Action may be required on your Trains.com account in order to continue accessing content. Click here to learn more.
Also in this issue: ON TRAINS.COM, pg. 6 The latest features on our website FROM THE EDITOR, pg. 8 Making accurate models from reality NEWS AND REVIEWS, pg. 10 Hobby industry news ASK MR, pg. 18 Where to find HO scale double-shelf couplers RAILWAY POST OFFICE, pg. 22 Letters from our readers STEP BY STEP, […]
Host David Popp, along with various staff members from Model Railroader and Trains.com, set out to build a small semblance of the former Milwaukee, Racine, & Troy HO scale (1:87.1) layout! Although the footprint of the new East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) model railroad will pale in comparison to the MR&T, it will be built […]
Also in this issue: ON TRAINS.COM, pg. 6 The latest features on our website FROM THE EDITOR, pg. 8 Welcome to the hobby! NEWS AND REVIEWS, pg. 10 Hobby industry news ASK MR, pg. 18 Identifying buffer cars STEP BY STEP, pg. 24 How to model an industry-specific vehicle ON OPERATION, pg. 68 Super-sized operating […]
RICHFIELD, Wis. — For more than 40 years, readers of Trains magazine were the beneficiaries of one of railroad publishing’s most accomplished but unsung talents, a man who created hundreds of the railroad maps that helped seal the magazine’s reputation. But unless you read the tiny, 6-point type in the corner, you wouldn’t know the […]
Locomotives & rolling stock E-Z Catch, 5 Tysen St., Staten Island, NY 10301, is selling a custom-run MTH C30-7 as part of the RailKing line (30-21271-1). The engine features Proto-Sound 3.0 and requires O-31 curves for operation. Expected delivery in February 2025. Price: $429.95. Website: e-zcatch.com The New Jersey Hi-Railers are offering a custom-run MTH […]
OSHKOSH, Wis. — Nancy L. Bartol, a longtime member of the Trains magazine editorial staff and later Kalmbach Publishing Co.’s librarian, died Dec. 29 at age 83. With 43 years at Kalmbach, she was one of the longest-tenured employees in the company’s history, most of her career reporting directly to Trains Editor David P. Morgan. […]
The beloved forums for Model Railroader, Trains Magazine, Classic Trains, Classic Toy Trains, and Garden Railways are back and better than ever in a new home: forum.trains.com. After a brief hiatus, we’re thrilled to announce that we have successfully migrated nearly 70,000 users and an impressive 250,000 posts to our new platform. For those who’ve […]
The beloved forums for Model Railroader, Trains Magazine, Classic Trains, Classic Toy Trains, and Garden Railways are back and better than ever in a new home: forum.trains.com. After a brief hiatus, we’re thrilled to announce that we have successfully migrated nearly 70,000 users and an impressive 250,000 posts to our new platform. For those who’ve […]
We have compiled this annual index as a service to our readers. It contains all of the articles, departments, and subject categories of the calendar year. Most feature material has been indexed three or more times: by the title which it was published; under the author’s last name; and by subject. Click on the link […]
If you’re looking at model trains and deciding what to prioritize, no doubt you’ve come across a variety of scales. You might be wondering, which scale is best for you? How small is too small? The most common scales for model trains and sets are O scale and HO scale. In this post, we’ll walk […]
Special Interest Tours and Trains Magazine bring you a one-time rail excursion tour. Get ready to travel around Great Britain celebrating the bicentennial of steam train travel and experiencing the best steam trains of the region from Sep. 23 to Oct. 2, 2025 with Trains Associate Editor Bob Lettenberger on this 10-days/9 nights adventure. Time […]
Also in this issue: EDITOR’S DESK, pg. 4 YOUR LETTERS, pg. 6 YOUR PHOTOS, pg. 8 NEWS & REVIEWS, pg. 13 Lionel SD50, LCCA boxcar, Menards cattle car, Atlas E8, and more COLLECTIBLE CLASSICS, pg. 17 Lionel’s No. 3484 Operating Boxcar QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, pg. 56 Poultry Dispatch Car repair, Marx boxcar paint scheme, and […]
