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The RSD5 diesel locomotive was produced by Alco from 1952 through 1956. Just over 200 of these units were produced, a small quantity compared to the more than 1,200 RS-3s Alco produced earlier in the same decade. The RSD5s produced 1600 hp with just over 71,000 pounds of tractive effort. The three-axle trucks, each axle […]
A 52’-6”, 15-panel gondola with factory-dented sides is now available from Bluford Shops. The N scale injection-molded plastic model, offered with light, medium, and heavy denting, features metal wheelsets, body-mounted couplers, and railroad-specific end and hand brake options. Prototype history The Bluford Shops model is based on a design developed by the Erie RR and […]
MTH has sold a “Bump-N-Go” trolley for many years, but I could not find evidence that CTT ever reviewed one. This version (No. 30-5249) was a custom-run for Dixie Union Station, as part of the RailKing line. The blue and yellow paint is well done. The Skyline Chili logo is on the lower center side […]
Price: Single car, $37.99; six-pack, $219.99 Manufacturer Otter Valley Railroad Inc. 37 Tillson St., Unit E Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada N4G 0B7 ovrtrains.com Road names: American Iron & Metal Co. (20000 and 21000 series), Midwest Railcar Corp., Triple M Metal, and XRMX. Also available painted black with data only. Six to 12 road numbers per paint […]
Frank Hornby, British businessman and inventor born in 1863, is a name known across the globe for model trains and toys alike. This book, Hornby: Book of Collectable Toys, takes a deep dive into the history of the Hornby manufacturing company and its many subsidiaries. This book isn’t just about model trains–it includes all of […]
Menards continues to release an interesting variety of structures for your O gauge layout, from industrial, to whimsical, and anything else you might see in Anytown U.S.A. This latest structure, called “O gauge Main Street,” fits squarely in that Anytown category. A sticker on the clamshell box states that this is part of the Main […]
Lionel first introduced its No. 3435 Aquarium Car in 1959. This freight car featured a simulated aquarium with “swimming” fish, accomplished with a loop of decorated plastic, a Vibromotor, and a lightbulb. Over the years, dozens of variations of this car have been released, including those with stingrays, sharks, mermaids, and koi. The Train Collectors […]
Nearly 20 years after the initial review in Classic Toy Trains’ Feb. 2008 issue, the O-gauge Hogwarts Express remains a steady set for Lionel, along with the accompanying Harry Potter-branded products. But with a reboot of the franchise planned as a future streaming series on HBO Max, it’s time to return to Kings Cross’ Platform […]
The C30-7 is the latest addition to the lineup of General Electric diesel locomotives from Rapido Trains. The HO scale model, offered in eight paint schemes, has a five-pole motor with dual flywheels; a heavy, die-cast metal weight; and prototype-specific details. Prototype history General Electric produced the C30-7 from September 1976 to May 1985. During […]
It’s early morning in the rolling hills of North Carolina. The silence is broken by the shotgun sound of a steam locomotive. The engine, a hulking Baldwin decapod, is panting and straining against a heavy train of building supplies and coal empties, bound for the junction with the Alarka Branch a few miles distant. With […]
A newly tooled Budd dome coach is now available in N scale from RailSmith Models. The injection-molded plastic lightweight car features tinted dome window glazing, metal wheel stubs mounted on plastic axles, and truck-mounted Accumate knuckle couplers. Prototype history The RailSmith car is based on a dome coach built by the Budd Co. in 1955 […]
Lionel has reissued the U28C diesel locomotive for the first time since 2012. The model was announced in the 2024 Volume 1 catalog. This six-axle unit was not that common on prototype railroads, and its unique appearance will allow it to stand out on your layout. The prototype was produced by General Electric between February […]
