Rapido HO scale GMD-1 diesel locomotive Some might think of it as an ugly-duckling; others might find its looks endearing. But wherever you stand on its appearance, the GMD-1 is an unusual locomotive. Modelers of Canadian prototypes have Rapido to thank for bringing these prairie “ponies,” as some of their crews called them, to HO […]
Kato N scale Union Pacific excursion train Complementing the Kato FEF-3, this N scale passenger set models some of the crown jewels of Union Pacific’s current excursion and business train fleet. The models are decorated to reflect the prototype’s present-day appearance. The set includes power car no. 207, crew sleeper no. 202 Willie James, museum […]
Walthers HO scale Santa Fe 24-duplex-roomette sleeper Price: $79.98 Manufacturer Wm. K. Walthers Inc. P.O. Box 3039 Milwaukee, WI 53201 www.walthers.com Era: 1954 to 1963 Road name: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Comments: This lightweight sleeping car is the most recent addition to Walthers’ HO scale Santa Fe San Francisco Chief. The model represents […]
72-82: Western Pacific’s Final Decade by Ted Benson, Dick Dorn, Dale Sanders, Dave Stanley White River Productions, P.O. Box 48 Bucklin, MO 64631; 240 pages, hardcover, 12.25 x 9.25 inches; $79.95 www.whiteriverproductions.com North American railroading wasn’t always dominated by super-sized Class I railroads and a smattering of so-called regionals and short lines. Not that long […]
The Atlas HO scale Alco S-2 diesel switcher features an ESU LokSound Select Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder. See and hear the locomotive model in action as it hauls freight trains on the Model Railroader staff’s layout. […]
Atlas HO scale Alco S-2 diesel switcher With a metallic fluttering sound of pistons and turbocharger, Atlas’ Alco S-2 chattered to life on the test track. All that was missing was a belch of smoke as the locomotive started to creep forward tie by tie. The dual-mode ESU LokSound Select sound decoder adds a pleasing […]
The engineer’s side of the Blue Ridge shows the HO scale model’s many separately applied detail parts Famous as Alleghenies on the Chesapeake & Ohio, Lima-built 2-6-6-6 simple articulated steam locomotives also ran on the Virginian Ry. Rivarossi added a newly tooled tender to its HO scale 2-6-6-6 to more accurately reflect the Virginian Blue […]
Price: $84.98 to $86.98 Manufacturer: Athearn Trains 1600 Forbes Way, Suite 120 Long Beach, CA 90810 www.athearn.com Era: 1950 to present Road names: Burlington Northern; Alaska RR; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Canadian National; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Milwaukee Road; New York Central Comments: Another round of Athearn rotary snowplows is ready to keep HO […]
A new run of HO scale General American 50-foot insulated boxcars is available from Moloco. These ready-to-run cars feature centered 10-foot doors (the previous run had offset doors); separately applied ladders, stirrup steps, and door hardware; and a cushioned underframe. General American, building on the success of its 50-foot insulated boxcars constructed in the 1950s, […]
Trainworx N scale PS 85-foot piggyback flatcar Comments: This N scale 85-foot piggyback car from Trainworx represents one of the early long flatcars that were introduced in the 1960s to haul a pair of 40-foot trailers. Designed for circus-style loading, these cars included drop-down loading ramps at each end so trailers could be backed into […]
O gauge nos. 256 locomotive and 700-series cars from Lionel Corp. Tinplate Line (MTH) Price: $499.95 (no. 11-6060-1 New Haven locomotive), $399.95 (no. 11-80047 three-car 710 series passenger set) Features: Locomotive O-31 operation, flywheel-equipped motor, stamped-steel construction, latch couplers, ProtoSound 3.0 sound and command system. Rolling stock O-31 operation, stamped-steel construction, interior illumination, latch couplers […]
O gauge grocery from Woodland Scenics Price: $149 (no. BR5851) Features: Plastic construction; fully assembled, painted and weathered; interior decoration; and inside/outside illumination Most of our readers would have a rock solid memory of a shop they would have dubbed “a corner store” where they grew up. The size might have varied, but one thing […]
