Atlas N scale EMD GP60

Color photo of N scale diesel locomotive painted orange and black on white background.

Atlas N scale EMD GP60 Scale: N (1:160) Price: Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $144.95; with ESU sound decoder, $254.95. Subtract $10 for undecorated models. Era: October 1985 to present Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas N scale EMD GP60 features: Body-mounted Accumate couplers Clear window glazing […]

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Trains.com Insider Interview | NMRA President Gordy Robinson talks Trainfest 2025

Hear directly from National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) President Gordy Robinson, just how enthused the organization is to now host the world-renowned Trainfest 2025 event in downtown Milwaukee, Wisc., November 1 & 2! When Trains.com staff writer Lucas Iverson recently chatted with Gordy, the conversation revealed numerous insights into the NMRA’s immediate and long-term objectives […]

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Atlas Trainman HO two-bay hopper

Color photo of HO scale two-bay offset-side hopper painted green with white graphics

Atlas Trainman HO two-bay hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $26.95; three-pack, $80.85 Era: 1930s to 1970s Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas Trainman HO two-bay hopper features: Blackened metal wheels on plastic axles Body-mounted Accumate couplers Factory-applied brake wheel, chassis, and slope sheet covers Freestanding […]

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Loads for a fertilizer blend plant

Color photo showing portion of three-bay covered hopper painted light orange.

Q: I have a question about one of the articles in your special issue Best of Industries. On page 16, Rich Cobb wrote about a fertilizer blend plant. Can you tell me what kind of loads a plant like this would receive? — Markus Russ A: We released that special-interest publication in 2021, so I […]

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News & Products for the week of April 7th 2025

An orange model caboose

News & Products for the week of April 7th 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of April 7th, […]

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Classic Toy Trains new products for April 2025

red, white, and blue model locomotive

Locomotives & rolling stock MTH Electric Trains, 7393 Washington Blvd. Ste. 101, Elkridge, MD 21075, is selling O gauge Depressed Center Flatcars as part of the RailKing line. The engines feature O-27 operation and are available in six paint schemes (30-76933 shown). Expected delivery in July 2025. Price: $64.95. To order, contact your local MTH […]

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News & Products for the week of March 31st 2025

An orange and black model locomotive

News & Products for the week of March 31st 2025   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 31st, […]

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5 things I loved about Amherst

HO scale steam locomotive sitting on blue shelf

This year was my second year attending the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show in West Springfield, Mass. and it sure was a great time. After being blown away by the sheer size of the show in 2024, I was ready to experience it again this year, and take it all in. Whether it’s your […]

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Backdating the MR&T locomotive fleet

Color photo of HO scale steam switcher on scenicked base

Q: The historic cars for the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy featured in the January 2025 episode of Ask Trains were very interesting (I grew up in Spokane, Portland & Seattle territory and am modeling some of that). What sort of steam and early diesel power would have been used to go with the cars of […]

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Make track look realistic

Color photo showing trains passing on a scenicked HO scale model railroad.

Today, model railroaders are blessed with a wide variety of commercial track in most popular scales. It wasn’t all that long ago that off-the-shelf track was largely one-size-fits all, with oversized rail, bulky ties, and little detail. Now, mass-produced track is available in different rail heights (called codes) with simulated wood or concrete ties, prototypical […]

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The Rise of HO Scale Model Trains

A model train passes on a bridge on a model railroad layout

HO scale model trains are a significant part of model railroading history, and we can partially credit the overall popularity of model trains with the rise of a convenient, tabletop scale like HO. With origins dating back a century, HO scale trains have grown into the most popular model train scale in the world.  Model […]

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Railroad vehicles you can model

Color photo of white truck with black bed and yellow grapple

A few months ago I wrote about a boxcar storage shed in Crookston, Minn., my hometown. During that same visit my friend, then an employee of Minnesota Northern RR (since retired) gave me a tour of the rest of the yard. Sure, I spent time photographing the usual things — locomotives, rolling stock, structures, and […]

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