About Blackstone Models Locomotives

Design and Construction
Our engineers design our models for operational reliability, spending much effort to ensure exceptional slow speed operation and the smallest operating radius possible. All drivers and tender wheels pick up track power, providing smooth running over even the most finicky switches without stalling or derailing. Running HOn3 trains is fun again!

Blackstone Models locomotives are ready-to-run right out of the box and meet NMRA specifications for HOn3. Die-cast construction provides excellent detail while furnishing the additional weight needed for reliable operation and superior pulling power. Golden white LEDs provide hours of maintenance-free running.

Amazing Details
Exhaustive research of the prototypes through first-hand measurements, historical photos and railroad blueprints result in some of the finest models ever built.

Model variations are built with their own unique details, such as handrail location, number boards, cabs, tenders, headlights, ladders, and more, and often have more than 100 hand-placed detail parts.

Historically Accurate Lettering
Painstakingly researched, the logos, fonts and positioning varies from locomotive to locomotive as appropriate for the prototype practice of the day.

The Sound System
Blackstone Models locomotives are optionally available with a custom SoundTraxx® Tsunami® Digital Sound Decoder. Tsunami is a high performance sound system for the modern model railroader providing the benefits of today's Digital Command Control (DCC) technology with the addition of high quality, digital onboard sound.

Waves of pure 16-bit digital sound will delight your senses, with effects so amazing you won't believe your ears! This sound system can produce as many as 24 sound effects, including the bell, whistle, air pump, dynamo, snifter valve, injectors, firebox blower, side rod clank, brake squeal, exhaust chuff and more, all recorded from the prototype.

The custom sound system is pre-programmed and ready to run without any adjustments, however Tsunami's Sound Mixer allows you to customize the sound levels of every effect to suit your personal taste. Tweak them to suit your needs and then select your favorite whistle from a selection of prototypically accurate whistles built in.

The sound of the steam exhaust keeps a steady beat, aided by an optical sensor, which precisely delivers four chuffs per revolution at any speed. The Dynamic Digital Exhaust™ feature adjusts the timbre and volume of the chuff in response to changes in the locomotive load.

More than a sound system, Tsunami includes SoundTraxx' Hyperdrive™ technology, which further refines the already smooth and precise locomotive operation.

In addition to supplying a luminous glow to the headlight and backup lights, the Dyno-Light effect mimics the effect of the gradual increase in lamp brightness as the generator spools up and provides power to the headlight.

While Tsunami is first and foremost a premium DCC sound decoder, it is also capable of operating on a DC, or analog, layout. This means you can take your model to visit a layout running with a conventional power pack.

Blackstone Models HOn3 Locomotives
C-19 Class Locomotives
K-27 Class Locomotives
Class 70 Locomotive
2-8-0 Locomotive
K-36 Class Locomotives
K-28 Class Locomotives