Looking for something cool to add to your N scale freight car fleet? Then you’ll want to check out the Santa Fe Refrigerator Department (SFRD) class RR-56, RR-60, and RR-61 mechanical reefers from Rapido Trains. The models feature plastic construction, factory-applied details, and body-mounted couplers. Prototype history The 2,995-cubic-foot capacity class RR-56 cars (SFRD 2000-2019, […]
In the February 2024 issue of Model Railroader, we reviewed the direct-current version of the Siemens ALC-42 Charger diesel locomotive from Kato USA Inc. Recently, we received a sample of the modern passenger unit equipped with a SoundTraxx Tsunami2 TSU-KN2 sound decoder. Prototype history With an aging fleet of General Electric P40 and P42 diesel […]
An American Car & Foundry 40-foot wood refrigerator car is the fourth model to join the ScaleTrains S-Helper Service lineup. The reefer, based on a prototype from the 1920s, features plastic construction; factory-installed and painted wire grab irons; and sprung, die-cast metal trucks. Prototype history The review sample we received is decorated as Santa Fe […]
Menards has released an accessory that just about any layout, big or small, could use: concrete blocks. Each package contains 100 pieces of scaled blocks measuring 1¾” x ¾” x ¾”. A standard size block measures a nominal 8” x 8” x 16”, with an actual size of 15⅝” x 7⅝” x 7⅝”. At 1:48 […]
When I saw the press release for this product from Ross Custom Switches, it caught my interest. This 40-foot boxcar is an MTH custom run that includes both a voltmeter and a track cleaning system from Many New Products (MNP). A voltmeter is an instrument that measures voltage between two points in a circuit. This […]
A Trinity Industries 5,161-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper is now part of Bachmann’s growing lineup of modern HO scale freight cars. The injection-molded plastic model features screw-mounted roller-bearing trucks, metal wheelsets, and body-mounted E-Z Mate Mark II couplers. Prototype history The 5161 covered hopper has been part of the Trinity Industries (now TrinityRail) catalog since […]
Love them or hate them, it was only a matter of time before Siemens Mobility’s Charger diesel locomotives made their way into the model railroading world. Sunset Models 3rd Rail has taken the lead in producing both the SC-44 and ALC-42 types in O scale. These 2- and 3-rail models were announced in 2022 and […]
As a Burlington Northern fan, I was fired up when ScaleTrains announced it was producing the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) GP39E in HO scale. The model, part of the manufacturer’s Rivet Counter line, depicts the four-axle road unit in its as-delivered appearance with Quantum Q2000 crossing strobes on the front deck. The full-size version of our […]
Trains.com Staff Writer Lucas Iverson and Classic Toy Trains’ Editor Rene Schweitzer unbox an all-new, precise O scale (1;48, 2-rail & 3-rail options) Siemens Charger and a GE P42DC locomotives from Sunset Models | 3rd Rail, manufacturers now aligned under Third & Townsend! Plus, you’ll also see a bonus unboxing of a unique, O gauge […]
The fourth model to join the ScaleTrains S-Helper Service lineup is a 41-foot wood refrigerator car. The model, based on an American Car & Foundry prototype from the 1920s, features plastic construction; factory-installed and painted wire grab irons; and sprung, die-cast metal trucks. Prototype history The review sample we received is decorated as Santa Fe […]
In the early 1800s, flatcars were among the first railcars developed, used to transport oversized or heavy loads. Over time, variations of the flatcar have emerged (depressed-center and center-beam cars, for example), but the humble flatcar is still commonly used today. Menards has released a two-pack of flatcars, one carrying a 1:48 scale 1954 GMC […]
An Electro-Motive Division NW2 has joined the ranks of the WalthersProto line. The newly tooled HO scale model, based on Phase I through IV prototypes, uses plastic and die-cast metal construction and features railroad-specific details, a factory-installed 11mm x 15mm cube-type speaker in both direct current and Digital Command Control versions, and body-mounted Proto-Max metal […]
