Product Review: Walthers Cornerstone HO scale Vintage Ford Auto Dealer

An assembled HO scale kit of an Art Deco-style city auto dealership with large, curved front windows

Facts & figures Price: $39.98 Manufacturer Wm. K. Walthers Inc. 5601 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53218 walthers.com Era: 1940s-present Features Art Deco styling Footprint: 6.875” x 7.875” Full-color decal signs Injection-molded plastic in three colors plus clear   Where do all those ’57 Fords on your layout come from? If you model in HO […]

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DCC Currents: Controlling your Walthers turntable with DCC

Canadian Pacific maroon and gray Royal Hudson sits on Walthers turntable in field of track

By Allan Gartner The Advanced Control Module from Walthers will work with DCC systems capable of controlling accessories, such as turnouts. Your system will need at least one throttle that you can set thrown/closed, on/off, 1/2, or whatever your system calls it, as needed. Systems where the throttle only allows you to toggle from the […]

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Big Boy restoration at Steamtown complete, locomotive returns to public display

Steam locomotive on curve with people watching

SCRANTON, Pa. – Following a nearly two-year renovation, Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 locomotive No. 4012 has been returned to public display at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton. During a several-hour procedure on Wednesday, the locomotive and tender were moved from a location outside the park’s paint shop, spun separately on the turntable, reunited, […]

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Running American Flyer set no. 20740

Michael Marmer's Flyer set no. 20740

Name: Michael Marmer Railroad Name: D&K RR Location: Germantown, Maryland Scale: S Theme: Small town America Description: This is my childhood American Flyer Set that was for the family when it came out in 1958. I was 3 years old and I still remember it being set up and running in the house. I will […]

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A freight train at night, a diesel at the turntable, a steamer in the shop, and other model railroad photos

A steam locomotive is dramatically lit from the side as it crosses a wood trestle at night

Trackside Photos is a showcase for the work of Model Railroader readers. Send your photos (digital images 5 megapixels or larger) to: Model Railroader, Trackside Photos, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; or upload them to http://fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute. For our photo submission guidelines, contact associate editor Steven Otte at sotte@mrmag.com. […]

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Union Pacific takes aim at BNSF with new Southern California intermodal terminal (corrected)

Map of southern California rail facilities

OMAHA, Neb. – The intermodal terminal Union Pacific is set to open in California’s Inland Empire will start small, but railroad officials call it a game changer that could lead to signficant growth. The terminal planned for West Colton yard will have capacity for just 45,000 lifts annually when it opens in a month or […]

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Digest: LA Metro releases $8 billion budget for fiscal 2022

LA Metro light rail train on curving bridge

LA Metro budget will restore service to pre-pandemic levels LA Metro has released an $8 billion budget for fiscal 2022 including restoration of rail and bus service to pre-pandemic levels and the start of testing for two projects: the 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX light rail line, also known as the K line, and the 1.9-mile Regional Connector, […]

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Digest: Pioneer Railcorp changes name to Pioneer Lines

Pioneer Lines Logo

Short line company Pioneer Railcorp becomes Pioneer Lines Holding company Pioneer Railcorp, which operates 15 railroads in 12 states as well as related services such as transloading and storage, has changed its name to Pioneer Lines. The change comes as the company marks 35 years in business, and two years after it was acquired by […]

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April rail traffic stats show continued strength

Weekly table of U.S. rail traffic statistics

WASHINGTON — U.S. railroads saw major traffic increases in April 2021 over the same month a year earlier, reflecting the traffic recovery from the economic slump triggered by COVID-19 related shutdowns in 2020. Traffic for the most recent week remained on pace with recent showings. Figures from the Association of American Railroads show overall U.S. […]

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