For many years, HO scale modelers debated whether to use plastic or metal wheelsets on freight cars. That discussion has quieted down over the past two decades, largely because most new models come with metal wheelsets. However, as evidenced by the number of offerings available today, there’s still a strong demand for aftermarket metal wheelsets. […]
In the 60-plus years that N scale has been around, there has been a great deal of change in couplers. Rapido, an early manufacturer of N scale models (not to be confused with today’s Rapido Trains), let other companies use its coupler design. The wedge-front coupler, which was used on most N scale models (except […]
When you think of Burlington Northern, passenger service may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But from March 2, 1970 (Burlington Northern’s first day) to April 30, 1971 (the day before Amtrak started operations), the railroad offered passenger service. Among the name trains were the Empire Builder, Mainstreeter, North Coast Limited, and […]
To our younger readers, HO scale locomotives with smoke units may seem like a recent development. In reality, the feature dates back to the end of World War II when American Flyer began producing 1:87.1 steam locomotives with smoke. Since that time, companies have continued to offer HO locomotives with smoke units. Admittedly, some manufacturers […]
When I got into model railroading as a kid in the 1980s, factory-decorated HO scale freight car kits were the industry norm. I remember staring in awe at the shelves at McGiffin’s in Grand Forks, N.D., and Bader’s in Moorhead, Minn., two of the larger shops near my hometown, which were lined high and wide […]
When the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Great Northern; Northern Pacific; and Spokane, Portland & Seattle merged to create the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, the new railroad had an interesting fleet of cabooses. While there were plenty of cars built by commercial builders, mainly International Car Co., BN’s fleet was also filled with cabooses […]
Whether you need more blue on your locomotive roster or want to add Conrail units in other paint schemes to your layout, this is a comprehensive list of Conrail models you can buy. This list just focuses on locomotives and cabooses. Mixing Conrail freight cars into your rolling stock roster will also add some colorful […]
Custom-decorated refrigerator cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $50 + shipping Manufacturer: Produced by InterMountain Railway Co., available from Three Notch Rail, HOI@hotmail.com, threenotchrail.blogspot.com Features: Based on Pacific Car & Foundry R-70-15 prototype Etched-metal side screens and roofwalk supports 33” InterMountain metal wheelsets Metal knuckle couplers Minimum radius: 22” Release Date: Available now Road name: Sun […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Group Technical Editor Cody Grivno heads down to the layout for a quick demo of the ESU LokSound-equipped Walthers HO scale GP9. He’ll also show you a selection of other HO and N scale products in this episode of Cody’s Office. Down in […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Group Technical Editor Cody Grivno heads down to the layout for a quick demo of the ESU LokSound-equipped Walthers HO scale GP9. He’ll also show you a selection of other HO and N scale products in this episode of Cody’s Office. Down in […]
In addition to being available in a wide variety of road names, the InterMountain N scale SD40-2 features an ESU LokSound Select Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder. See and hear the N scale locomotive in action on the Model Railroader staff’s Salt Lake Route model train layout. […]
In addition to being available in a wide variety of road names, the InterMountain N scale SD40-2 features an ESU LokSound Select Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder. See and hear the N scale locomotive in action on the Model Railroader staff’s Salt Lake Route model train layout. […]
