Trains.com is undergoing website maintenance that is expected to last approximately two weeks. Click here to learn more.
With school back in session, the sun setting earlier, and the first hints of autumn showing up in the trees, it also means we’re getting back to peak model railroading season. Are you searching for some workbench projects to keep you busy this fall and winter? Here are five cabooses you can model. I just […]
In late August 2023, Atlas announced that it is entering the Z scale freight car market. The company’s debut car will be the Evans 53-foot double-plug-door boxcar, which it also offers in N, HO, and O scales. The Master Line model is scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2024. Road names in the […]
I’m heartened to see Amtrak intends to explore a 200-mph Dallas-Houston passenger rail service in cooperation with Texas Central Partners. Having driven I-45 between the two megacities, I can vouch for its clear need and likely success. Not all of Amtrak’s plans have succeeded as envisioned, unfortunately. One, in particular, comes to mind: the short-lived […]
The Atlas HO scale EMD GP40 is back for another run, this time with ditch lights on select road names. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno as he points out the features on the four-axle road switcher, demonstrates some of the light and sound features, and switches cars on the Jones Island section of […]
The Atlas HO scale EMD GP40 is back for another run, this time with ditch lights on select road names. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno as he points out the features on the four-axle road switcher, demonstrates some of the light and sound features, and switches cars on the Jones Island section of […]
To our younger readers, HO scale locomotives with smoke units may seem like a recent development. In reality, the feature dates back to the end of World War II when American Flyer began producing 1:87.1 steam locomotives with smoke. Since that time, companies have continued to offer HO locomotives with smoke units. Admittedly, some manufacturers […]
If you have LEGO trains, you probably have LEGO train track. Different kinds of LEGO train track have appeared in train sets from the very beginning and have evolved to the gray track that we have today. What parts can you buy in the store today? Come along on this journey as I share all […]
Asked who my main influence has been as a writer, my reflexive answer is always “David P. Morgan.” The great editor’s inspiring use of language is what, in my opinion, made Trains magazine so important to generations of readers. And although I’d never be foolish enough to compare anything I write to that of D.P.M., […]
A Pullman-Standard 4427 high-side three-bay covered hopper is making its debut in the Atlas O Premier line. The model, acquired when Atlas O purchased select M.T.H. tooling in March 2021, features plastic and die-cast metal construction and a mix of molded and separate, factory-applied detail parts. Prototype history The PS 4,427-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper […]
The Metropolitan Division of the Train Collectors Association (METCA) recently announced the following custom-run models from Atlas O, Lionel, and MTH Electric Trains. Here’s a rundown of the O gauge models the group is offering. Visit the News & Reviews section of the Classic Toy Trains website for the latest headlines in toy trains. Atlas […]
How do I add lighting to cabooses? Q: I have five modern-era cabooses, four Lionel and one Atlas O, and I would like to add interior lighting to them. How do I do it? A: The first consideration is finding bulbs that glow warmly without getting too hot for the plastic caboose bodies. This shouldn’t […]
Where do I find paint for toy train projects? Q: I am looking to restore some of my trains. How do I get started? Where do I find the paint for the job? – Ray Fiorini, Endicott, N.Y. A. Ray, if you have a handy pile of CTT back issues or access to the online […]
