Bridges & structures
Banta Model Works, 421 Hopkins Road, Dummerston, VT 05301, released Ophir Depot, a 1:20.3-scale kit. The depot is made from laser-cut wood and measures 391/2”L x 19”W x 173/4”H. Production is very limited. Price: $650, includes shipping. Website: bantamodelworks.com
Details & accessories
M&D International Distributors, Inc., PO Box 292946, Davie FL 33329, offers Tire Bridgade figures and shop accessories in 1:24 and 1:18 scales. Figures are made from cold-cast resin and are hand painted. Prices range from $15.49-$18. To see the entire line, visit their website at tirebrigade4u.com.
Piko America, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego CA 92120, sells replacement traction tires for all battery-powered Piko GE 25-Ton diesel locomotives (#36044). The traction tires come in packs of four. For more information, visit piko-america.com
Preiser USA has released several figures in large scale. Garden Maintenance (#44928, 1:22.5 scale) contains two figures donned in landscaping gear. Seated Travelers (#63201, 1:32 scale) contains six figures for your benches or rolling stock. All figures are hand painted. See your local hobby shop or order direct from preiserusa.com
G-Scale Engineering has corrugated tin-coated low carton steel wall and roof panels. Panels measure .25” wide X 5” long and are available as single pieces or in packs of 10. The 10 packs also include four .19” x .19” x 5” angle caps. Visit gscalecorrugatedmetal.com for more information.
Electronics & software
ESU LLC, 23 Howard St., Montoursville PA 17754 has released the fifth generation of LokSound decoders, including two designed for large-scale engines. LokSound 5 XL (#58513 and #58515, shown) has a high-performance 32-bit microcontroller that will support up to 10 simultaneous sound channels. They offer an advanced B-EMF load control that runs with up to 50 kHz base frequency and is optimized for low-noise operation. Price: $249.99 each. Website: www.loksound.com
Books & media
Kalmbach Media, PO Box 1612, Waukesha WI 53187-1612, has released Historic North American Locomotives by Ken Boyd. This museum-quality book traces the development of locomotives from the early 1800s to the present. The 232-page collection presents 100 locomotives in detailed color photographs using High Dynamic Range (HDR) digital imaging techniques. Price: $44.99 (hardcover edition) or $29.99 (softcover edition). See your local hobby retailer or visit KalmbachHobbyStore.com
Miscellanous
Hang-a-Pot, PO Box 76190, St. Petersburg FL 33734, offers flower-pot hangers. Each hanger fits clay pots from 3-10″ wide and supports up to 50 pounds each. Hangers install in minutes and are made from UV-protected polypropylene. Website: hangapot.com
High Country Gardens, has announced their top 10 gardening plants for 2019. Four of the plants are small enough for use in the garden railway: Chumby Silky rock jasmine (Androsace sarmentosa ‘Chumbyi’), Granita Orange cold hardy ice plant (Delosperma ‘Granita Orange’), Red feathers (Echium amoenum), and Scarlet hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus coccineus). See the website for more information about each plant: highcountrygardens.com
