RMC Product Reviews

Reviews of great new products for the scale model railroader, presented by the staff Railroad Model Craftsman staff and updated monthly. To have your products considered for review, please send samples to:

Railroad Model Craftsman MagazineRailroad Model Craftsman

Attn: Harry K. Wong
P.O. 16673
San Francisco, CA 94116


Rail Conductor AniLight DCC Lighting Decoder

March 1, 2024

Rail Conductor AniLight DCC Lighting Decoder

RailConductor LLC is a new company that has released the AniLight Lighting Decoder as its first product. As its name implies, this is a lighting circuit controlled by DCC commands.

Rapido Trains HO Scale Northeastern Caboose

March 1, 2024

Rapido Trains HO Scale Northeastern Caboose

Rapido Trains has brought us an HO model of the Northeastern caboose, and while it’s not the first time this prototype has been represented, it is the first model where the manufacturer has been attentive to the variations in appliances and equipment.

Otter Valley Trains’ HO Scale National Steel Car Gondola

February 6, 2024

Otter Valley Trains’ HO Scale National Steel Car Gondola

Following the release of its National Steel Car 6,400 cu. ft. gondola in HO scale, OVR Trains has followed this up with the same builder’s 6,000 cu. ft. variant.

Rapido’s HO Scale RS-18u and RSC-14

January 29, 2024

Rapido’s HO Scale RS-18u and RSC-14

Produced until August 1968, 351 RS-18s were constructed by MLW. Now Rapido is offering two unique versions: The RS-18u and RSC-14. 

PIKO America N Scale  65-Ton Whitcomb Switcher

January 24, 2024

PIKO America N Scale 65-Ton Whitcomb Switcher

Between 1943 and 1944, 167 65-DE-19As were produced at Whitcomb’s plant in Rochelle, Ill. Now it’s available in N scale from PIKO.

Walthers Cornerstone Vintage Gas Station

January 5, 2024

Walthers Cornerstone Vintage Gas Station

Over the years, Walthers has produced models of several styles of service stations of varying sizes that reflect different eras.

Tangent Scale Models’ Wide-Vision Cabooses

January 5, 2024

Tangent Scale Models’ Wide-Vision Cabooses

International Car Company built cabooses for all of the “Hill Lines,” including Burlington, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Spokane, Portland & Seattle.

Banta Modelworks  Foley’s Barn

November 28, 2023

Banta Modelworks Foley’s Barn

While not following any particular prototype, Foley’s Barn is representative of the many common barns that can be seen nationwide.

ScaleTrains’ ‘Rivet Counter’ General Electric AC4400CW Locomotives

November 28, 2023

ScaleTrains’ ‘Rivet Counter’ General Electric AC4400CW Locomotives

Available now from ScaleTrains is its first production of General Electric AC4400CW diesels in HO scale.

ClassOneModelWorks.com GSC HD Depressed-Center Flatcars and Loads

October 3, 2023

ClassOneModelWorks.com GSC HD Depressed-Center Flatcars and Loads

Class One Model Works (COMW) has released an all-new, ready-to-run HO scale model of a heavy duty depressed-center flatcar based on prototypes designed by General Steel Castings Co.