Atlas N Alco RSD5

Color photo showing nose details on N scale diesel.

The Alco RSD5 diesel locomotive is back for another run in the N scale Atlas Classic line. The six-axle road switcher, part of the Atlas lineup since 1999, is now offered with a factory-installed speaker (Silver Series), an ESU LokSound V5 Digital Command Control and sound decoder (Gold Series), and a revised chassis. Prototype history […]

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The Mon Yough Valley Railroad layout in HO scale

A model railroad track plan for the Mon Yough valley railroad layout

Facts and features Name: Mon Yough Valley RRScale: HO and HOn3Size: model railroad: 41 x 53 feet, room: 44′-0″ x 55′-6″Prototype: freelanced Class I and short linesLocale: western PennsylvaniaEra: late 1950s – early 1960sStyle: walk around with operator aislesMainline run: combined double track main of 13.5 scale miles.Minimum radius: 32″ (main), 22″ (industrial and branch […]

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Four-coupled speedster

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Canadian Pacific 4-4-4 No. 2929, last of 20 class F1a Jubilee types received from Canadian Locomotive Co. in 1937–38, sits with a short train at Montreal West station on May 11, 1957, as 4-6-2 No. 2472, last of CP’s 173 G3-class Pacifics, arrives on the next track. Bob Krone photo […]

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Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive

Title screen of product review video showing HO diesel in orange, green, and yellow paint with BNSF lettering.

Hey folks, it’s time for another product review video! This time around we’ll take a look at the Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road unit and BNSF Ry. 2157; points out the various detail parts; and demonstrates […]

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F7, undressed

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This 1949 view of the erecting floor at EMD shows a 567 diesel engine, generator (on the deck at the left of the engine), and electrical cabinet (far left) in place on an F7 frame. An FP7 is taking shape in the background. EMD photo […]

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Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive

Title screen of product review video showing HO diesel in orange, green, and yellow paint with BNSF lettering.

Hey folks, it’s time for another product review video! This time around we’ll take a look at the Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road unit and BNSF Ry. 2157; points out the various detail parts; and demonstrates […]

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Divided, but one

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At Pittsburgh in 1956, a Pennsylvania Railroad SW1 switches cars on the “Panhandle” side of the station as passenger trains pass on the “Fort Wayne” bridge over the Allegheny River in the distance. The names refer to PRR predecessors Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway and Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway, respectively. Philip […]

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News & Products for the week of January 13th 2025

A white model freight car on model railroad track with red lettering

News & Products for the week of January 13th 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 January 13th, […]

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Grand Trunk Western passenger trains remembered

a streamliner pulling passenger cars with chicago in the background

All through January 2025, the Grand Trunk Western is Classic Trains‘ Railroad of the Month! In this photo gallery, please enjoy images of Grand Trunk Western passenger trains selected from the archives of the David P. Morgan Library at Firecrown Media! This photo gallery had previously been published in May 2020. Only from Trains.com! […]

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Rooftop weathering ideas

Color photo of blue and white locomotive in a freight train.

Unless your model railroad is at eye-level or higher, the first thing operators and visitors see when they look at your locomotives and freight cars is the roof (and on open-top cars, the interior). In recent years, some manufacturers have offered models with faded paint and light weathering. Other companies have released boxcars with paint […]

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City of San Francisco

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The joint Southern Pacific-Union Pacific-Chicago & North Western City of San Francisco crosses the Lucin Cutoff across the Great Salt Lake. Introduced in 1936, the train covered the 2,258 miles between Chicago and Oakland, Calif., in less than 40 hours. Southern Pacific photo […]

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EnterTRAINment Junction: Remembering a Legendary Layout

Colorful large-scale steam train passes by a depot

Original article published in Garden Railway’s Dec. 2019 issue by Bill Mefford; edited and updated for Trains.com by Lucas Iverson. For many model railroaders and garden railway enthusiasts, a trip to the Greater Cincinnati Tri-State area was on the bucket list. That’s because it was the home to EnterTRAINment Junction, which boasted the biggest indoor […]

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