trains.com’s #amtrakweek! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Trains LIVE is a regular video segment, recorded live and unscripted from Kalmbach Media. The series began in July […]

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Trains LIVE — Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston

Bob

Trains LIVE — Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston Trains LIVE — 08-24-2022 — this week, Bob Lettenberger talks with Trains Magazine’s own Passenger Columnist Bob Johnston to talk about the best and brightest of Amtrak during Trains.com’s #amtrakweek! Trains LIVE is a regular video segment, recorded live and unscripted from Kalmbach Media. The series began in July […]

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LGB Santa Fe F7 locomotive review

LGB F7 Santa Fe large scale

These LGB Santa Fe F7 locomotives are nice looking and good runners, too. The powered A unit (no. 21576) has many separately applied details and cab doors that can be opened. Both trucks are driven by Bühler motors with ball bearings and the wheels have traction tires. The locomotive has a built-in mfx/DCC decoder with […]

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20 Amtrak locomotives featured in Model Railroader

Photo of HO scale A-B set of cab units on scenicked base

20 Amtrak locomotives featured in Model Railroader As we celebrate Amtrak week at Trains.com, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at 20 Amtrak locomotives featured in Model Railroader magazine over the past two decades. As I was compiling this list, I was surprised just how many Amtrak models were produced […]

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LGB Christmas train starter set

Red and black tank engine and two cars, circle of track, transformer, and electrical hookup

Christmas train starter set Scale: Large scale (1:22.5) Price: $425 Manufacturer: LGB (Märklin, Inc.), 1406 Creek Trail Dr., Ste. 100, Jefferson City, MO 65109; 800-321-8811; lgb.com Features: Tank engine with Bühler motor, headlight, and smoke unit Two passenger cars in Christmas paint scheme 48” circle of track Electrical hookups Power supply Locomotive controller Release date: […]

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LGB annual Christmas car

Two axle passenger car with Christmas decorations

Annual Christmas car Scale: Large scale (1:22.5) Price: $189 Manufacturer: LGB (Märklin, Inc.), 1406 Creek Trail Dr., Ste. 100, Jefferson City, MO 65109; 800-321-8811; lgb.com Features: Positionable doors Solid metal wheelsets Clear window glazing Plastic icicle detail Hook-and-loop couplers Release date: Third quarter 2022 Paint scheme: Christmas 2022 News & Products is a regular feature of […]

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A northwest mountain garden railroad

two model trains at a station

A northwest mountain garden railroad: The Pacific Northern Railway was formed when the Northern Pacific and Great Northern Railroads merged in the early 1960s. I chose the name “Pacific Northern” because it included parts of the names of both of the original railroads. The two-tone green passenger-train colors were used because famous designer Raymond Loewy […]

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Cheap lighting for passenger cars

Group of large-scale rolling stock

Cheap lighting for passenger cars: I had kitbashed an LGB No. 3080 passenger car into an observation car and wanted to add interior lighting. Instead of track-powered lighting, I opted to install battery-powered light emitting diodes (LEDs). For around $20 in supplies, you can have flicker-free lighting in your car too. I cut the roof […]

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