Atlas HO scale Alco S-2 diesel switcher

AtlasHOAlcoS2

Atlas HO scale Alco S-2 diesel switcher With a metallic fluttering sound of pistons and turbocharger, Atlas’ Alco S-2 chattered to life on the test track. All that was  missing was a belch of smoke as the locomotive started to creep forward tie by tie. The dual-mode ESU LokSound Select sound decoder adds a pleasing […]

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Rivarossi HO scale Blue Ridge 2-6-6-6 steam locomotive

RivarossiHOscaleBlueRidge

The engineer’s side of the Blue Ridge shows the HO scale model’s many separately applied detail parts Famous as Alleghenies on the Chesapeake & Ohio, Lima-built 2-6-6-6 simple articulated steam locomotives also ran on the Virginian  Ry. Rivarossi added a newly tooled tender to its HO scale 2-6-6-6 to more accurately reflect the Virginian Blue […]

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Quick Look: Athearn HO scale rotary snowplow and B unit

AthearnHOrotarysnowplow

Price: $84.98 to $86.98 Manufacturer: Athearn Trains 1600 Forbes Way, Suite 120 Long Beach, CA 90810 www.athearn.com Era: 1950 to present Road names: Burlington Northern; Alaska RR; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Canadian National; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Milwaukee Road; New York Central Comments: Another round of Athearn rotary snowplows is ready to keep HO […]

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Moloco HO scale insulated boxcar

MolocoHOboxcar

A new run of HO scale General American 50-foot insulated boxcars is available from Moloco. These ready-to-run cars feature centered 10-foot doors (the previous run had offset doors); separately applied ladders, stirrup steps, and door hardware; and a cushioned underframe. General American, building on the success of its 50-foot insulated boxcars constructed in the 1950s, […]

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Quick Look: Trainworx N scale PS 85-foot piggyback flatcar

TrainworxNscaleflatcar

Trainworx N scale PS 85-foot piggyback flatcar Comments: This N scale 85-foot piggyback car from Trainworx represents one of the early long flatcars that were introduced in the 1960s to haul a pair of 40-foot trailers. Designed for circus-style loading, these cars included drop-down loading ramps at each end so trailers could be backed into […]

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Red Oak Series: Benchwork construction

David Popp under a workbench.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Benchwork for the 3 x 7-foot N scale Red Oak layout didn’t need to be bulletproof, but it did need to be sturdy enough for us to move about the MR workshop and transport to shows. In this video, MRVP’s David Popp shows […]

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Olympia Logging Series: Part 40 – Layout operation

David Popp show’s you that it really is possible to perform prototypical operations on a layout as simple as our Olympia Logging Co. On30 display. Follow along as he first explains the scheme, makes the essential preparations, and then demonstrates how fun and easy it is to get the layout working like a real railroad […]

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DCC Programming: episode 13 – Basics of Back EMF

Dana Kawala explainng Back-Electro-Motive-Force (Back EMF) control.

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In this episode of DCC Programming, host Dana Kawala explains Back-Electro-Motive-Force (Back EMF) control and how it functions to aid performance on DCC-equipped locomotives. Dana demonstrates how this “cruise control” can be set and adjusted based on some specific ways you might operate […]

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The Roundhouse: Episode 22

Hal Miller and Tony Koester

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In this “single-stall” edition of The Roundhouse, host Hal Miller welcomes Model Railroader magazine contributing editor Tony Koester to the table to chat about this friend, pioneering model railroader Allen McClelland, and his multiple Virginian & Ohio HO scale layouts. Although Allen no […]

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Rehab My Railroad: Episode 5

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page The Rehab crew returns to Chuck Sable’s basement to take on his toughest layout challenge yet. Chuck and David Popp start in on a street lighting project, but quickly get sidetracked troubleshooting a pesky DCC issue. Cody “Two Brat” Grivno keeps his head […]

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