The Rapido Trains HO Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 recently arrived at our offices. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he provides a brief history of the full-size unit and Milwaukee Road No. 435; points out the plastic, cast metal, and etched-metal detail parts on the model; and demonstrates the sound and light functions on our […]
Welcome to the August 2025 Cody’s Office! Perhaps we should have called this the Consolidation episode, as we’re on program number 2-8-0. This month the show starts with an exciting lineup of products. First up is the HO scale Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 from Rapido Trains. Features on the four-axle road unit include an injection-molded plastic body, […]
The ScaleTrains HO Norfolk Southern AC44C6M, a modern six-axle road locomotive, is the latest addition to the manufacturer’s Rivet Counter line. Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno provides a brief history of the full-size units and Norfolk Southern No. 4000; shows the many separate, factory-applied detail parts; and demonstrates the sound and light functions on […]
Currently residing in South Plainfield, N.J., an area that was once served by the Lehigh Valley RR, three-rail enthusiast Robert Gwiazda just couldn’t wait to add the Lionel No. 2122070 Lehigh Valley Asa Packer set to his roster. The streamlined 4-6-2 Pacific with Legacy command control and Odyssey II Speed Control is being checked and […]
Christmas means so much to Jerry and Cathy Landsman, dedicated O gaugers and builders of this terrific three-rail layout at their home in Boonsboro, Md. Electric trains are a big part of their holiday celebration, and so they’ve combined their talents to assemble this 4 x 24-foot display. Department 56 figures almost begin breathing when […]
The array of locomotives pulling trains for the Erie RR and its eventual partner — the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western — make the two fallen flags popular to model in just about every scale. Mike McGovern prefers to focus on the merger of the Erie and the Lackawanna when operating trains from the 1960s on […]
Marx trains of every vintage, along with a few junkers repainted in green or red and then highlighted with Polar Express graphics, always take center stage during the holiday season on the 5 x 16-foot O and S gauge layout belonging to Ed Clousher. A resident of Chesnee, S.C., he never tries to conceal his […]
Tommy Rhoden considers himself another huge fan of the Angela Trotta Thomas illustrated locomotives and rolling stock cataloged by Lionel. As a lifelong three-rail operator and collector, he has a blast laying FasTrack under his Christmas tree in Evans, Ga., and running everything from his boyhood Marx set from 1959 to some of the latest […]
The Athearn Genesis HO GP40-2L diesel locomotive, based on a prototype built by General Motors Diesel Division, recently arrived at our offices. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he provides a brief history of the four-axle road unit and Quebec-Gatineau Ry. No. 3014; points out the many factory-applied details; and demonstrates the sound […]
This scene on Robert Buenzly’s 4½ x 12-foot O gauge layout display reflects his creativity and motivation. He arranged some of the porcelain structures he had purchased around two loops of Lionel FasTrack and then fired up this MTH New York Central 4-6-4 Hudson and Lionel 0-8-0 switcher for his pleasure. Classic Toy Trains’ Photo […]
Where has 2025 gone? We’re already into July, which means county fair season is in full swing. Right on its heels, back-to-school sales will begin! Between all of that hustle and bustle, take a few minutes to enjoy the July 2025 episode of Cody’s Office. We have an exciting lineup of products this month. Leading […]
The bustling scene on Michael Nowicki’s model railroad resembles any number of O gauge layouts from the 1950s, when families had a ball gathering their trains and operating cars to display around their Christmas tree. Lionel stalwarts, including the No. 671 Turbine engine and whistle tender leading the way on Mike’s layout in Newark, N.J., […]
