Athearn Trains HO scale GE ES44AC GEVO diesel locomotive A mainstay of today’s main lines, the General Electric Evolution Series (GEVO) ES44AC is now available as part of the Athearn Genesis line of superdetailed HO scale locomotives. We tested a BNSF and a Union Pacific version. Both models feature prototype-specific detailing and a SoundTraxx Digital […]
Walthers HO scale Magnolia Hotel Price: $34.98 Manufacturer Wm. K. Walthers Inc. 5601 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53201 www.walthers.com Era: late 1800s to 1950s Comments: The Magnolia Hotel is one of the latest structure offerings from Walthers. The injection-molded plastic kit, part of the Cornerstone Main Street USA series, features a decorative peaked-roof cornice […]
ExactRail HO scale TrentonWorks 67′-11″ bulkhead flatcar Price: $38.95 Manufacturer ExactRail 251 W. River Park Dr., Ste. 300 Provo, UT 84604 www.exactrail.com Era: 2005 to present Road names: TTX (“Forward Thinking” herald or black rectangle herald with three white or five yellow reflective stripes). Multiple road numbers per scheme. Comments: A common modern-era bulkhead flatcar […]
Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale 50-foot boxcar An HO scale model of a 70-ton double-door boxcar used by western railroads to transport wood products and other freight is now available from Atlas. The 5,077-cubic-foot-capacity boxcar is based on a prototype built by FMC during the mid- to late 1970s and features a one-piece injection-molded […]
Blackstone Models HOn3 2-8-0 steam locomotive There’s a new HOn3 Consolidation out, and she’s a beaut. Blackstone Models’ narrow gauge Denver & Rio Grande Western/Rio Grande Southern class C-19 Consolidation has die-cast metal construction, a plastic tender, plenty of wire and cast-metal details, and a SoundTraxx Digital Command Control sound decoder. The prototype. The locomotive […]
Athearn Genesis GP50 diesel locomotives Not to be confused with the earlier Ready-to-Roll model, this Genesis-series GP50 from Athearn features all-new tooling for both Phase I and Phase II versions and many prototype-specific details. Our test samples came equipped with feature-laden SoundTraxx Digital Command Control decoders. A DC version with a DCC socket that accepts […]
Blackstone Models ProTraxx HOn3 snap-together track Price: $18.25 (4-pack), $89.95 (20-piece set) Manufacturer Blackstone Models 210 Rock Point Dr. Durango, CO 81301 www.blackstonemodels.com Comments: Blackstone Models is making narrow gauge modeling, once the province of hand-laid track, easier with its line of snap-together HOn3 ProTraxx. The code 70 track features attached plastic roadbed molded to […]
Atlas N scale 4-4-0 steam locomotive An icon of American history is now available in N scale from Atlas. The old-time American 4-4-0 comes in a variety of road names and is equipped with a straight or flared smokestack, depending on the prototype. The model is designed with a tender-mounted motor and traction tires to […]
Bachmann HO scale Porter switcher Equipped with a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder, this Porter 0-6-0 from Bachmann is equipped to handle HO scale industrial chores. The model is an accurate reproduction of its side-tank engine prototype and operates on direct-current (DC) as well as DCC layouts. The H.K. Porter Co. carved out a […]
Walthers HO scale Chesapeake & Ohio Pere Marquette Michigan’s Pere Marquette streamliners are rolling along HO rails thanks to Walthers. Introduced by the Pere Marquette Ry. in 1946 as America’s first postwar streamliners, two identical 7-car trains provided daily service between Detroit and Grand Rapids, Mich. A 1947 merger made the PM part of the […]
Model Rectifier Corp. Prodigy Advance Squared Elite DCC system Price: $549.98 Manufacturer Model Rectifier Corp. 80 Newfield Ave. Edison, NJ 08837 www.modelrectifier.com Comments: Fans of Model Rectifier Corp’s Prodigy Advance Digital Command Control (DCC) system now have a super-size version that’s a perfect fit for club-size layouts of the smallest to the largest scales. The […]
Athearn HO scale NACC 50-foot insulated boxcar Price: $31.98 Manufacturer Athearn Trains 1600 Forbes Way, Ste. 120 Long Beach, CA 90810 www.athearn.com Era: 1964 to 2000sRoad names: Dresser Magcobar, Brown Co., Pearl Brewing Co., and Western Pacific (three road numbers per scheme) Comments: After a 3-year hiatus, Athearn has re-issued its HO scale 50-foot North […]
