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News & Products for the week of May 12th 2025 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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of May 12th, […]
The mountains of Virginia and West Virginia provide a picturesque backdrop for trains on Dudley Ross’s freelanced Chesapeake & Ohio layout. In this scene, C&O 2-6-6-2 no. 1530 brings a string of loaded coal hoppers down from the mine. Bernard Kempinski photographed the N scale scene. You can see more photos of Dudley’s layout in […]
Walthers HO 40-foot single-sheathed boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $31.98 Era: 1920s to 1950s Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO 40-foot single-sheathed boxcar features: Newly tooled model 33” turned-metal wheelsets with RP-25 contour Body-mounted Proto-Max metal couplers Factory-applied plastic running boards with molded corner grab […]
For many model railroad clubs, the word “move” can trigger stress and uncertainty. When you don’t own the space you reside in, the possibility of having to pack up and relocate is always present. The Waukesha County Gandy Dancers Model Railroad Club (WCGD), located in Waukesha, Wis., knows this feeling all too well. “No power!” […]
While Canadian National serves Waupaca, Wis., today, on David Leider’s HO layout the Soo Line is still going strong in the central Wisconsin community. Here, Soo 2-8-0 no. 474, one of two class F-10 locomotives on the roster, spots a Baltimore & Ohio wagontop boxcar at a local industry. David Popp took the photo. Model […]
Trainfest will return to Downtown Milwaukee’s Baird Center Nov. 1-2, 2025. The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA), celebrating its 90th anniversary, will take over as this year’s event producer. NMRA President Gordon Robinson previews the upcoming show with Trains.com Staff Writer Lucas Iverson, while also discussing plans for the future of the event. Watch the […]
A 52’-6”, 15-panel gondola with factory-dented sides is now available from Bluford Shops. The N scale injection-molded plastic model, offered with light, medium, and heavy denting, features metal wheelsets, body-mounted couplers, and railroad-specific end and hand brake options. Prototype history The Bluford Shops model is based on a design developed by the Erie RR and […]
A Union Pacific mail train, with 4-8-4 no. 842 on the point, hustles through Dale Junction. The four Harriman head-end cars are resin kits from Southern Car & Foundry, and the UP diner is a brass model by Soho. The HO scale scene is on Mike Brock’s UP Sherman Hill layout. Mike, of Merritt […]
Learning how to install roadbed at a turnout, a place where tracks meet or diverge, is a valuable skill for all model railroaders to have. Installing strips of cork or foam roadbed for straight or curved tracks is a straightforward process. Mark the center line, split the roadbed sections into flexible strips, and glue them […]
Rapido HO MOW flat and camp cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single camp car, $69.95; three-pack (diner, kitchen, and office vans), $199.95; and six-pack (sleeper vans), $399.95. Separate sale camp trailers (dining, kitchen, office, and sleeper), $24.95 each. Conrail F30A MOW flatcar with deck rails: Single car, $54.95; six-pack, $329.70. Era: 1980s to present Manufacturer: […]
Track selection is among the first decisions you’ll have to make when you get started in model railroading, second only to scale. In HO (1:87.1), the two most commonly used track sizes are code 100 and code 83. “Code” refers to the height of the rail, measured in thousandths of an inch. For a lot […]
This reboot of The Roundhouse, an on-camera interview series established in 2013, welcomes host Brian Schmidt, Editor of Classic Trains Magazine, and guest Rob McGonigal, former (retired) Editor of Classic Trains Magazine, back to the roundtable. Just as the Summer 2025 issue of the now 25-year-old periodical is set for publication, Brian and Rob sit […]
