Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale EMD GP40-2(W) Before the wide-nosed “safety cab” became practically a standard feature on North American locomotives, it was known as the “Canadian cab” due to its development north of the border. One of the earliest Electro-Motive Division locomotives to use that cab, the four-axle GP40-2(W), is now offered in […]
ExactRail HO scale depressed-center flatcar This modern depressed-center flatcar is a recent release from ExactRail that follows the overall lines of prototype cars built by General Steel Industries (GSI) in the 1970s and 1980s. The prototypes featured one-piece, cast-steel underframes that could carry tall loads because the carbody deck is only 23″ above the rails. […]
Kato N scale General Electric U30C diesel locomotive It’s been 20 years since Kato last offered an N scale model of General Electric’s six-axle U30C hood units, and it’s been worth the wait. The new model, retooled under the hood to make it friendlier to Digital Command Control, is a sharp-looking and smooth-performing engine. Keep […]
MTH HO scale train set Many model railroaders get started in the hobby with a train set. A loop of track, power pack, a locomotive, and rolling stock will have a new model railroader running trains in a matter of minutes. MTH has taken its ready-to-run sets a step further by including its Digital Command […]
Walthers HO scale Meadowhead barn kit Price: $38.98 ManufacturerWm. K. Walthers Inc.P.O. Box 3039Milwaukee, WI 53201www.walthers.com Era: 1900 to present Comments: If you’re looking for a structure that you can assemble, paint, and weather in one evening, then you’ll want to check out the Walthers HO scale Meadowhead barn kit. The injection-molded plastic kit has […]
Athearn N scale Bombardier bi-level cars Price: Coach or cab car, $28.98; three-coach set, $84.98 ManufacturerAthearn Trains1600 Forbes Way, Suite 120Long Beach, CA 90810www.athearn.com Era: 1976 to present Road names: Northstar Commuter, Metrolink, New Mexico DOT (RailRunner), North County Transit District (Coaster), Trinity Rail Express, Utah Front RunnerN scale modelers have more options to model […]
Bachmann Trains HO scale Electro-Motive GP9 diesel locomotive A smooth dual-flywheel mechanism and a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder highlight this new HO scale GP9 diesel from Bachmann. The four-axle locomotive model performed well during direct-current (DC) and DCC tests, and pulled a respectable number of freight cars on our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy […]
ExactRail LLC HO scale 64-foot refrigerator car A contemporary 64-foot mechanical refrigerator car is now available as a well-detailed injection-molded plastic model. This latest HO scale freight car from ExactRail is based on a prototype built by TrinityRail. The full-size “TRINCool” reefers are commonly seen in 55-car unit trains on Union Pacific (UP) and CSX. […]
Walthers HO scale 64-foot plastic pellet hopper Price: $27.98 ManufacturerWm. K. Walthers Inc.P.O. Box 3039Milwaukee, WI 53201www.walthers.com Era: 1997 to present Comments: After a nine year hiatus, the Walthers HO scale National Steel Car (NSC) 6,245-cubic-foot-capacity covered hopper is back, now part of the firm’s Platinum line. The ready-to-run car features factory-installed wire grab irons, […]
Athearn N scale Electro-Motive Division F59PHI passenger locomotive An N scale EMD F59PHI passenger locomotive was introduced by Athearn eight years ago. (We reviewed it in our April 2003 issue.) Athearn makes a number of improvements in its new release of this sharp-looking streamlined engine, the most notable of which is a SoundTraxx Digital Command […]
San Juan Car Co. On3/On21⁄2 UTLX tank car Price: $89.95 ManufacturerSan Juan Car Co.P.O. Box 1028Durango, CO 81301www.sanjuancarco.com Era: 1924 to 1950s Comments: A fully assembled narrow-frame tank car is now available in On3 from San Juan Car Co. The car includes user-installed On2½ wheelsets. Between 1924 and 1930, the Denver & Rio Grande Western […]
Bachmann Trains HO scale Baldwin 4-4-0 steam locomotive The introduction of a modernized Baldwin 4-4-0 steam locomotive will come as welcome news to modelers of HO scale railroads set in the first half of the 20th century. The new release from Bachmann’s Spectrum line includes SoundTraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) and sound, and features boilers, […]
