Rapido Trains HO Fairbanks-Morse H16-44

Color image of HO scale diesel painted orange and black on scenicked model railroad with blue and white title bar in lower left corner.

The Rapido Trains HO Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 recently arrived at our offices. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he provides a brief history of the full-size unit and Milwaukee Road No. 435; points out the plastic, cast metal, and etched-metal detail parts on the model; and demonstrates the sound and light functions on our […]

Read More…

Accurately modeling the 1960s for model railroaders

A black and white photo of a freight train led by two locomotives

When designing their layouts, many model railroaders gravitate towards the 1960s. It’s easy to understand why — to many in the hobby, the 1960s represents one of the most dynamic decades in American railroading, as the last vestiges of steam power faded and diesel locomotives began their reign over America’s rail network, a reign which […]

Read More…

Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Southern Belle

Two trains pass a switching tower on a model railroad layout

Kansas City Southern F3 No. 30 leads the northbound Southern Belle past Terminal Ry. tower no. 6 on its last lap into Kansas City Union Station. To the right, a Kansas City Terminal switcher brings in a sleeper to set out for the westbound Super Chief. The action takes place on Nicholas Muff’s HO scale […]

Read More…

Atlas N ACF Precision Design boxcar

Color photo of N scale boxcar painted dark blue with aluminum roof and red and white graphics on white background

Atlas N ACF Precision Design boxcar Scale: N (1:160) Price: $30.95 (undecorated, $23.95) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas N ACF Precision Design boxcar features: Diagonal-panel roof Die-cast metal underframe Factory-applied end ladders, crossover handrails, and brake wheel Pin-mounted roller-bearing trucks Plastic wheelsets See-through plastic crossover platforms […]

Read More…

Rapido Trains HO TurboTrain 2.0

Futuristic toy train painted in red, white, and black colors on a model base with green grass and a tan concrete culvert in front of a blue sky backdrop with white fluffy clouds.

Rapido Trains Inc. has released an updated version of its highly detailed HO scale model of United Aircraft’s TurboTrain. The firm is calling this release TurboTrain 2.0. Much like the real high-speed train sets developed and built in the late 1960s and then upgraded through their service lives, Rapido’s own HO scale model of the […]

Read More…

MP15CC pressed into service on the Richmond Pacific

Blue and black, diesel-powered switcher

Richmond, CA — The Richmond Pacific Railroad, a division of Levin Richmond Terminal that serves the Port of Richmond and surrounding industries, announced that its active roster now meets full Tier IV emissions standards. This milestone in environmental compliance was achieved through the recent commission of a MP15CC that was repowered by Western Rail, Inc. […]

Read More…

Norfolk Southern adds yard goats to its bleet

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has put a different kind of yard goat to work at its Inman Yard in Atlanta. Goats — as in the four-legged domesticated farm animal, not a four-axle switcher — were used to get rid of invasive kudzu, the fast-growing vines that are the bane of the South. Kudzu can grow […]

Read More…

Maui fire destroys Sugar Cane Train rolling stock

Trains Magazine logo

MAUI COUNTY, Hawaii — Wild fires continue to take a toll across the country. Earlier this week a brush fire consumed the shops of the Lahaina, Kaanapali & Pacific Railroad — the Sugar Cane Train — near Kaanapali. Lost in the fire were two steam locomotives and numerous passenger cars. A diesel locomotive was also […]

Read More…

Amtrak NextGen Acela debut set for Aug. 28

WASHINGTON — Amtrak announced today that the first five Next Generation Acela trainsets will begin operating over its Boston-Washington Northeast Corridor on Thursday, Aug. 28. Information regarding which departures will be new Acelas and when they can be booked was not initially revealed. “As the official launch date approaches, customers should look for more information […]

Read More…