John Olson, a popular Model Railroader magazine author and photographer from the 1970s through the 1990s, died on Dec. 28, 2025. He was 78 years old. His first MR article, “A day at Mule Shoes Meadows,” appeared in the May 1976 issue. John is perhaps best known for his nine-part project railroad series on the […]
Bob Brown, Editor of Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette, passed away on Feb. 1, 2026. He was 93 years old. Bob traced his interest in the hobby to the October 1944 issue of Model Railroader magazine, which he spotted on a newsstand. During his formative years he had an O gauge American Flyer train […]
ELY, Nev. — On the night of Feb. 3, the Nevada Northern Railway Museum successfully fired No. 81, a 1917 Baldwin Locomotive Works 2-8-0. The locomotive had not been fired for more than two years due to ongoing repairs. For the firing, 1,000 pounds of coal was placed in the 5-foot-by-9-foot firebox, which had been […]
STRASBURG, Pa. — A new year brings new resolutions. For RJD America LLC, a group of railroaders and businessmen who purchased Chesapeake & Ohio No. 614 in 2024, its 2026 resolution hopes to go above and beyond the ongoing restoration to return the Class J3a 4-8-4 to service. 2025 recap In an interview with Trains.com, […]
You can make the best models in the world, but as soon as you can see the layout room wall behind them, they tend to lose their feeling of realism. Adding a backdrop behind your layout is a great way to extend the miniature world beyond what you’ve modeled. Back in part 2 of our […]
Q: Is there a compilation of Arduino articles written for model railroads that is easily accessed? — Jim Bottomley A: We have two different options that might be of interest to you, Jim. In the Digital Downloads collection on shop.trains.com, we offer “Three Projects Using Arduino Microcontrollers.” The 38-page collection features three articles that previously […]
News & Products for the week of February 2nd 2026 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 February 2nd […]
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum announced that former Southern Railway No. 4501 will return from its annual inspection wearing the railroad’s classic passenger green paint scheme. The locomotive will appear as it did when it entered excursion service 60 years ago, in 1966. “In a year when we’re celebrating [the museum’s] 65th […]
For many years Hobbyshop Window was a popular department in the pages of Model Railroader magazine. We’re excited to bring it back as an occasional feature on Trains.com. Here’s a recap of some of the items that arrived at our offices for the week ending January 30th 2026. Keep up to date on the latest […]
FULLERTON, Calif. — Metrolink, the Los Angeles-area commuter rail service, has donated its first locomotive to the Fullerton Train Museum for preservation. The locomotive, No. 851, began life as an EMD F59PH, but was rebuilt to an F59PHR. It was delivered to the museum on Jan. 25, where it will be on static display. The […]
Dive into the rich history of the Atlas Model Railroad Company with General Manager Matt Moceikis and Sales Manager Ross Medine. Discover how this 100-year-old New Jersey institution evolved from a 1920s tool and die shop into a manufacturing leading manufacturer of in model railroad track, locomotives, and rolling stock. Get the exclusive scoop on […]
A newly-tooled model has joined the Bachmann HO scale freight car lineup. The General American 4,180-cubic-foot capacity Airslide covered hopper, offered in four paint schemes, features injection-molded plastic construction, 36″ metal wheelsets, and body-mounted E-Z Mate Mark II plastic couplers. Prototype history General American produced the 4180 Airslide from 1963 to 1980. The cars were […]
