Menards HO scale Grandma’s House

Color photo of HO scale house with blue siding and gray roof on scenicked base with a tree in the front yard, shrubs, a motorcycle, and figures.

Price: $49.99 Manufacturer Menards 5106 Menard Dr. Eau Claire, WI 54703 menards.com/trains Era: 1930s to present Comments: Kids on the porch swing, a dog in the front yard, and a neatly manicured yard. Those are just some of the highlights of Grandma’s House, a new HO scale structure from Menards. The two-story house has laser-cut […]

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Walthers HO ACF-design 1958 covered hopper

Color photo of HO scale two-bay covered hopper painted black without graphics on white background.

Walthers HO ACF-design 1958 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $38.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO ACF-design 1958 covered hopper features: 33” metal wheels All-new model Based on American Car & Foundry 1,958-cubic-foot capacity two-bay covered hopper Proto-Max metal couplers Separate, factory-applied Ajax brake […]

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News & Products for the week of July 28th 2025

A white red and black model streetcar

News & Products for the week of July 28th 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 July 28th, […]

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Rapido HO Procor tank car

Color photo of HO scale tank car painted black with yellow, blue, red, and white graphics on white background

Rapido HO Procor tank car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $59.95; three-pack, $179.95; and six-pack, $359.95 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido Trains HO Procor tank car features: Detailed vent stacks, loading hatches, air tanks, and brake equipment Early style features 70-ton trucks, 33” wheels, and exposed drain […]

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Rapido HO PFE R-40-28 refrigerator car

Color photo of HO scale refrigerator car painted orange and black on white background.

Pacific Fruit Express class R-40-27 and R-40-28 ice cooled refrigerator cars are now available in HO scale from Rapido Trains. The models, offered for the first time in plastic, are scaled from prototype blueprints and field measurements. Product features include wire grab irons; prototype-specific brake wheel, running boards, and cooling fan housings; and body-mounted Lincoln-Washington […]

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News & Products for the week of July 21st 2025

A model pneumatic freight car

News & Products for the week of July 21st 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 July 21st, […]

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Atlas Summer 2025 HO and N catalog

Color photo showing cover of product catalog

The Atlas Summer 2025 HO and N catalog was recently posted on the manufacturer’s website. The 60-page PDF includes new models and signals in both scales, as well several items in new paint schemes and road numbers. All of the offerings are scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2026. N scale In N […]

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How do Tightlock couplers work?

Color photo of rusty coupler on passenger car

Q:  How do Tightlock couplers work? — Thor Clemens A: Longtime staff member Jim Hediger provided an explanation of the Type H, or Tightlock, coupler in a sidebar that appeared with his article “HO knuckle coupler guide” in the November 2007 Model Railroader. He wrote, “The need to reduce slack and improve passenger train safety […]

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Walthers announces Titans of Steel trading cards

Photo showing a pack of trading cards with foil wrapper with blue, yellow, and white graphics.

Titans of Steel, a collectible trading card series honoring the legacy of railroading, was unveiled by Wm. K. Walthers Inc. during the National Train Show in Novi, Mich., in July 2025. “This is a celebration of the railroads that connected a nation and powered America’s growth,” said Travis Goodwin, senior manager of product and brand […]

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What it takes to become a locomotive engineer

Many of us have had that moment in our lives when we dream of becoming a locomotive engineer. It’s a fascinating career, but what does it take to get there in today’s high-demand world of modern railroading? The First Step: Getting Your Foot in the Door “We get a lot of inquiries from people wanting […]

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Broadway Limited HO UP Big Boy

Color photo showing smokebox front and headlight on HO scale steam locomotive. "Big Boy" written on front of smokebox; number boxes display "X4014"

Broadway Limited HO UP Big Boy Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Stealth (no sound), $749.99; with dual-mode Paragon4 sound decoder, $849.99 Era: 1941 to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; 386-673-8900; broadway-limited.com Broadway Limited HO UP Big Boy features: Back-electromotive-force decoder Built-in capacitor pack […]

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