News & Products for the week of March 9th 2026

A navy blue and gold model locomotive

News & Products for the week of March 9th 2026   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 March 9th […]

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Troop train operations during World War II

Color photo showing portion of Pullman HO scale troop sleeper painted dark green and black with gold lettering on white background.

Q: While thinking through the operating scheme for my World War II-era (1944) model railroad, I wondered where troop trains sat in timetable priority. Obviously they were extras, but were they bumped up in priority to first class due to the war effort? — Callum Day A: I reached out to our former On Operation […]

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WalthersProto scale test car in HO review

Color photo of scale test car painted yellow and green on white background.

A scale test car was recently released by Wm. K. Walthers Inc. The HO scale model, part of the manufacturer’s Proto range, features die-cast metal construction, prototype-specific details, and Proto-Max metal couplers. Prototype history Scale test cars are used in the calibration of track scales found at on-line customers. The WalthersProto model follows the lines […]

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News & Products for the week of February 16th 2026

A model locomotive in a patriotic paint scheme with silhouette figures saluting the American flag

News & Products for the week of February 16th 2026   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 February 16th […]

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News & Products for the week of February 9th 2026

An orange model freight car end with a black coal load visible in the freight car

News & Products for the week of February 9th 2026   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 February 9th […]

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East Troy Industrial Park, Ep. 32 | Resin Water Pour & Central Ink Construction

Rivers and industries take center stage on the HO scale East Troy Industrial Park layout! This episode, David Popp dives into scenery by pouring a murky resin river for an authentic, deep-water appearance. You’ll also learn the math (I was told there would be no math) behind calculating resin volume for irregular shapes. Finally, we […]

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Hobbyshop Window for February 6th 2026

Color photo showing engineer's side of HO scale cab unit painted red, gray, black, and white on scenicked base with a sky blue backdrop.

For many years Hobbyshop Window was a popular department in the pages of Model Railroader magazine. We’re excited to bring it back as an occasional feature on Trains.com. Here’s a recap of some of the items that arrived at our offices for the week ending February 6th 2026. Keep up to date on the latest […]

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News & Products for the week of February 2nd 2026

A yellow and blue model hopper car

News & Products for the week of February 2nd 2026   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 February 2nd […]

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Which combinations of HO scale couplers work well together?

Color photo of red and gray HO scale EMD hood unit switching maroon boxcars at tan and blue industry with faded black tank car in background.

Q: I’m getting back into model railroading after a 50 year hiatus. I’m having trouble with knuckle couplers that won’t connect. I have new rolling stock from Athearn, Walthers, ScaleTrains, and Accurail. I also have several cars that I converted to Kadee. Couplers from different manufacturers don’t seem to work together. Are there any combinations […]

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