WalthersMainline HO 41-foot ballast hopper

Color photo showing part of HO scale ballast hopper painted mineral red with white graphics on white background.

WalthersMainline HO 41-foot ballast hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $31.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Features on WalthersMainline HO 41-foot ballast hopper: 36” turned-metal wheels mounted on plastic axles Body-mounted Proto-Max metal couplers Factory-applied brake details, crossover platforms, and longitudinal doors Heavy, die-cast metal underframe Injection-molded […]

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Athearn HO BethGon Coalporter

Color photo showing rotary end of HO scale bathtub coal gondola painted silver and black

Athearn HO Johnstown America BethGon Coalporter Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Five-pack, $234.99 Era: 1990s to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn HO BethGon Coalporter features: 36” metal wheelsets with RP-25 contour Body-mounted McHenry scale couplers Etched-metal crossover platforms Factory-applied brake wheel and formed-wire […]

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Amtrak’s NextGen Acelas make debut (updated)

WASHINGTON — Amtrak has introduced its long-awaited NextGen Acela service between Washington and New York, with the first new trainsets departing today (Aug. 27, 2025) from Washington at 5 a.m. and Boston at 6 a.m. ET on trips for invited guests. Service for the general public begins Thursday, Aug. 28. The first of what will […]

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News & Products for the week of August 25th 2025

A red model boxcar with white lettering which reads "DSSA"

News & Products for the week of August 25th 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 August 25th, […]

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TTX joins RailPulse telematics joint venture

TTX has joined the RailPulse Coalition, becoming the latest member of the cross-industry effort to transform railcar visibility, safety, and efficiency through the adoption of telematics and data standardization. TTX’s entry into RailPulse adds the scale, operational expertise, and fleet management capabilities of North America’s leading shared railcar provider, the companies said today. TTX, which […]

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Must-have common products for a Santa Fe layout

A red-and-silver Santa Fe diesel locomotive leads a train paused at a southern California city.

From its 1859 charter to the 1995 merger into BNSF Railway, the history and size of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway made it a powerhouse in Class I railroading. Because of its overall popularity, modelers will find it easy to source the necessary materials to create a stunning representation of the iconic railroad. […]

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R.J. Corman completes work on massive weather-caused derailment in North Dakota

Crain lifting covered hopper onto wheels

MAYVILLE, N.D. — R.J. Corman’s Emergency Divisions have completed cleanup and recovery from what is being called the single largest derailment in U.S. history, involving 832 empty covered hopper cars stored by BNSF Railway near Mayville in advance of this year’s fall harvest. The cars were blown over by a June storm including a dericho […]

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Amtrak awards contracts for maintenance facility upgrades at three Northeast locations

Computer illustration of planned building at railyard

WASHINGTON — Amtrak has awarded contracts and begun activity preceding construction for modernization of yards in Boston, New York, and Washington to prepare them for the delivery of new Airo trainsets. “These investments are key to introducing our new Airo trains on the Northeast Corridor beginning in 2027,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said in a […]

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Booking on NextGen Acela trains now possible

Amtrak logo.

NEW YORK — Amtrak is now offering tickets on Northeast Corridor trains that will debut the long-delayed NextGen Acela trainsets, and has announced which trains will feature the equipment, as well as highlighting those trains with a “NextGen” icon on the booking portion of its website and app. The company announced that addition to its […]

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Thoughts on the Lionel 2025 Volume 2 catalog

catalog page with diesel locomotives

Lionel Trains continued celebrating their 125th anniversary with the release of their Volume 2 catalog in mid July.    First, an interesting note: the second Lionel catalog has typically been called Volume 2. This one was called “July Release.” I wonder if there will be another catalog release before the end of the year? Stay […]

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WalthersProto HO Amfleet coaches

A model amfleet passenger car in silver with white, red and blue stripes

WalthersProto HO Amfleet coaches Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Unlighted, $122.98; lighted, $139.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Features on WalthersProto HO Amfleet coaches: Amfleet I 84-seat coach and Amfleet II 59-seat coach body styles Detailed interior with optional overhead light-emitting-diode lighting Detailed underframe with center and […]

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