Pacific Car & Foundry 50-foot boxcar from Athearn Genesis

A green model boxcar against a white background

Pacific Car & Foundry 50-foot boxcar from Athearn Genesis Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $49.99 Era: 1960s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Pacific Car & Foundry 50-foot boxcar features: Separate wireform grab irons, etched metal coupler platforms, and/or etched metal roofwalk as appropriate Underframe detail including […]

Read More…

“Cabooses” or “cabeese”?

Five colorful model cabooses go into a tunnel on a mountainous train layout

One piece of rolling stock I can bet almost every model railroader owns is a caboose. These cars are a staple in both real life and the model form, to the point where many people who don’t know much about trains at all know what a caboose is. Along with the existence of the word […]

Read More…

The Menards Beta 4 Santa Fe locomotives

Menards A-A Beta 4.0 Santa Fe locomotives

The Menards Beta 4 Santa Fe locomotives are the latest version of the company’s foray into motive power. A year or so ago Menards tested the waters with a diesel locomotive in Santa Fe paint. Let’s take a look at this set and see what’s changed with this latest release. In this Beta 4 version, […]

Read More…

Rapido Electro-Motive Division E8 Amtrak No. 4316

An image of a black model locomotive against a lbue sky background

Rapido Electro-Motive Division E8 Amtrak No. 4316 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: With dual-mode ESU LokSound sound decoder, $399.95 Era: 1971 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Electro-Motive Division E8 Amtrak No. 4316 features: Plastic and etched-metal details Unique nose with missing MU door Correct back ends, […]

Read More…

The Menards Beta 4 Santa Fe locomotives

Menards A-A Beta 4.0 Santa Fe locomotives

The Menards Beta 4 Santa Fe locomotives are the latest version of the company’s foray into motive power. A year or so ago Menards tested the waters with a diesel locomotive in Santa Fe paint. Let’s take a look at this set and see what’s changed with this latest release. In this Beta 4 version, […]

Read More…

Athearn Genesis HO scale General American Transportation Corporation 2600 Airslide hopper

A Tuscan Red hopper car is shown from the side, front and back against a white background

Athearn Genesis General American Transportation Corporation 2600 Airslide hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $59.99; two-pack, $104.99 Era: 1953+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com General American Transportation Corporation 2600 Airslide hopper features: Three different body styles Detailed underbody including outlet piping Gravity or gravity-pneumatic […]

Read More…

Conrail diesels in large scale

blue model diesel engines with figure on garden railway

Conrail diesels in large scale: Mark Bottrill’s Bishopstown Subdivision is designed to summon up memories of Conrail’s heyday in the Northeast, but it’s located in the Buckinghamshire county in the south of England! The railroad has a 600-foot double-track mainline, and features a number of rail-served industries, including a steel recycling facility and a large […]

Read More…

Broadway Limited HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD45

A green locomotive against a blue sky background.

Broadway Limited HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD45 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $399.99 Era: 1965 to present Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com Electro-Motive Division SD45 features: Two prototype-specific short hood variations Separately-applied wire grab irons, lift rings, and other details Etched-metal radiator fans and grills Light-emitting-diode lighting with […]

Read More…

The Post cereal plant in Battle Creek, Michigan layout in N scale

The N scale Post cereal plant layout

Facts & features Name: Post cereal plant in Battle Creek, Michigan Scale: N (1:160) Size: 12-0′ x 14-0′ Prototypes:  Grand Trunk Western and Penn Central Locale: Battle Creek, Michigan Era: 1970s Style: Single deck Mainline run: Not applicable Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 3 percent Benchwork: L-girder with risers and open-grid […]

Read More…

The HO scale Post cereal plant in Battle Creek, Michigan layout

The track plan for the HO scale Post cereal plant in BattleCreek, Michigan

Facts & features Name: Post cereal plant in Battle Creek, Michigan Scale: HO (1:87) Size: 12-0′ x 14-0′ Prototypes:  Grand Trunk Western and Penn Central Locale: Battle Creek, Michigan Era: 1970s Style: Single deck Mainline run: Not applicable Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: 2 percent Benchwork: L-girder with risers and open-grid […]

Read More…

Missouri-Kansas-Texas locomotives remembered

Red diesel Missouri-Kansas-Texas locomotives outside shop building

Missouri-Kansas-Texas locomotives were modernized under the watch of President Matthew Sloan in the 1930s. They were mostly built before World War I, with higher boiler pressures and superheaters. As a light-rail granger road set in mostly prairie country, Katy needed only modernized engines. Premier mainline power was 154 Mikados and 62 Pacifies, with yard work […]

Read More…

Amtrak San Diego service through the years

Amtrak San Diego service passenger train along ocean coastline

Amtrak San Diego service has seen a gradual increase since startup.     Amtrak operated two daily trains on the San Diego to Los Angeles route when it started service on May 1, 1971. The trains retained the San Diegan branding inherited from the Santa Fe, which continued to operate freight service over the line. […]

Read More…