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We had another year of great model railroading products for this year’s Readers Choice Awards. From locomotives and rolling stock to scenery and structures to track and electronics and more, there were many worthy entries nominated by model manufacturers, but ultimately chosen by you, our readers. The only real limitation we put on the choices […]
SoundTraxx, a well-known manufacturer of sound decoders and HOn3 narrow gauge trains marketed under the Blackstone Models label, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The company is based in Durango, Colo. SoundTraxx was founded in 1989 as the Throttle Up! Corp. in Pocasset, Mass., producing the Hyperlight lighting system. In the 1990s the company […]
Rapido Trains HO scale General Electric B36-7 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives General Electric B36-7 diesel locomotive. Southern Pacific (as delivered); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; British Columbia Ry. (red, white, and blue “lightning stripe”); Conrail (as delivered, CSX patched numbers, and Norfolk Southern patched numbers); CSX (blue, yellow, and gray); Minnesota Commercial; Seaboard System […]
Today we find B&O # 195 box cab delivering two tank cars to the Criswell Oil Company and picking up the empties. Model is a Roundhouse from which the internal mechanisms and trucks have been removed. They are replaced with Stanton power and non-powered trucks from North West Short Line. Added features include an ESU […]
Southbound manifest train 26, three F unit diesels, pauses by the Borden Textile Mill in Kingsport, Tennessee, in March 1967 to add a three-unit rear-end pusher for the 42-mile climb to Erwin. C. K. Marsh Jr. History and major events of the Clinchfield Railroad The Clinchfield was different. It was conceived by men who had […]
Name: The Norfolk & Western of the 1950s Layout owner: Gary Hoover Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 24 x 49 feet Prototype: Norfolk & Western Ry. Locale: Virginia and West Virginia Era: 1954 to 1957 Style: multi-level walk-in Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 30″ (N&W), 27″ (Virginian Ry.) Minimum turnout: no.8 (main), no. 6 (yards) […]
Name: Virginia & Truckee RR Layout owner: Donn Tolley Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 21′-7″ x 21′-10″ Prototype: Virginia & Truckee RR Locale: northwestern Nevada Era: 1888 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 1541⁄2 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 3 stub-ended Maximum grade: 2 percent (V&T), 6 percent (Lake Tahoe RR) Benchwork: L-girder Height: 42″ to […]
Roger Kujawa and Bruce Brantner came up with the idea of using false floors to secure heavy equipment and other loads on their HO flatcars. This allows them to run properly loaded or empty flatcars during operating sessions on Roger’s Atlantic & Great Western RR. Jim Forbes Roger used the wood deck as a template […]
Bachmann HO scale 2-10-0 Russian Decapod steam locomotive HO scale locomotives 2-10-0 Russian Decapod steam locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Erie; St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco, with doghouse); Western Pacific; and painted black but unlettered. Dual-mode TCS WOWSound decoder; Keep-Alive capacitor; Chuffinity technology; cog V-belt flywheel drive; metal motor bearings; separately applied stack, domes, cab, […]
Gary Hoover models the Norfolk & Western Ry. in the late 1950s through Virginia and West Virginia. Many of the scenes on his 24 x 49 foot model railroad are inspired by the famed railroad photographer, O. Winston Link. Gary’s model train layout is also the cover story of the April 2020 Model Railroader. Enjoy […]
Model Railroader reviewed the Rapido Trains Inc. HO scale Santa Fe-rebuilt Budd cars in the September 2019 issue. Rapido Trains Inc., manufacturer of North American prototype HO and N scale locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and accessories, as well as British-outline models, celebrated its 15th anniversary in November 2019. Jason Shron, president of Rapido, shared […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page Recently, Group Technical Editor Cody Grivno and Editor Carl Swanson hosted the Model Railroader segment of Product Palooza down in the workshop. Watch Cody and Carl as they go over the details of some new WalthersMainline HO scale boxcars. Enjoy these highlights from […]
