Trains.com Insider Interview | Walthers Brand Manager Dana Kawala shares new products

Trains.com Insider Interview | Wm. K. Walthers, Inc., Brand Manager Dana Kawala chats with Trains.com staff writer Lucas Iverson. More than simply talking trains, Dana reveals several new items that the well-established manufacturer/distributor currently has available for purchase or has queued for production. Gather insights on product design and practical use, as Dana and Lucas […]

Read More…

Otter Valley Railroad N scale gondola

Color photo of N scale freight car painted black with white graphics.

Price: Single car, $37.99; six-pack, $219.99 Manufacturer Otter Valley Railroad Inc. 37 Tillson St., Unit E Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada N4G 0B7 ovrtrains.com Road names: American Iron & Metal Co. (20000 and 21000 series), Midwest Railcar Corp., Triple M Metal, and XRMX. Also available painted black with data only. Six to 12 road numbers per paint […]

Read More…

PECO launches RAIL200 competition

The logo for PECO Model Railways, which features the word PECO in large white text against a red background

PECO Model Railways has announced a new competition to honor 200 years of British railways. RAIL200 is open to modelers based in the U.K., with two simultaneous competitions focusing on different disciplines of model railroading. A press release shared with Model Railroader states: “The RAIL200 Competition aims to celebrate two centuries of railway heritage by […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of April 28th 2025

A yellow and gray model coach car

News & Products for the week of April 28th 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 April 28th, […]

Read More…

Atlas announces “Price Lock” program in response to tariff instability

Atlas "Price Lock" program: The logo for Atlas Model Railroad co.

Atlas Model Railroad Co. has announced the roll out of a new Price Lock program, effective through May 31, 2025, as a response to market uncertainty brought on by the rollout of U.S. tariffs. “We know our partners are navigating a rapidly changing market. This decision is about providing them time, clarity, and trust,” said […]

Read More…

The ongoing effect of United States tariffs on the model train industry

The following is a series of edited excerpts from an interview conducted by David Popp with Stacey Walthers Naffah, president and CEO of Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. on April 21, 2025. It is part of Trains.com and Model Railroader‘s ongoing coverage of U.S. tariffs. Click here to watch the complete video interview on Trains.com Video. […]

Read More…

Trains.com Insider Interview | Walthers CEO Stacey Walthers Naffah Talks Tariffs and Global Trade

Trains.com Insider Interview | Wm. K. Walthers, Inc., CEO and President Stacey Walthers Naffah stops by the Firecrown Media Wisconsin office to visit with Trains.com Director David Popp. The shift in U.S. trade policies and practices remains the topic of greatest interest to hobbyists. You’ll want to hear, directly from Stacey, how tariffs impact the […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of April 21st 2025

An orange and green model locomotive

News & Products for the week of April 21st 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 April 21st, […]

Read More…

Loads for a fertilizer blend plant

Color photo showing portion of three-bay covered hopper painted light orange.

Q: I have a question about one of the articles in your special issue Best of Industries. On page 16, Rich Cobb wrote about a fertilizer blend plant. Can you tell me what kind of loads a plant like this would receive? — Markus Russ A: We released that special-interest publication in 2021, so I […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of April 14th 2025

A yellow model caboose

News & Products for the week of April 14th 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 April 14th, […]

Read More…

Sound-deadening subroadbed

Color image showing sound-deadening material attached to medium density fiberboard layout surface.

Excessive track noise was one of the main reasons I decided to rebuild my HO scale Daneville & Donner River layout. I hadn’t paid much attention to the noise level until I started using locomotives with sound decoders. That’s when I recognized how the wheel noise from rolling freight cars nearly overpowered the sound of […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of April 7th 2025

An orange model caboose

News & Products for the week of April 7th 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 April 7th, […]

Read More…