Athearn N FMC offset double-door boxcar

Color photo showing B end of N scale double-door boxcar with exterior posts painted yellow with black graphics on white background.

Athearn N FMC offset double-door boxcar Scale: N (1:160) Price: $29.99 to $34.99 Era: 1977+ to 2000s+ (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn N FMC offset double-door boxcar features: Body-mounted McHenry couplers Die-cast metal underbody with cast center sill, brake system, and crossmember detail […]

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Rapido HO Greenbrier transverse coil car

Color photo showing B end of modern HO scale coil car painted blue with white and yellow graphics and black trucks with metal wheelsets.

Rapido HO Greenbrier transverse coil car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $59.95; six-pack, $359.70 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido HO Greenbrier transverse coil car features: 100-ton trucks with metal wheelsets Detailed, die-cast metal underframe See-through, etched-metal walkways Metal grab irons and uncoupling levers Removable plastic hood Semi-scale […]

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News & Products for the week of January 5th 2026

A white and blue model hopper car

News & Products for the week of January 5th 2026 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 January 5th, 2026. […]

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Atlas O 1973 Ford F-100 truck

Color photo showing front half of O scale pickup truck painted yellow with red, black, and white graphics and silver wheels on white background.

Atlas O 1973 Ford F-100 truck Scale: O (1:48) Price: $29.95 Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas O 1973 Ford F-100 truck features: 1:48-proportion model Chrome plated grill and rear bumper Clear headlight lenses and window glazing Detailed interior with dashboard, bench seat, and steering wheel Molded […]

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Model Railroader’s favorite products of 2025

Profile of O scale diesel locomotive model

2025 marked another great year for new releases in model railroading. Whatever your scale or discipline in the hobby, odds are good that there was a new release that caught your eye and had you reaching for your wallet. As we look forward to 2026, Eric White, Cody Grivno, Lucas Iverson, and David Popp take […]

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Rapido celebrates 60 years of GO Transit

Color CAD rendering of EMD hood unit painted green, white, yellow, and black on white background.

Rapido Trains recently announced several HO scale GO Transit models to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Toronto-area transit service in 2027. Offerings will include a General Motors Diesel Division (GMDD) GP40TC, FP7 Auxiliary Power Control Unit (APCU), and Hawker Siddeley RTC-85 single-level commuter cars, as well as boxed sets. Leading things off is the […]

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Eric Lalonde’s UP Geneva Subdivision in HO scale

Tour the HO scale Union Pacific Geneva Subdivision, Eric Lalonde’s impressive 17 x 25-foot multi-deck modern layout depicting the former Chicago & North Western line between West Chicago and Clinton, Iowa. The triple-deck design features a 210-foot mainline connected by a custom 5 x 5-foot helix. The wall-mounted benchwork supports Atlas code 83 and 100 […]

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Athearn HO Wheeling & Lake Erie EMD SD40-2 diesels

Color illustration showing nose and cab on fireman’s side of six-axle EMD hood unit painted red, white, and blue with white and gold graphics on white background

Athearn HO Wheeling & Lake Erie EMD SD40-2 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $214.99; with SoundTraxx Econami sound decoder, $294.99 Era: Late 2010s+ to 2025+ (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn HO Wheeling & Lake Erie EMD SD40-2 features: […]

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Atlas N Trinity 5660 PD covered hopper review

Color photo showing B end details on N scale covered hopper painted gray with black and yellow graphics on white background.

​​The third run of Trinity 5,660-cubic-foot capacity pressure differential (PD) covered hoppers has been released by Atlas Model Railroad Co. The modern freight car, based on former BLMA tooling, features freestanding details, screw-mounted trucks with 36″ chemically blackened metal wheelsets, and body-mounted couplers. Prototype history The 5660 PD covered hopper was introduced in 1999 by […]

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Can DC and DCC locomotives run on the same layout?

Color photo showing two HO scale locomotive shells, one dark blue and one light blue, with mechanisms in foreground on white background.

Q: I have several On30 locomotives with Digital Command Control (DCC), but was recently gifted a passenger set that has a direct-current (DC) locomotive. If some DCC locomotives are sitting on the track, can I use a DC transformer to operate the DC engine on the same track without damaging the DCC locomotives? What would […]

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News & Products for the week of December 29th 2025

Color photo of O scale brick corner building with teal door, billboard on roof, sign on corner, figures, vehicle, and other details on scenicked base with white background.

News & Products for the week of December 29th 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 December 29th, 2025. […]

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Walthers sponsors Pacific Southern Ry.

Color photo of HO scale model railroad with structures, roads, tracks, and rolling stock; two support columns; and wall in background with three photos.

Wm. K. Walthers Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of model railroad products based in Milwaukee, Wis., recently announced that it’s sponsoring the Pacific Southern Ry., an HO scale model railroad club in Rocky Hill, N.J. “We’re pleased to support the Pacific Southern Railway and help elevate awareness of model railroading,” said Stacey Walthers Naffah, president […]

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