50-foot Superior plug-door boxcar from Athearn

Drawing of yellow boxcar with brown ends

50-foot Superior plug-door boxcar Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $37.99 Era: 1971+ to late 2000s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features: Separate, factory-installed brake wheel and ladders 70-ton roller bearing trucks 33” machined metal wheels with RP-25 contours Body-mounted McHenry knuckle couplers Injection-molded plastic body […]

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Rapido Trains General Motors Diesel F40PH-2D

N scale model of passenger diesel locomotive in VIA Rail paint scheme

Rapido Trains recently released their General Motors Diesel F40PH-2D diesel locomotive. Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy hosts a Product Review video of this new N scale passenger locomotive. He demonstrates the details on the locomotive as well as lighting and sound effects from the dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder. Finally, he takes passengers on the […]

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Rapido Trains General Motors Diesel F40PH-2D

N scale model of passenger diesel locomotive in VIA Rail paint scheme

Rapido Trains recently released their General Motors Diesel F40PH-2D diesel locomotive. Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy hosts a Product Review video of this new N scale passenger locomotive. He demonstrates the details on the locomotive as well as lighting and sound effects from the dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder. Finally, he takes passengers on the […]

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Athearn 48-foot intermodal containers

Drawing of six white and yellow intermodal containers

48-foot intermodal containers Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $89.99 Era: 1990s+ Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features: New road numbers Injection-molded plastic construction Fully assembled Stackable Each container is individually numbered Release date: November 2023 Road names: Conrail (white with “Conrail Mercury” lettering); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (white with […]

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Building under construction from Custom Model Railroads

Model of a high rise building under construction

Building under construction Scale: HO (1:87.1) and N (1:160) Price: HO, $249; N, $127 Era: 1970s+ Manufacturer: Custom Model Railroads, 3937 Keswick Road, Baltimore, MD 21211; 410-889-0010; cmrtrain.com Building under construction features: Laser cut acrylic and 3-D printed parts Based on a high rise building under construction HO scale measures 8” x 6” x 17”; […]

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Toxic chemicals on model railroads throughout history

vintage illustration of lift bridge on model railroa

Can you believe hobbyists used to use toxic chemicals on model railroads? In the days before hobby shops sold premade scenery and wiring products, hobbyists made their own. Unfortunately, some of the materials weren’t very safe. Note: We’re providing this article for information and entertainment only. We are definitely not endorsing any of these substances […]

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48-foot intermodal container and chassis sets from Athearn

White container on black chassis

48-foot intermodal container and chassis Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $39.99 Era: 1990s+ Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features: Injection-molded plastic construction Chassis feature mudflaps and rolling wheels Release date: November 2023 Road names: Conrail (Conrail Mercury container on black BNZ chassis); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (white container with […]

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Samuel Rea Shops G41A coil steel gondola from Tangent Scale Models

Model of green coil car with one hood on and one hood off

Samuel Rea Shops G41A coil steel gondola Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: With hoods, $58.95; without hoods, $50.95 Era: 1966+ to 2005+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Tangent Scale Models, P.O. Box 6514, Asheville, NC 28816; 828-412-3886; tangentscalemodels.com Samuel Rea Shops G41A coil steel gondola features: Kadee scale couplers Road-specific details for each scheme, including […]

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BNSF 2022 Model Railroad Photo Contest

bnsflogo

BNSF 2022 Model Railroad Photo Contest Model railroaders, it’s time to show off your layouts featuring BNSF or predecessor trains! Post photos or short videos of your model railroad to your Instagram account or in the Friends of BNSF Facebook group no later than midnight Central time on Sunday, Oct. 16. Be sure to include […]

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Athearn Genesis General Electric Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive

Orange and dark green diesel locomotive with no logos

General Electric Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $259.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $359.99. Add $10 for Primed for Grime models. Era: 1994+ to present (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com General Electric Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive features: Trainline and […]

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American Z Line September 2022 diesel locomotive announcements

Model of green locomotive with yellow lettering and stripes

Additional American Z Line diesel locomotive announcements for September 2022 Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: Missouri-Kansas-Texas SW1500 diesel locomotive, early 1970s to 1989. Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Alco PA-1 diesel locomotive, 1946 to early 1960s. Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com Electro-Motive Division SW1500 features: AutoLatch couplers Prototype-specific details Directional light-emitting-diode lighting […]

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