Aristo-Craft C-16 locomotive

Kevin Strong 1:24 scale, gauge 1, ready-to-run 2-8-0 (with wood-style caboose)Aristo-Craft Trains698 S. 21st St.Irvington NJ 07111Price: $420Web site: www.aristocraft.com Plastic, electrically powered model of the C-16 class (formerly class 60) locomotive of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad; comes with a matching plastic model of the D&RG wood long caboose; minimum radius, 2′. Dimensions […]

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Backyard Railroads: Crystal Springs Garden Railroad Tour

DVD review Backyard Railroads: Crystal Springs Garden Railroad TourMovie-Mix Productions282 Kerry DriveSanta Clara CA 95050Price: $12.95 + $5.75 s&hWeb site: www.moviemix.com60 minutes Master Model Railroader Jack Verducci is well known to readers of Garden Railways. His Crystal Springs Railroad is one of the finest garden railways anywhere and is unique in a number of different […]

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East Gary Car Company archbar-truck kit

Marc Horovitz 1:20.3 scale, gauge 1, archbar-truck kitEast Gary Car Company3828 St. Joseph CourtLake Station IN 46405Price: $24.95/pr. + $5 s&h All-metal truck kit; white-metal frames and bolsters; insulated steel wheels and axles; instructions supplied. Wheelbase, 2.103″; wheel diameter, 1.275″. In 1:20.3, this works out to 42.69″ and 25.88″, respectively Pros: Simple construction; beautiful wheel […]

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Aristo-Craft GP-40 diesel

Aristo-Craft GP-40

Marc Horovitz 1:29 scale, gauge-1 GP-40 dieselAristo-Craft Trains698 S. 21st St.Irvington NJ 07111Price: $352Web site: www.aristocraft.com Plastic-and-metal model of an EMD GP-40 diesel locomotive; two truck-mounted motors; working lights; smoke unit; plugs at either end to accept power from battery car; DCC and sound-system ready (speaker included); switches to control track/battery power and lights/smoke/motors on […]

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Phil’s Narrow Gauge drop-bottom gondola kit

Phil's Narrow Gauge gondola kit

Alan Olson 1:20.3 scale, gauge 1 drop-bottom gondola kitPhil’s Narrow Gauge1008 Hampshire LaneWindsor CA 95492Price: $90, less trucks, couplers, and letteringWeb site: www.philsnarrowgauge.com Model of a D&RGW 700-series drop-bottom gondola (#PNG-007); wood kit with metal fittings; trucks, couplers, and lettering not included-can be ordered separately; pictorial and written instructions included Pros: Well-designed kit of a […]

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AMS Jackson & Sharp coach

Marc Horovitz Vital statistics 1:20.3 scale, gauge-1 Jackson & Sharp coachAMS33268 Central AveUnion City CA 94587Price: $1,116 (four-car set); available singly from some dealersWeb site: www.accucraft.com Injection-molded plastic passenger coach with metal trucks and wheels; brass details; modeled after Denver & Rio Grande equipment built by the Jackson & Sharp Co.; body-mounted knuckle couplers; full […]

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Aristo-Craft double-door and plug-door 40′ boxcars

Marc Horovitz Vital statistics 1:29 scale, gauge 1, double-door and plug-door 40′ boxcarsAristo-Craft Trains6988 S. 21st St.Irvington NJ 07111Price: $71 eachWeb site: www.aristocraft.com All-plastic models of 40′ plug-door and double-door boxcars; truck-mounted knuckle couplers (hook-and-loop couplers also supplied); opening doors (double-door model only); sprung trucks; wide variety of available road names. Dimensions: length, 17″; width, […]

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South Bend Signal Company signalling system

Marc Horovitz Vital statistics 1:32-scale signalling systemSouth Bend Signal Company2303 Creek RoadNiles MI 49120Prices: See textWeb site: www.sbsignal.com One- or two-target searchlight-style signals for 1:32 scale (or similar scales) plus controllers; LED lights; will show red, amber, green; signals made of styrene and brass; fully painted and ready to go; complete instructions provided; intended for […]

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Bachmann K-27 locomotive

Dave Goodson 1:20.3 scale, gauge 1, K-27 2-8-2Bachmann Industries1400 E. Erie AvenuePhiladelphia PA 19124Price: $1,400Web site: www.bachmanntrains.com Plastic and metal model of D&RGW K-27 2-8-2; illuminated headlight, classification lights, cab light, firebox; DCC and sound ready; knuckle and hook-and-loop couplers provided; review sample, #83097-pre-wreck Nº 455, green boiler; 19V Pittmann motor with flywheel; engineer and […]

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Tag Gorton’s Live Steam Workshop book

Tag Gorton’s Live Steam WorkshopPublished by Atlantic PublishersAvailable in the US from:Carstens PublicationsAttn: John Earley108 Phil Hardin RoadNewton NJ 078608¼” x 11½”, softbound, 82 pagesISBN: 1-902827-15-5Price: £11.95Web site: www.atlanticpublishers.com In this book, Tag Gorton takes us on a good-natured ramble into the world of cosmetically fixing up commercial live-steam models. The title is actually a […]

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Just Plain Folks Figures

Marc Horovitz Vital statistics 1:22.5-scale figuresJust Plain Folk818 Lincoln Ave.Palmyra NJ 08065Price: $8 each (with some exceptions) Fully painted, cast-resin figures in a variety of natural poses Pros and cons Pros: Excellent detail; nicely painted; realistic colors; expressive featuresCons: Some poses a little stiff; mold lines occasionally visible Marc Horovitz Just Plain Folk is coming […]

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One-touch Critter control system

Alan Olson Vital statistics One-Touch Critter ControlG-Scale Graphics4118 Clayton Ct.Fort Collins CO 80525Prices: Critter Control, rotary style with built-in button, $69; reed switch, $5; power switch, $5; charging jack, $5Web site: www.GScaleGraphics.net Electronic unit to manually control speed and direction of battery-powered engine; 11-page instruction manual covers basics of track-power-to-battery-power conversion, installation, and operation; basic […]

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