Product news
Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 15, 2021.
HO scale locomotives
2-6-0 Mogul steam locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Boston & Maine; Canadian National; Denver & Rio Grande Western; New York Central; and Southern Pacific. Two road numbers per scheme. Railroad-specific details, light-emitting-diode lighting, and McHenry scale couplers. Direct-current model with 21-pin plug, $209.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Econami sound decoder, $269.99. August 2022. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
General Electric U25B diesel locomotive. High short hood: GE Demonstrator (red with white stripe in three road numbers, white-over-red scheme in one number), St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco, Mandarin Orange and white), and Union Pacific (Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray with “Dependable Transportation” slogan on cab). Low short hood: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (Pinstripe scheme); Erie Lackawanna (early scheme); Great Northern (simplified Omaha Orange and Pullman Green scheme); Penn Central (black and white); and New York, New Haven & Hartford (black, white, and orange). Four numbers per scheme unless noted. Prototype-specific details, illuminated control stand inside cab, working step lights on low short hood models, and working inspection lights on all models. Direct-current model with 21-pin plug, $239.95; with dual-mode ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, $349.95. Mid 2022. Rapido Trains Inc., 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
HO scale freight cars
40-foot three-bay hopper with exterior posts. BNSF Ry. (Mineral Red with circle-cross herald), Canadian National (Mineral Red with white rotary end and Chicago Central reporting marks), Central of Georgia (black and white with “The Right Way” slogan), Chessie System (black and yellow with Baltimore & Ohio reporting marks), Conrail (brown with “can opener” herald), and Norfolk & Western (black and white with centered lettering). Nine road numbers per scheme (single car and two four-packs). Flat or peaked ends as appropriate, removable coal load, and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Single car, $39.99; four-pack, $139.99. August 2022. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Pennsylvania RR class H21 and H22 four-bay hoppers. H21 and H21a with clamshell doors: Baltimore & Ohio (black, class W-1), Bethlehem Mines (black), Erie (black), Pennsylvania Lines (Freight Car Color), Pennsylvania RR (circle keystone herald), and Union RR (black). H21 and H21a with traditional hopper doors: Penn Central (black, class H-5; Maintenance-of-Way Yellow, class H21G; and black with Deepwater Green body panel, PRR block lettering, and keystone herald, class H21G), Pennsylvania RR (All class H21a. Black: keystone herald and block lettering and keystone herald with centered “Pennsylvania” lettering. Freight Car Color: circle keystone herald, circle keystone herald and “Coal Goes To War” slogan, early lettering, and shadow keystone herald with centered “Pennsylvania” lettering), and Virginian Ry. (Freight Car Color, class H21a). H22 and H22a with clamshell doors and side extensions: Pennsylvania RR (Freight Car Color: early lettering and circle keystone herald [two sill extension versions on latter scheme]). H22a with traditional hopper doors and side extensions: Pennsylvania RR (Freight Car Color). Three road numbers per scheme. Injection-molded plastic model with separate brake appliances, metal wheels, and body-mounted couplers. $29.95. April 2022. Executive Line. Bowser Manufacturing Co. Inc., 570-368-2379, bowser-trains.com
Evans 4,780-cubic-foot-capacity three-bay covered hopper. Archer-Daniels-Midland (blue, yellow, and gray paint schemes); Boston & Maine (blue); Farmer’s Cooperative Association, St. Edwards, Neb.; Missouri-Kansas-Texas (green and yellow billboard lettering); and Union Pacific (gray with shield herald and Missouri-Kansas-Texas reporting marks). Four road numbers per scheme. Factory-installed grab irons, see-through etched metal walkways and crossover platforms, and separate vibrator brackets on hopper bays. $39.98. WalthersProto. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
HO scale structures
Country butcher. Laser-cut cardboard low-relief kit. Includes customizable display case and detailed instructions. Measures 2.36” x 1.57” x 4.52”. $33.05. Price may vary based on exchange rate. Minifer, minifer.fr/en
Single- and double-track enginehouses. Injection-molded plastic kits with security lights, gas and electric meters, and acetate for windows. Singe-track ($34.98) measures 11” x 4-1/4” x 4-1/4″, double-track ($44.98) measures 11” x 7” x 4-1/4″. Cornerstone Series. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
HO scale details and accessories
Assorted detail parts for Pullman-Standard PS-1 boxcars and other freight cars. PS-1 parts. Brake wheel eight-pack (Ajax, Equipco, Klasing, Miner, Modern, and Universal), $3.95 each. High brake housing four-packs (Ajax, Equipco, Klasing, Miner, and Universal), $3.95 each. Release control retainer eight-pack, $3.95. Roofs (two unpainted and five painted versions), $7 each. Sliding door four-packs (6-foot: Camel/Youngstown in two versions. 8-foot: Camel/Youngstown. 9-foot: Camel/Youngstown, Pullman, and Superior in two versions each), $3.95 each. Universal freight car parts. Rubber air hose 10-pack (Type 1 and Type 2), $4.95 each. Formed wire eyebolts (36-pack), $8.95. Formed wire uncoupling levers with etched-metal hangers 10-pack (for 40-foot boxcars and potentially other models), $7.95. Tangent Scale Models, 828-279-6106, tangentscalemodels.com
N scale freight cars
Pacific Car & Foundry Southern Pacific class B-100-40 boxcar. Amtrak (green or phase 4 schemes in three road numbers each), Columbus & Greenville (Southern Pacific patchout, six numbers), Golden West Service (with Ventura County reporting marks in 12 numbers and SP marks in six numbers), Southern Pacific (as-delivered scheme, 12 numbers), and Union Pacific (repainted with shield herald and SP marks, six numbers). Also available undecorated. Hydra-Cushion underframe; separate, factory-applied uncoupling levers, door latch mechanism, and end ladders; and full underbody brake rigging. Single car, $36.95; Amtrak three-pack, $149.95; and six-pack, $221.70. Rapido Trains Inc., 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
N scale structures
Sherwood’s Bridge. Base kit ($39.95) includes 9” span with two end abutments and one pier set. Expansion kit ($19.95) contains 5” span with one pier set. Base and expansion box set ($49.95) includes one of each kit. Track and rolling stock not shown. Kits feature lattice truss design, interlocking spans, wood deck and guardrails, 2-1/2” pier sets, concrete abutments, and illustrated instructions. Base kit is 10” long x 3-1/4” high. Expansion kit is 5” long x 3-1/4” high.
The N Scale Architect, 607-746-8416, thenarch.com
N scale details and accessories
Box van. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Burlington Northern; Delta; Denver & Rio Grande Western; United Parcel Service; Western Pacific; and painted white but unlettered. Injection-molded plastic with clear window glazing; cab interior with separate, factory-applied steering wheel; and vinyl tires. $34.99. August 2022. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Large scale sets
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe remote-control starter set. Includes a 0-6-0T saddletank steam locomotive, two-bay offset-side hopper, caboose, R/C controller, pocket remote, power clamps, and circle of indoor/outdoor R1 track. Locomotive has five-pole can-type motor, detailed cab interior with engineer figure, and sliding pickup shoes. All models have hook-and-loop couplers. $479.99. September 2021. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com
Electronics/controls
TSU-N18 series of sound decoders. Alco, Baldwin and others, electric, Electro-Motive Division (two versions), General Electric, and steam (version 2). Plug-in installation for N and HO scale models equipped with a NEXT18 socket. Numerous selectable sound effects, including exhaust chuffs, diesel engines, bells, whistles, air horns, and more. Measures 25 x 10.5 x 4.1mm. Features six function outputs; 1A maximum motor stall current; 1 watt, 8-ohm load audio amplifier; and 16 channels. Can be used on 7.5V to 22V Digital Command Control track voltage. $124.95 each. SoundTraxx, 970-259-0690, soundtraxx.com
Club offerings
Rockford Brewing Co. 40-foot double-sheathed refrigerator car. Accurail HO scale kit custom-decorated for the Arlington Heights Society of Model Engineers. One road number. Solid-bearing trucks, plastic wheelsets, and Accumate couplers. $29.98 plus $8.45 shipping for one car, $9.75 for multiple cars to addresses in the U.S.A., and $21.25 for foreign orders of any size. AHSOME, 918 W. Colfax St., Palatine, IL 60067
