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 March 3, 2022.
HO scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division GP38 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes. With ditch lights: Central Maine & Quebec (blue and gray, one road number); Chesapeake & Delaware (black and silver); Conrail (“Spirit of Conrail,” one number); First Union Rail (maroon and black); Florida, Gulf & Atlantic RR (red, white, and blue, one number); Indiana Harbor Belt (off black and orange); Providence & Worcester (orange and brown); Rock Island Rail (blue and white); and Union Pacific (Chicago & North Western patchout, one number). Without ditch lights: Chicago & North Western (yellow and green, three numbers). With high short hood. New paint schemes: Norfolk & Western (black and white, three numbers) and Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia (Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum version with ditch lights, one number). Re-issue: Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia (original, one number). Two numbers per scheme unless noted; also available undecorated (low and high short hood versions). Separate, factory-applied windshield wipers, metal grab irons, and handrails; detailed cab interior with crew figures; and Accumate couplers. Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $189.95 to $199.95 (undecorated, $179.95); with dual-mode ESU LokSound sound decoder, $299.95 to $309.95 (undecorated, $289.95). Four quarter 2022. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
ScaleTrains.com General Electric ES44AC diesel locomotive. Based on Norfolk Southern 8000-series specifications with JEM Communications Positive Train Control antenna farm; light-emitting-diode front, rear, and rectangle side walkway lights; front and rear ditch lights; and 22 factory-applied etched-metal see-through radiator intake and exhaust grills on sides and top of radiator. Paint scheme designed by Jesse Gahring. Direct-current model with 21-pin connector, $199.99; with dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder with Full Throttle, dual cube-type speakers, and two PowerPack super capacitors, $294.99. Winter 2022/2023 release. ScaleTrains.com, 423-299-3689, scaletrains.com
HO scale freight cars
American Car & Foundry 4,650-cubic-foot capacity three-bay Center Flow covered hopper. New paint schemes. Pre-1971 version: Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals (gray and red), Georgia Kaolin (gray and black), and Tabor & Co. (gray and black). Post-1971 version: Canadian National (Mineral Red and white with “wet noodle” herald, website, and Wisconsin Central reporting marks), Farmland Co-op (gray, red, and blue), and Union Pacific (Southern Pacific patchout). New road numbers. Post-1971 version: Southern Pacific (gray and black). Three road numbers per paint scheme; both body styles also available undecorated. Etched-metal running boards, 100-ton roller-bearing trucks with blackened metal wheels, and Accumate couplers. $48.95 (undecorated, $38.95). Fourth quarter 2022. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
American Car & Foundry 5,250-cubic-foot capacity four-bay Center Flow covered hopper. New paint schemes: Seaboard Coast Line (yellow and black), Amoco (gray, blue, and red), Citco (blue and orange), Cosden Chemical (gray and red), Rocor Resins (gray and blue), and Wisconsin Central (gray and red). Three road numbers per paint scheme. Updated tooling with revised end cages, new draft gear, and improved underbody detail; etched-metal running boards, and metal knuckle couplers. $74.95. Fourth quarter 2022. Master Line Plus. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
Association of American Railroads 70-ton three-bay hopper. New paint schemes. Standard end: Chicago & Eastern Illinois (brown and white) and Western Maryland (brown, yellow, and white). Arched end: Baltimore & Ohio (black, yellow, and white). New road numbers. Standard end: Reading Co. (black and white) and Virginian Ry. (black and white). Arched end: Alaska RR (black and white) and Peabody Coal Co. (yellow, green, and red). Three numbers per paint scheme; both body styles also offered undecorated. Removable coal load, solid-bearing trucks with metal wheels, and Accumate couplers. $35.95 (undecorated, $28.95). Fourth quarter 2022. Trainman series. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
DuPont cyanide tank car no. 14011. Kit includes cast-resin and 3-D printed parts. Decks with stanchions are PLA-type plastic. Includes detailed instructions for making handrails and stanchions. Trucks and couplers not included. $24.99 plus shipping. Concept Models, con-sys.com
Trinity TRINCool 64-foot mechanical refrigerator car. Union Pacific (white with ARMN reporting marks in 12 numbers and patched in 12 unique lettering style road numbers). Narrow-style draft-gear box featuring shank wedges, striker casting, and full nut and bolt detail; American Steel Foundries 100-ton Ride Control trucks with CNC-machined metal wheelsets; and Kadee no. 56 couplers. Price to be announced. ExactRail, 866-945-1701, exactrail.com
Pennsylvania RR class G38 ore car. Pennsylvania RR and Conrail. Multiple road numbers. Assembled, painted, and decaled model. Features 3-D printed body and underframe, Kadee couplers, and Crown Cast Trucks (Pennsylvania RR only). Single car, $36; four-pack, $140; and 12-pack, $400. Oley Valley Railcars, ovrailcar.com
Penn Central class X72 and X72A boxcars. Penn Central (Deepwater Green with large [X72A] and small [X72] herald, Conrail (brown with small [X72A] and large [X72] herald), Apasco (gray), Canadian National (Oxide Red with CN reporting marks but no herald or road name), Western Pacific (Mineral Red), and York Rail (Oxide Red). Also offered as undecorated kit (X72/X72A). Separate, factory-applied door posts, door latches, and uncoupling levers; detailed underbody with separate piping and equipment; cushion draft gear with Kadee no. 158 whisker couplers; and 70-ton trucks with 33” metal wheels. Single car, $49.95; three-pack, $149.85; and six-pack, $299.70. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
1921 American Railway Association 40-foot single-sheathed boxcar. 1923/1925 production: Chicago & North Western (Hutchins roof, Murphy 7/8 end, wood side doors, and AB or K brakes). 1927 production: C&NW and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha (Viking roof, 4/4 Dreadnaught end, Youngstown metal side doors, and AB or K brakes). Cast-resin kit with one-piece body, detail parts, Hi-Tech rubber air hoses, Yarmouth etched-bronze corner steps and eyebolts, and proprietary decals. Kit (less trucks or couplers), $47; with Tahoe Model Works trucks (code 110 or code 88 wheelsets), $54. Westerfield Models LLC, 303-658-9343, westerfieldmodels.com
HO scale passenger equipment
Pullman 10-section, 1-drawing-room, 1-compartment heavyweight sleeper. New paint schemes: Chicago & Eastern Illinois (The Georgian, blue, silver, and gray in two road numbers), Atlantic Coast Line (green), Illinois Central (brown and orange in one number), Louisville & Nashville (The Georgian, blue, silver, and gray in two road numbers), and Pullman (Island-series, Pullman Green). New road numbers: Northern Pacific (Chief-series, two-tone green) and Pullman (Range-series in Pullman Green and Union Pacific sublettered cars in Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray). Three numbers per scheme unless noted; also available painted Pullman Green but unlettered. Full interior detailing; separate, factory-applied underbody detail; and Accumate couplers. $89.95 (unlettered, $78.95). Fourth quarter 2022. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
N scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division GP7 and GP9 diesel locomotives. New paint schemes. GP7: Chesapeake & Ohio (Phase II, blue and gold), New York Central (Phase I, black and gray), and Rock Island (Phase II with rooftop air tanks, black and red). GP9 (with rooftop air tanks): Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo (maroon and cream) and Wabash (blue and gray). New road numbers. GP7: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (Phase I with rooftop air tanks, pinstripe scheme) and Erie Lackawanna (Phase II with rooftop air tanks, gray and maroon). GP9: Grand Trunk Western (with rooftop air tanks, black, red, and white); New, York, New Haven & Hartford (black, orange, and white); and Southern Pacific (with rooftop air tanks, gray and scarlet). Two numbers per scheme. Low-friction drive with dual brass flywheels; golden-white light-emitting-diodes; and Accumate couplers. Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $139.95; with dual-mode ESU sound decoder, $249.95. Fourth quarter 2022. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
Fairbanks-Morse H24-66 Trainmaster diesel locomotive. New paint schemes: Chihuahua Pacific (Phase Ia, red and black in two road numbers); Erie Lackawanna (Phase Ia, gray and maroon in two numbers); and Jersey Central (Phase Ib, green and gold without stripes). New numbers: Canadian Pacific (Phase II, gray, maroon, and yellow late scheme); Lackawanna (Phase Ia, gray and maroon in two numbers); Pennsylvania (Phase II, Brunswick Green and gold); Reading Co. (Phase Ib, green and gold); and Southern Pacific (Phase Ib, gray and scarlet). Three numbers per scheme unless noted. Golden-white light-emitting-diodes; etched metal grilles; and factory-installed Accumate magnetic couplers. Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $139.95; with dual-mode ESU sound decoder, $249.95. Fourth quarter 2022. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
N scale freight cars
American Car & Foundry Pressureaide covered hopper. New paint schemes: Archer Daniels Midland (gray with molecule logo and gray with current logo and yellow conspicuity stripes), ACFX (Venturi, with conspicuity stripes and orange sill in two road numbers each); Grace Davison (green and white); Luzenac America (green, orange, and white); and OMYA (short stripes, white and blue). New numbers: ACFX (Venturi, white and blue in two numbers). Three numbers per scheme unless noted. Etched metal running boards, 100-ton roller-bearing trucks, and Accumate couplers. Decorated, $35.95 (undecorated, $29.95). Fourth quarter 2022. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
Trinity 25,500-gallon tank car. New paint schemes: Owensboro Grain (black, white, and yellow with GATX reporting marks); AGP (black, green, and yellow with TILX marks); National Tank Car Co. (black and yellow UTCK repaint); Soy Power Bio Fuels (black, blue, green, and white with GATX reporting marks); IOI Group (black, white, and blue with TILX marks); and TILX (black and white 2019 repaint). Six road numbers per scheme (three single cars and one three-pack); also available undecorated in four versions. See-through walkway and top platform grating, prototype-specific details, Accumate couplers. Single car, $35.95 (undecorated, $26.95); three-pack, $104.95. Fourth quarter 2022. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
Milwaukee, Racine & Troy 50-foot double-door boxcar. One road number. Limited-run model features injection-molded plastic body with positionable doors and factory-installed brake wheel; molded ladders and grab irons; die-cast metal underbody; and body-mounted Magne-Matic couplers. $39.98. Produced by Micro-Trains Line Co., available exclusively from the Kalmbach Hobby Store, KalmbachHobbyStore.com
N scale details and accessories
Jewels Reptile Foods 20-foot standard-height intermodal container with sign sides. Injection-molded plastic with inter-box connecting pins at scale ISO locations and JTC magnetic connecting system. $16.95. Visionary Series. Jacksonville Terminal Co., jtcmodeltrains.com
2021 Holiday 40-foot smooth-side intermodal container. Injection-molded plastic with inter-box connecting pins at scale ISO 40-foot locations and JTC magnetic connecting system. $20.95. Jacksonville Terminal Co., Visionary Series, jtcmodeltrains.com
Z scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive. New paint scheme: Kansas City Southern (gray). Two road numbers. Prototype-specific details, traction tires, blackened-metal wheels, directional light-emitting-diode headlights, and AutoLatch couplers. Includes adapters for replacing AutoLatch couplers with Micro-Trains no. 905 couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Z scale freight cars
Pacific Fruit Express class R-70-2 mechanical refrigerator car. New paint scheme: Pacific Fruit Express (orange, black, and white with Southern Pacific Fruit Express reporting marks). Seven road numbers (single car, two-pack, and four-pack). Blackened metal wheels and AutoLatch couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Multiple scales
Operation Lifesaver 50th anniversary Chesapeake & Ohio-style cupola caboose. Black and gold in one road number. Detailed underframe, clear window glazing, and Accumate couplers. N scale, $34.95; HO scale, $49.95. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the caboose will be donated to Operation Lifesaver to assist its continued efforts to provide rail safety education. Fourth quarter 2022. Trainman series. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com