I grew up in rural northeastern Wisconsin where pickup trucks were (and still are) a common part of the landscape. From farms to small businesses, and downtowns to construction sites, trucks were everywhere. Ford designed the first generation F-100 in 1953 to meet the demand for durable vehicles that could be reliable workhorses, yet comfortable […]
A newly-tooled model has joined the Bachmann HO scale freight car lineup. The General American 4,180-cubic-foot capacity Airslide covered hopper, offered in four paint schemes, features injection-molded plastic construction, 36″ metal wheelsets, and body-mounted E-Z Mate Mark II plastic couplers. Prototype history General American produced the 4180 Airslide from 1963 to 1980. The cars were […]
The headliner of the spring 2023 Atlas catalog was the SD70MAC, a classic six-axle diesel electric locomotive. The SD70MAC was produced by General Motor’s Electro-Motive Division (EMD) in the 1990s. The SD70MAC was part of the transition from DC to AC traction motors. These AC powered locomotives would prove to be more efficient while in […]
Like Robert Frost once wrote, good fences may make for good neighbors. I’ve learned that good fences also make for great models. With a little thought, fences can define and separate scenes and add considerable detail to your layout. While there is a wide variety of interesting fencing available today, the old board fence is […]
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 […]
Athearn has released a new run of Electro-Motive Division FP45 diesel locomotives in its HO scale Genesis line. The six-axle unit features injection-molded plastic and die-cast metal construction, prototype-specific details, and McHenry plastic scale couplers. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the FP45 in 1967 and 1968. During that time, 14 units were built, nine for […]
Lionel’s No. 7-12124 Battery-Powered Harry Potter Train Set is the perfect way to introduce youngsters to the wonderful hobby of toy trains. How do I know this? Because I used this exciting and entertaining passenger set to introduce my two young grandsons (ages 6 and 4 years) to operating electric trains. Believe me when I […]
If your industrial park or big city needs a power boost, Menards has you covered with a three pack of electrical towers. While doing research, I learned that the industry term for this item is a transmission tower, at least in the United States. The towers are usually made from steel, and support overhead power […]
It was a sad day when those 1950s E7, E8, and assorted FP units reached the point where they were clearly reaching the end of their operational life. Their long car bodies and gentle curved noses symbolized North American passenger train travel. Both EMD and General Electric offered replacement models with varied results. The best […]
Looking for something cool to add to your N scale freight car fleet? Then you’ll want to check out the Santa Fe Refrigerator Department (SFRD) class RR-56, RR-60, and RR-61 mechanical reefers from Rapido Trains. The models feature plastic construction, factory-applied details, and body-mounted couplers. Prototype history The 2,995-cubic-foot capacity class RR-56 cars (SFRD 2000-2019, […]
In the February 2024 issue of Model Railroader, we reviewed the direct-current version of the Siemens ALC-42 Charger diesel locomotive from Kato USA Inc. Recently, we received a sample of the modern passenger unit equipped with a SoundTraxx Tsunami2 TSU-KN2 sound decoder. Prototype history With an aging fleet of General Electric P40 and P42 diesel […]
An American Car & Foundry 40-foot wood refrigerator car is the fourth model to join the ScaleTrains S-Helper Service lineup. The reefer, based on a prototype from the 1920s, features plastic construction; factory-installed and painted wire grab irons; and sprung, die-cast metal trucks. Prototype history The review sample we received is decorated as Santa Fe […]
