Arizona Southern RR

Sunday, February 15, 2026

RAPIDO TRAINS HAS DISCOVERED THE ACCESS CODE TO MY WALLET

It's funny when you think about it. When I was younger, had the energy and the drive to build models, run trains at various clubs, be up at all hours planning the next trackplan or railfan outing, there was not many quality models on the market. Now here I am, nearing the end of track I suppose, and the choices of models is staggering. Every SP, DRGW, NdeM, and others, bit of equipment seems to be available or will be soon. The number of SP and SSW boxcars alone is amazing. I for one am beyond impressed with the choices of cars and motive power being produced. Case in point is RAPIDO TRAINS making a SP C-40-3 cupola caboose model, that is both surprising and very much welcome.

Rapido just posted some images of this caboose on their FaceBook page, and I took the liberty of sharing some here for those of you who are not fans of FB. Enjoy!

No hard dates for release yet, so keep your eyes watchful and those fingers ready when it is time to order.

It's a good time to be a model railroader!

John Huey

CEO Arizona Southern RR

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Another Per Diem Boxcar

A Limited Edition HO-Scale Atlas FMC 5347 Box Car painted for freelance model railroad Copper State Railway joins the roster over here on the Arizona Southern. Pretty much any freight cars in and around the late 1960's to late 1970's seem to be fair game for adding to our pile. This car has both a copper vibe and an Arizona vibe, so there was little thought process dealing with this acquisition.

Both photos from https://homeshops.net/ website

This car is not too flashy either, and that is always a good thing. It seems easier to recreate a believable level of realism if the equipment is not too bright or shiny, so we try and roll with that basic concept whenever possible. Modeling the more common or average looking equipment as opposed to something too unique or rare, keeps things simple.

Car available from: https://homeshops.net/

That's all for now, write back if the mood strikes. Enjoy your trains.

John Huey

CEO Arizona Southern RR

Thursday, January 1, 2026

First Day of 2026 Report

Hey fellow train fans, it's been a crazy time here in Simi Valley, California. We've been taking care of an aging relative, and she just keeps getting worse as time moves towards its inevitable conclusion. Hopefully none of you will ever face this sort of thing, it just saps the energy and makes other pursuits take a backseat in importance.

On a more personal level, my health journey has had its ups and downs, had surgery late on Christmas Eve, with the follow up on New Years Eve. That was fun as things go. My only real question is why does everything have to hurt all of the time?

On the Model Train front; I've had a big influx of power show up all at once. Who knew that both the SP SD7R's from Scale Trains, and the C415's from Bowser would all show up within 30 days of each other after years of waiting for them? What were the odds on that?

The trains are gorgeous though, one could not ask for finer models. Photos will follow at a later date, the house is in turmoil right now with all that's going on plus my eBay business being open as time allows. Then there has been some remodeling work with all that goes with it.

Sorry for the lack of recent content, but to quote a fellow seeker on this crazy journey; "such is life."

That's about all I have right now, so let me close by wishing you all a Happy New Year! May 2026 bring you good health, a bit of joy, and a happy life with friends and family. Oh, and Enjoy Your Trains!

That's all for now, write back if the mood strikes you,

John Huey

CEO Arizona Southern RR

Thursday, October 2, 2025

BEST NEWS EVER!

Howdy, this is just a short message to bookmark the RAPIDO B-100-32/34's they have just announced in HO Scale. Since AZSO moves a lot of copper, these cars will be a Godsend to our operations, not to mention a personal favorite model of yours truly.