Rapido HO mechanical refrigerator car

Color photo of HO scale freight car painted silver and black on white background.

A National Steel Car Corp. Ltd. (NSC) 3,294-cubic-foot capacity mechanical refrigerator car is now available from Rapido Trains. The model, offered in Canadian Pacific’s script and Multimark paint schemes, features injection-molded plastic construction, metal wheels mounted on plastic axles, and body-mounted metal couplers. Prototype history In the late 1960s, NSC built a group of mechanical […]

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Lionel Legacy F19 Pacific

steam locomotive on layout

The F19 Pacific-type was distinctive for its air pumps lining the front of the smokebox. These steam locomotives were developed by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, and famously pulled the George Washington between Cincinnati and Washington D.C. One feature that made the train a stand out was the Pullman heavyweights that featured the route’s name […]

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Atlas N Alco RSD5

Color photo showing nose details on N scale diesel.

The Alco RSD5 diesel locomotive is back for another run in the N scale Atlas Classic line. The six-axle road switcher, part of the Atlas lineup since 1999, is now offered with a factory-installed speaker (Silver Series), an ESU LokSound V5 Digital Command Control and sound decoder (Gold Series), and a revised chassis. Prototype history […]

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Walthers HO EMD SD75M

Color photo showing cab of HO scale diesel painted orange, green, and yellow.

The Electro-Motive Division SD75M diesel locomotive has joined the WalthersMainline HO scale product range. The newly tooled model features an injection-molded plastic body; heavy, die-cast metal chassis; and all-wheel drive and electrical pickup. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the SD75M from February 1995 through February 1996. A total of 76 units rolled off the production […]

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MTH DCS Wi-Fi Track Interface Unit (WTIU)

black unit with three ports on the side

With the recent arrival of MTH’s long-awaited WTIU, the era of “absentee operating” systems in 3-rail model railroading has officially come to an end. The Base3 system from Lionel arrived a few months ago for Lionel operators, and now the Digital Command System offers Proto-Sound 2.0 and 3.0 operators access to full functionality of their […]

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Menards HO Cripple Creek Seed & Feed

Color image of weathered gray HO scale building with scenicked base on white background.

Price: $24.99 Manufacturer Menards 5106 Menard Dr. Eau Claire, WI 54703 menards.com/trains Era: 1930s to present Comments: Cripple Creek Seed & Feed joins the ever-growing lineup of HO scale structures from Menards. The factory-assembled model, which measures 4-⅜” wide x 3-¼” deep x 2-7/16” high, uses medium density fiberboard (MDF) construction and has a scenicked […]

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Rapido Trains HO GE 44-tonner

Color photo of orange and black switcher on white background.

A General Electric 44-ton diesel locomotive is the latest addition to the Rapido Trains HO scale diesel lineup. The center-cab switcher has an injection-molded plastic body; heavy, die-cast metal chassis; and prototype-specific details. Prototype history General Electric produced the 44-ton diesel locomotive from Sept. 1940 to Oct. 1956. During the course of the production run […]

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Tangent HO Trinity 4750 covered hopper

Side view of HO scale three-bay covered hopper painted green on white background.

The Trinity Industries “Pullman-design” 4,750-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper is now available from Tangent Scale Models. Features on the HO scale car, designed from Pullman-Standard plans and field measurements, include road-specific details, Barber S-2 100-ton trucks with rotating bearing caps and separate brake beam detail, and Kadee scale couplers. Prototype history The Tangent model is […]

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MTH DCS Wi-Fi Interface Unit (WTIU)

man and woman in a workshop

Classic Toy Trains‘ Editor Rene Schweitzer and Trains.com Staff Writer Lucas Iverson unbox and demonstrate the new DCS Wi-Fi Interface Unit (WTIU) from MTH. This long-awaited digital command system is an all-in-one system that is easy to set up and use. Learn the pros, cons, and watch a short demo of the unit! Read more […]

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Lionel Thomas & Friends battery operated starter set

woman and man next to toy train set

Classic Toy Trains‘ Editor Rene Schweitzer and Trains.com Staff Writer Lucas Iverson unbox and demonstrate a battery-operated O gauge starter set from Lionel. This Thomas & Friends set comes with Thomas, Annie, Clarabel, accessories, plastic track, and a remote control. Learn what you’ll need to get this set up and running in no time. Read […]

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Lionel Thomas and Friends Battery Operated Train set

toy train set components in a plastic container

Since the television launch of Thomas the Tank Engine in the 1980s, this anthropomorphised steam locomotive has become a worldwide phenomenon. It likely would be difficult to find a child who doesn’t recognize Thomas’ round face and expressive eyes. Lionel is no stranger to Thomas products; they started selling the O gauge version in 1993. […]

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MR&T HO scale caboose kit

Side view of HO caboose painted brown and black.

A Milwaukee, Racine & Troy offset-cupola caboose kit is now available at Shop.Trains.com. The model, produced by ScaleTrains and part of the manufacturer’s Kit Classics line, has an injection-molded plastic body with a separate cupola and underbody. Kit features Steel cabooses like this were a staple on our freelance HO scale railroad for many years. […]

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