Aurora Miniatures HO Transcona Shops boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $59.99 Era: 2003 to present Manufacturer: Aurora Miniatures North America Inc., na.auroraminiatures.com Aurora Miniatures HO Transcona Shops boxcar features: 10-foot wide single plug door 36” metal wheelsets with RP-25 contour All-new model Aurora-designed 100-ton Barber roller-bearing trucks with bolster and center plate detail, brake beams, […]
Magazine: Model-Railroader
Model Railroader Photo of the Day: A summer afternoon in the desert
On a hot summer afternoon, an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4-8-4 thunders past a small desert gas station. The attendant, who has operated the station for decades, is so used to the trains that he doesn’t even give this one a glance. Gary Hoover of Florissant, Mo., took the photo on his old HO […]
ScaleTrains HO Thrall 86-foot high-cube boxcar
ScaleTrains HO Thrall 86-foot high-cube boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $55.95 Era: 1964 to 2010s Manufacturer: ScaleTrains.com Inc., 4901 Old Tasso Rd. NE, Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com ScaleTrains HO Thrall 86-foot high-cube boxcar features: 33” machined metal wheelsets All-new model Body-mounted die-cast metal semi-scale standard Type E couplers Double 10-foot plug doors with […]
Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Chicago & North Western through rural Iowa
The quiet of rural Iowa is temporarily interrupted by the roar of a passing train. Here, a Chicago & North Western GP50 and two St. Louis Southwestern SD45s hustle a unit grain train across an HO scale module constructed by Bill Larsen for the Midwest Mod-U-Trak Club. Matt Kosic of Orland Park, Ill., took the […]
Small numbers on MR&T diesels
Q: When I was looking at pictures of the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy locomotive fleet, I noticed small numbers near the herald on some diesels. Were those numbers tied to the control system used on the layout, or did they have another meaning? — Jason Trew A: Those single- and double-digit numbers near the herald on […]
Model Railroader Photo of the Day: CSX Dash 8 on the Missouri, Kansas & Quincy
A clean locomotive on a bright, sunny day – you can’t ask for much more when you go trackside. Gary Hoover of Florissant, Mo., caught a virtually spotless CSX Dash 8-44CW on the point of a priority freight near the fictitious community of Oak Grove, Ill. The HO scale action takes place on Gary’s old […]
Atlas HO scale newsprint boxcar
Atlas HO scale newsprint boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $36.95; undecorated, $29.95 Era: 1967 to late 2000s Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas HO scale newsprint boxcar features: Body-mounted Accumate couplers Injection-molded plastic body Metal wheelsets Screw-mounted roller-bearing trucks See-through crossover platforms Separate, factory-applied brake wheel, door […]
News & Products for the week of May 19th 2025
News & Products for the week of May 19th 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 19th, […]
East Troy Industrial Park, Ep. 10 | Laying straight track and turnouts
The HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout wouldn’t be a model railroad without the trackwork! In this episode, hosts David Popp and Bryson Sleppy work to install sections of flexible straight track, before demonstrating how to add standard turnouts (track switches) along the line. Be sure to keep up with the construction […]
Model Railroader Tips & Tricks | Track selection and tracklaying insights
Track selection and tracklaying insights | Join David, as he first surveys a wide array of flexible trackwork offerings, and then shares helpful tips and tricks for properly preparing and installing sections of flex track on your next model railroad! Be sure to find other helpful videos like this in the How-to category on Trains.com […]
Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Pont-Rouge station
Sometimes rail photography is all about being in the right place at the right time. Pierre Dion photographed this five-unit consist of CP Rail C-630Ms and C-424s in front of the Pont-Rouge station. The crew of the westbound freight is waiting for a relief crew to arrive. Pierre took the photo on his freelanced HO […]
WalthersMainline HO EMD GP9
WalthersMainline HO EMD GP9 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin DCC plug and factory-installed 28mm round speaker, $159.98; with dual-mode ESU Sound & DCC, $214.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersMainline HO EMD GP9 features: Constant, directional light-emitting diode headlights Footboard or plow-equipped pilot […]
