THERE IS NO MORE ICONIC locomotive in the world of model railroading than the Electro-Motive F3 diesel – the unquestioned monarch of the steam-to-diesel transition era. In the late 1940s, Lionel’s F3s rocked the O gauge world, and over the decades the range of F3s made for the O gauge world has gotten only better. […]
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Blackstone Models HOn3 boxcars An HO scale three-foot-gauge model of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Ry.’s rebuilt 3000-series boxcar is now available from Blackstone Models. A “rebuilt” fleet. By the 1920s two decades of heavy service had taken their toll on Denver & Rio Grande Ry.’s 750 30-foot boxcars. In 1926 the renamed Denver […]
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Conrail limited (edition, that is)O gauge SD40 by Atlas OThe SD40 hails from the early years of dieselization’s second generation of motive power. Cataloged from 1966 through 1972, the 3,000-horsepower locomotive utilized a common frame shared by the Electro-Motive Division’s SD38, SD39, SDP40, and SD45. More than 880 were built, and the model spawned a […]
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Atlas O scale RS-3 diesel This Alco RS-3 road switcher is a good-looking model that captures its prototype’s unique profile and can handle anything from passenger trains to yard switching. Made by Atlas O, the RS-3 is offered in two-rail DC or three-rail AC versions. Three-rail versions are available with factory-installed Lionel TrainMaster Command Control […]
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During the original incarnation of the Industrial Rail line, one of the nicest products offered was that trolley car (see my review in the May 2001 issue). It was an authentic-looking, traditional-sized (O-27) model that ran quietly, had the popular bumper-activated reverse unit for point-to-point operation, and was offered in three paint schemes. Industrial Rail […]
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The new Industrial Rail 4-4-2 Atlantic by Atlas O is the firm’s first attempt to bring a nicely detailed, smoothly operating steam locomotive to the O gauge entry-level market. Its direct competition in the marketplace is Lionel’s 4-4-2 starter set and MTH’s old RailKing 2-6-0 starter set. All three are designed to provide a reliable, […]
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I’M ON RECORD for both lauding the concept of the Atlas O Trainman line and enjoying its basic, no-frills diesels. Why? Since the Trainman line’s O scale products are very affordable, I think that post-starter set newbies with an interest in scale-sized trains might be likely to plop down their hard-earned bucks for a Trainman […]
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Atlas HO scale Alco C-420 A great looking, smooth-running model of Alco’s smallest Century-series road locomotive, the 2,000-hp C-420 road switcher, has been released by Atlas. This model represents what railfans call the Phase 1 version, and it’s decorated for all of the prototype’s original owners. Atlas offers the C-420 in a Silver-series DC version, […]
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ALCO DIESELS ARE POPULAR with the O gauge crowd. After checking out the models of the RSD-7 and RSD-15, you may have to crown Atlas O the king of three-rail Alco power. The RSD-7 and the RSD-15 are basically the same locomotive, except that the RSD-7 had an Alco 244-series diesel engine and the RSD-15 […]
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Atlas HO and N scale signal system A versatile operating signal system is now available for HO and N scale modelers. These new signals from Atlas Model Railroad Co. come in three different styles and will work on DC layouts as well as those operated with Digital Command Control (DCC). The signal system uses much […]
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