Well, I left everybody hanging with the end of my last story, the Cascade Tunnel adventure. The adventure continued even after my conductor, Chris, and I left our freight train inside the 7.9-mile-long Cascade Tunnel after the ventilation failed and hurried our light engines to daylight — and fresh air. Once outside, Chris and I […]
When created, Burlington Northern had a greater extent than any other U. S. railroad: Vancouver, British Columbia, to Pensacola, Fla. If you crossed North America from east to west, you had to cross BN rails or get your feet wet in the Gulf of Mexico or find your way around the north side of […]
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 […]
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 […]
An Electro-Motive Division GP38 diesel locomotive is now available in HO scale from Rapido Trains. The four-axle road switcher features plastic and die-cast metal construction, railroad-specific details, and body-mounted metal couplers. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the GP38 from January 1966 through December 1971. During the course of the production run, 733 units were built […]
News & Products for the week of February 24th 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 February 24th, […]
In 2016, to separate the road and the track, I built a retaining wall and safety fence around one of the curves in my railway. I used pieces of treated wood to represent concrete blocks, and 3” wide strips from white plastic-coated wire baskets to serve as the fence (August 2016 Garden Railways). After eight […]
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 […]
Welcome to our latest product review video. The Broadway Limited HO scale EMD GP30 is back in a colorful assortment of new paint schemes. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road switcher and Burlington Northern No. 2250; points out the various plastic, formed wire, […]
Welcome to our latest product review video. The Broadway Limited HO scale EMD GP30 is back in a colorful assortment of new paint schemes. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road switcher and Burlington Northern No. 2250; points out the various plastic, formed wire, […]
News & Products for the week of February 17th 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 February 17th, […]
Hobbyists are drawn to specific railroads for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it was the line that served their hometown. Or maybe a relative worked on the railroad. Another reason — with less sentimental attachment — is that they like the paint scheme. The colors applied to diesel locomotives and freight cars are far from […]
