When Classic Toy Trains Editor Hal Miller told me next up for review was a 4-6-0 steam locomotive, I remember scrunching up my eyebrows. My first thought was that it would be a frilly Ten-Wheeler worthy of an episode of the old Petticoat Junction or Gunsmoke TV series. I mean the wheel arrangement arrived in […]
With scribed wood siding, large windows and skylights, and a wealth of detail parts, Schaake Machine Works is a distinctive new entry to the HO scale craftsman structure market. The kit, from Canada-based Inter-Action Hobbies, builds into a compact, eye-catching industry that would look at home on a layout from the early days of steam […]
Atlas has re-released its HO scale General Electric U23B, this time with an available Electronic Solutions Ulm (ESU) LokSound V5 dual-mode decoder and several other refinements. General Electric’s (GE) U23B was produced from August 1968 to June 1977. Featuring a 12-cylinder FDL diesel engine, it produced 2,250hp. Most of the 1960s was dominated by horsepower […]
An Electro-Motive Division SW1200 end-cab switcher joins the ever-growing lineup of HO scale diesel locomotives from Rapido Trains. The model has an injection-molded plastic body with railroad-specific details; a die-cast metal frame, chassis, and gearboxes; and loads of separate, factory-applied, prototype-specific detail parts. The prototype Electro-Motive Division produced the SW1200 from January 1954 to May […]
Menards Santa Fe O gauge locomotive program is underway. Asking some 200 people to take a chance on this new product is bold. To request they test it on their layouts and report what the maker got right — and more importantly, wrong — takes even more guts. It is something I’ve never heard of […]
Looking for a station to accompany your passenger line? Join David Popp and assistant digital editor Sammi DiVito as they review the Walthers Cornerstone Modern Suburban Station kit, reviewing all the interesting details and additions that make up the structure. […]
If you’re in the market for a station to accompany a passenger line on your layout, this kit may be the perfect addition you’ve been waiting for. The Walthers Cornerstone HO scale Modern Suburban Station is a relatively quick and easy build, and the end result is a clean, modern station with lots of room […]
Accurail, well-known for its line of HO scale freight car kits, has added a new model to its product range, the American Car & Foundry (ACF) 2,970-cubicfoot capacity two-bay Center Flow covered hopper. The injection-molded plastic car features a mix of molded and separately applied parts, two-piece pneumatic-gravity discharge gates, and Accumate couplers. Prototype background. […]
Atlas is back with its General Electric Dash 8-40B, originally released in 2001. The new model is now available with an Electronic Solutions Ulm (ESU) LokSound dual-mode decoder. General Electric (GE) built 151 Dash 8-40B locomotives in 1988 and 1989 for Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Conrail; New York, Susquehanna & Western; St. Louis Southwestern […]
In the late 1950s, Nashvillearea toy manufacturer Kusan was making products that might be the epitome of the term “toy train.” Geared toward the entry level of the market, these items were colorful and affordable. The company’s “K” Series boxcars were produced between 1956 and ’60. They could be produced rapidly in the Franklin, Tenn., […]
A powerful and technologically innovative locomotive unique to the Union Pacific is the latest N scale offering from ScaleTrains.com’s high-end Rivet Counter line. The standard turbine, a 4,500hp jet-age marvel, was developed by Alco/General Electric in response to UP’s constant drive for more potent motive power. ScaleTrains.com’s version captures the appearance and spirit of the […]
Introducing the LocoFi 2 WiFi LocoFi 2 WiFi module: Not to be confused with Digital Command Control, LocoFi, developed by WiFi Model Railroad, uses a Wi-Fi signal and virtual throttles to run trains. Each locomotive is equipped with a module that transmits a unique Wi-Fi signal. Aside from a source of clean direct current or […]
