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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Spaces to Places VII | Finishing touches for the roundhouse scene

In this episode of Spaces to Places, host Gerry Leone focuses on the final details of the yard and roundhouse area on his HO scale (1:87.1) Bona Vista model railroad. He begins by placing background buildings and uses a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees to cover a hole in the backdrop. After ballasting all […]

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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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News & Products for the week of August 18th 2025

A green and yellow model locomotive

News & Products for the week of August 18th 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 18th, […]

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East Troy Industrial Park, Ep. 19 | Filling out Terrain Features

Watch David Popp demonstrate his technique for sliding into a scene — it’s a slippery slope, as he creates realistic rolling hillsides and drainage ditches using foam material and Sculptamold!  Elsewhere on the HO scale (1:87.1)  East Troy Industrial Park project layout, Bryson and Cody showcase a new 3D-printed resin depot. All of that, plus […]

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Atlas Trainman HO EMD GP38-2

Color photo showing cab and short hood of HO scale EMD hood unit painted crimson and black with white graphics and yellow and white stripes on white background.

Atlas Trainman HO EMD GP38-2 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker and 21-pin plug for Digital Command Control decoder, $179.95; with ESU LokSound decoder, $274.95 Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas Trainman HO EMD GP38-2 features: Body-mounted Accumate couplers with factory-installed trip pins Cab […]

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SD units on branch lines

Color photo of HO scale EMD hood unit painted orange and black on scenicked base with sky backdrop.

Q: In the May 2025 Ask MR, the answer to a question about early diesel power for the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy included this statement: “For road power, the MR&T would most likely turn to four-axle units, such as the Alco RS1 through RS3 and EMD GP7 and GP9. It’s possible the MR&T could have […]

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Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 27 | Adding Scenery, Figures, and Trees

Scenes on David Popp’s Olympia & Sand Creek On30 logging layout are starting look much more rustic…and realistic too! Follow along as David share his techniques for adding trees, detailed ground cover, and even placing a few authentic figures into the scene. View the complete Olympia series exclusively on Trains.com Video! […]

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WalthersProto HO Wabash streamlined cupola caboose

Color photo of HO scale caboose molded in gray plastic with formed wire and etched-brass detail parts.

WalthersProto HO Wabash streamlined cupola caboose Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $75.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersProto HO Wabash streamlined cupola caboose features: All-new model As-built or modernized smokejack Clear window glazing Detailed interior Factory-installed wire grab irons and handrails Minimum radius, 18”; recommended radius, 22” […]

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News & Products for the week of August 11th 2025

A blue, white and red model locomotive

News & Products for the week of August 11th 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 11th, […]

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East Troy Industrial Park, Ep. 18 | Shaping the roadway right-of-way

Host David Popp continues to make progress on the roadway scenery he started in Episode 17 of the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout series. In this episode, David shares techniques for working with the foam material he selected to create sloped landforms along the inclined roadway. Then it’s back to the […]

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Rapido Trains HO Fairbanks-Morse H16-44

Color image of HO scale diesel painted orange and black on scenicked model railroad with blue and white title bar in lower left corner.

The Rapido Trains HO Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 recently arrived at our offices. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he provides a brief history of the full-size unit and Milwaukee Road No. 435; points out the plastic, cast metal, and etched-metal detail parts on the model; and demonstrates the sound and light functions on our […]

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