Throughout the year people call our magazine to ask which transformer they should use for a new (usually small or first-time) layout. I’ve been asked if an MTH Z-4000 or a Lionel ZW was needed for a 4 x 8-foot layout. The answer: Unless you know for a fact that in the near future your […]
This compact diesel locomotive has an eye-catching paint scheme and plenty of technology under the hood. […]
Blackstone Models HOn3 2-8-0 steam locomotive There’s a new HOn3 Consolidation out, and she’s a beaut. Blackstone Models’ narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western/Rio Grande Southern class C-19 Consolidation has die-cast metal construction, a plastic tender, plenty of wire and cast-metal details, and a SoundTraxx Digital Command Control sound decoder. The prototype. The locomotive […]
Athearn Genesis GP50 diesel locomotives Not to be confused with the earlier Ready-to-Roll model, this Genesis-series GP50 from Athearn features all-new tooling for both Phase I and Phase II versions and many prototype-specific details. Our test samples came equipped with feature-laden SoundTraxx Digital Command Control decoders. A DC version with a DCC socket that accepts […]
Blackstone Models ProTraxx HOn3 snap-together track Price: $18.25 (4-pack), $89.95 (20-piece set) Manufacturer Blackstone Models 210 Rock Point Dr. Durango, CO 81301 www.blackstonemodels.com Comments: Blackstone Models is making narrow gauge modeling, once the province of hand-laid track, easier with its line of snap-together HOn3 ProTraxx. The code 70 track features attached plastic roadbed molded to […]
The new HO scale Chesapeake & Ohio Pere Marquette streamliner from Walthers features EMD E7A diesel-electric locomotives equipped with SoundTraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) decoders. The passenger car models feature overhead interior lighting. See and hear this detailed HO scale passenger train as it makes a run across the Model Railroader staff’s layout. […]
January issue reviews are always a bit sad for me. While the on-sale date of the magazine may still be before Christmas, the cover date means we’re moving past the high point of the toy train year. So I still like to get some Christmassy goodness in the January issue, even though some holiday curmudgeons […]
European outline O gauge trains are no stranger to modern operators and collectors. In recent years, we’ve seen three-rail gear exported to the U.S. from Europe by Ace Trains, Basset-Lowke (now a division of Hornby), and our friends at ETS. For several years, however, MTH Electric Trains has been busy cultivating the European market by […]
Atlas N scale 4-4-0 steam locomotive An icon of American history is now available in N scale from Atlas. The old-time American 4-4-0 comes in a variety of road names and is equipped with a straight or flared smokestack, depending on the prototype. The model is designed with a tender-mounted motor and traction tires to […]
Bachmann HO scale Porter switcher Equipped with a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder, this Porter 0-6-0 from Bachmann is equipped to handle HO scale industrial chores. The model is an accurate reproduction of its side-tank engine prototype and operates on direct-current (DC) as well as DCC layouts. The H.K. Porter Co. carved out a […]
Walthers HO scale Chesapeake & Ohio Pere Marquette Michigan’s Pere Marquette streamliners are rolling along HO rails thanks to Walthers. Introduced by the Pere Marquette Ry. in 1946 as America’s first postwar streamliners, two identical 7-car trains provided daily service between Detroit and Grand Rapids, Mich. A 1947 merger made the PM part of the […]
Model Rectifier Corp. Prodigy Advance Squared Elite DCC system Price: $549.98 Manufacturer Model Rectifier Corp. 80 Newfield Ave. Edison, NJ 08837 www.modelrectifier.com Comments: Fans of Model Rectifier Corp’s Prodigy Advance Digital Command Control (DCC) system now have a super-size version that’s a perfect fit for club-size layouts of the smallest to the largest scales. The […]
