Rapido Trains UK Titfield Thunderbolt deluxe train pack

A train set and packaging

Available at www.rapidotrains.co.uk in 10 road numbers and several paint schemes. List price: £399.95 (approximately $496.00 as of this writing) Item no. 922001 Pluses Accurate models of the equipment used in the 1953 Ealing Studios film, DCC sound fitted locomotive, detailed interiors, free-rolling metal wheels, NEM coupler pockets, 3D printed figures representing the actors Minuses […]

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Baltimore light rail line shut down indefinitely

Red, yellow, and white light rail trainset

BALTIMORE — The Maryland Transit Administration is halting service on its light rail line in Baltimore because of mechanical issues requiring immediate repairs, officials said at a Thursday press conference. The service suspension is effective today (Friday, Dec. 8) and will be in effect indefinitely. The Baltimore Sun reports that MTA Administrator Holly Arnold said […]

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FRA proposes amendments to freight car safety rules

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration on Thursday announced a proposal to amend its Freight Car Safety Standards to place restrictions on newly built freight cars placed in service in the U.S. to address concerns over foreign parts and technology — rules essentially aimed at  China, although the regulation does not say so explicitly. The […]

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Dome car in the Rockies

California Zephyr dome cars in Rocky Mountains

In a view from one of the California Zephyr’s five regularly assigned dome cars, another dome curves through the Rocky Mountains during the streamliner’s trip over the Denver & Rio Grande Western. Gordon Odegard photo […]

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Lionel No. 3672 automatic refrigerated milk car

Lionel’s no. 3672 Bosco automatic refrigerated milk car

Lionel’s automatic refrigerated milk car model No. 3672 is an updated version of the path-breaking car that Lionel enthusiasts of all ages loved when it debuted as the No. 3462 in 1947. The evolution of the milk car that culminated with the 3672. It is known among collectors of postwar trains as the “Bosco car.” […]

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DC Metrorail begins wheel replacement on 7000-series cars

Two men with wheel for railcar

WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail has begun replacing the wheels on all its 7000-series railcars, the latest step in the long-running effort to fully return the newest cars in the Metrorail fleet to service in the wake of problems that have limited their availability for more than two years. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said […]

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Repurpose kitchen containers for your layout

model car with cardboard roll loads on it

Did you ever look to your kitchen as source for free items to make your layout more visually appealing? With just a little paint and some imagination, items like pudding cups, freezer packaging rolls, and fast-food condiment containers can become stock tanks, flatcar loads, and much more! If you are looking for scale items, some […]

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Chicago & North Western’s bilevel ‘Flambeau 400’

Yellow-and-green passenger train at station by grade crossing

  Into the 1960s, Chicago & North Western passenger trains blanketed the Upper Midwest, especially in Wisconsin — a popular vacationland until the jet airliner beckoned travelers instead to the likes of Southern California, Miami, and Las Vegas. In the late 1950s, new C&NW management saw the writing on the walls of the railroad’s majestic […]

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Otter Valley Railroad HO bulkhead flatcar

Color ¾ view of HO scale bulkhead flatcar.

The FreightCar America (FCA) 52-foot, 100-ton bulkhead flatcar with side stakes is the third HO scale freight car released by Otter Valley Railroad, a hobby shop located in Tillsonburg, Ont. Features on the newly tooled model include an injection-molded plastic body, die-cast metal underbody, and trucks with rotating bearing caps. The prototype We received two […]

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Tangent O scale brass tank car

Photo showing two O scale three-dome tank cars.

Tangent Scale Models, known for its line of highly detailed N and HO scale injection-molded plastic freight cars, is now offering a General American Transportation Corp. (GATC) 1928-design 6,000-gallon, three-compartment tank car in brass. The tank cars, available in two-rail O scale (5’-0” gauge wheels) and Proto:48 (4’-8” gauge wheels), were produced by Sam Model […]

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12 train sets for the holidays

Color photo of HO scale train set box with painted box art and display windows for models.

If you’ve read Model Railroader magazine for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the hobby journey for many of our authors started with a train set. For baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, the set was often produced by Lionel or American Flyer. Fast forward a generation or two, and those sets were […]

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