WalthersProto HO scale test car

Color photo of HO scale test car painted green and yellow on white background

WalthersProto HO scale test car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $49.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersProto HO scale test car features: 33” metal wheels Covered or exposed wheel bearings Die-cast metal body Factory-installed wire grab irons Multiple photo-etched brass placards as appropriate Road-name-specific reporting marks, stencils, […]

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Rapido N Santa Fe mechanical refrigerator cars

Color photo showing B end of N scale mechanical refrigerator car painted orange and black on white background.

Rapido N Santa Fe mechanical refrigerator cars Scale: N (1:160) Price: Single car, $41.95; four-pack, $167.80 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St., Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Features on Rapido N Santa Fe mechanical refrigerator cars: Detailed cushion draft gear Detailed underframe including piping and equipment Etched-metal running boards See-through side grills Separate, factory-applied door […]

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WalthersProto HO EMD GP7

Color photo showing front of HO scale hood unit painted red and gray with red, white, and black graphics on white backdrop.

WalthersProto HO EMD GP7 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct current with factory-installed speaker and 21-pin DCC plug, $219.98; with dual-mode ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, $319.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersProto HO EMD GP7 features: Body-mounted Proto-Max metal couplers Constant, directional warm white light-emitting diode […]

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News & Products for the week of September 22nd 2025

A black model steam locomotive with a black tender with and orange and red stripe on the side of the tender

News & Products for the week of September 22nd 2025   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 September 22nd, […]

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ScaleTrains HO EMD GP39E

Color photo showing front of HO scale four-axle EMD hood unit painted green and black with white graphics on white backdrop backdrop.

ScaleTrains HO EMD GP39E Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin connector, $204.99; with ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, two cube-type speakers, and an ESU-designed “PowerPack” with two super capacitors, $314.99. Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Road NE Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com ScaleTrains HO EMD GP39E features features: 81” EMD Spartan-type replacement short […]

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ScaleTrains HO Trinity 7500 high-cube boxcar

Color photo showing B end of modern HO scale boxcar painted yellow, black, and aluminum with black, blue, red, and white graphics on white background

ScaleTrains HO Trinity 7500 high-cube boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $54.99 Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Road NE Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com ScaleTrains Trinity 7500 high-cube boxcar features: 36” machined metal wheels with .110” wheel tread ASF Motion Control 110-ton trucks with raised foundry data; rotating Timken three-sided bearing caps (blue or black as […]

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Model Railroad Open House visit etiquette

A couple of visitors admire a layout.

Open houses, whether at model railroad clubs or private home layouts, offer fantastic opportunities to connect with fellow modelers and share the hobby. It’s also a joy to see what makes a layout tick and how one differs from another. While hosting an open house requires careful planning — as Arlan Tietel thoroughly explains in […]

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Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Essex Junction & Monadnock RR

A model steam locomotive on a model railroad layout

A Maine Central 2-8-0 leads a two-car local on Don Virtue’s HO scale Essex Junction & Monadnock RR. The model railroad is loosely based on the B&M’s Cheshire Branch in New Hampshire. Lou Sassi took the photo. Model Railroader‘s Photo of the Day features images from our archives, celebrating decades of model railroad heritage and […]

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Tangent HO PS2-CD 4750 covered hopper

Color photo showing B end of HO scale three-bay covered hopper painted gray with black and yellow graphics on white background

Tangent HO PS2-CD 4750 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $67.95 (quantity discounts for direct purchases from manufacturer) Era: 1980 to present (Varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Tangent Scale Models, P.O. Box 6514, Asheville, NC 28816; 828-412-3886; tangentscalemodels.com Tangent HO PS2-CD 4750 covered hopper features: Barber S-2 100-ton roller-bearing trucks or Barber S-2 100-ton […]

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Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Sutter’s Mill

A model train passes a collection of structures on a model railroad layout

While a few employees from Sutter’s Mill enjoy their mid-afternoon break outside, New York, New Haven & Hartford RS1 No. 0663 is hard at work pulling a string of boxcars. The scene is on Marshall Sommer’s HO scale Rhode Haven RR in Cumberland, Rhode Island. Lou Sassi took the photo. Model Railroader‘s Photo of the […]

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