Magor 4948 “Big John” covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $59.99 Era: 1960s to 1990s (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: ExactRail, 525 E. 1860 S., Provo, UT 84606; 866-945-1701; exactrail.com Features: Wire coupler uncoupling levers, grab irons, brake rods, and level hangers Narrow-style draft box featuring key detail, shank wedges, striker castings, and nut and […]
North American Car Corp. 50-foot boxcar Scale: N (1:160) Price: $31.99 Era: Mid-1960s through 1970s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com North American Car Corp. 50-foot boxcar features: Etched metal stirrup steps Detailed, molded underframe Pullman-Standard or Superior plug doors Pullman-Standard or Stanray (Superior) roof […]
General Electric C44-9W diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector and factory-installed speakers, $169.99 Era: 1990s to mid-2000s+ (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com General Electric C40-9W diesel locomotive features: Body-mounted McHenry knuckle couplers Road-name-specific horn, snow plow, rear grills, trucks, and antennas Factory […]
40-foot intermodal chassis Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: Two-pack, $39.99 Era: 1980s to present Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com 40-foot chassis features: Rubber tires Printed mud flaps Raised and lowered landing gear Release date: September 2023 Paint schemes: American Presidential Lines (blue), Flexi-Van (black), TRAC Intermodal (black), Genstar (orange), “K” Line […]
Rapido Trains HO scale barrel ore hoppers Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he reviews the new HO scale National Steel Car barrel ore hoppers from Rapido Trains. The models are offered in 35- and 42-foot versions and are decorated for Canadian National and Ontario Northland in various paint schemes. The ready-to-run barrel ore hoppers […]
Rapido Trains HO scale barrel ore hoppers Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he reviews the new HO scale National Steel Car barrel ore hoppers from Rapido Trains. The models are offered in 35- and 42-foot versions and are decorated for Canadian National and Ontario Northland in various paint schemes. The ready-to-run barrel ore hoppers […]
Pullman-Standard 5,820-cubic-foot capacity covered hopper A Pullman-Standard 5,820-cubic-foot capacity covered hopper was unveiled at the ScaleTrains booth during the St. Louis Railroad Prototype Modelers Meet in Collinsville, Ill., on July 29. The HO scale freight car, scheduled for release in February 2023, will be offered in the company’s Rivet Counter and Operator lines. Road names […]
Gunderson Bros. HO scale freight car Tangent Scale Models unveiled a Gunderson Bros. 50-foot 6,089-cubic-foot capacity high-cube double-plug-door boxcar at the St. Louis Railroad Prototype Modelers meet in Collinsville, Ill., on Friday, July 29. This is Tangent’s second new freight car release in 2022. The model, in stock now, is decorated for Denver & Rio […]
Rock Island perishable traffic: One thing you learn quickly as a new railroad employee is that if you can hold a regular job, it’s because nobody else wants it. In 1973 Rock Island perishable traffic stopped icing at Silvis, Ill. This coincided with Pacific Fruit Express’s exit from the iced reefer business and represented the […]
Fifty Years of Amtrak Trains is a beautifully crafted 256-page, all-color hardbound volume. It is a time capsule of relevant information on the first 50 years of Amtrak’s existence, including a comprehensive survey of Amtrak routes between 1971 and 2021. The volume accounts for all Amtrak routes and trains (the book is divided into state […]
MRT blue-and-white diesel locomotives: The Milwaukee, Racine & Troy, Model Railroader’s staff layout, has been around for more than 45 years. Similar to many full-size railroads, the freelanced MR&T has changed paint schemes on its diesel locomotives over the years. The railroad’s second paint scheme was Amtrak Blue and Reefer White, used from 1989 to […]
How to build a simple track cleaning car – MR contributor Gerry Leone shares instructions for making your own rolling innovation for cleaning the rails of your model railroad! From Gerry’s workbench, you’ll see the tools, materials, and simple techniques needed to shape a railcar and a small patch of Masonite (hardboard) into an unrelenting […]
