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All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

Model Railroading


Tariffs on model railroad products stir industry; manufacturers face new challenges on pricing

By TOM MARSH/Cowcatcher Magazine Updated from the May/June 2025 Cowcatcher Magazine. Unless you haven’t crawled out from under your benchwork in a while, you know about the sweeping tariffs being imposed on goods imported into the United States. Model railroading and other hobbies will cost …

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Product Review: Loaded with details, Scale Trains N-scale Tunnel Motors stand out like the prototype

The recently released Scale Trains N-scale Tunnel Motors represent a variation of the popular Electro-Motive Division SD40-2 diesel locomotive that conquered the rocky terrain of the Western U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s. EMD’s 3,000-horsepower, six-axle SD40-2 locomotives, built from 1972 to 1989, were best-sellers …

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Product Review: Rapido HO Budd Slumbercoach

Never mind that the Rapido HO Budd Slumbercoach is a strong reminder of passenger rail travel in the 1950s. You easily could see yourself in it today. Look in one of the several mirrors inside the model released earlier this year – and see your …

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Model railroad industry recognizes inventor of Kadee’s ‘whisker’ centering systems, Amherst show director

The Model Railroad Industry Division of the Hobby Manufacturers Association inducted its newest Hall of Fame member and recognized the 2023 Bobbye Hall Award winner in August at the NMRA National Train Show. Michael N. Dunham of Kadee Quality Products Co. is the 52nd member …

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ScaleTrains boosts freight car offerings with purchase of ExactRail; first N, HO runs in production

ScaleTrains announced last week that it acquired ExactRail, a manufacturer of HO- and N-scale freight cars and bridges. The addition nearly doubles ScaleTrains’ freight car offerings, the company said in a statement. ScaleTrains was to announce the first N-scale freight car later in June at …

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Atlas Model Railroad Co. adds to vehicle line, purchases HO-scale tooling from River Point Station

HILLSIDE, NJ — Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc. announced today that it has purchased the HO-scale vehicle tooling along with designs for certain previously unannounced products from River Point Station Fine Scale Models. The deal follows Atlas’ purchase of RPS’s N-scale line two years ago. …

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