News & Products for the week of October 23rd 2023
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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of October 23rd 2023.
O scale passenger cars
Conowingo Passenger Car No. 1
Price: $85
Manufacturer: Conowingo Models; conowingomodels.com
Passenger Car No. 1 features:
- Represents a flatcar repurposed into a passenger car
- Laser cut wood, custom #d printed and Tichy Train Group parts
- Includes Conowingo Railroad decals
Release date: Available now
Road names: Conowingo Railroad
HO scale locomotives
Athearn Electro-Motive Division SD40-2
Price: Direct-current model, $169.99; with DCC and sound, $239.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division SD40-2 features:
- See-through cab windows
- See-through dynamic brake and radiator fans
- Frame-mounted bell, where appropriate
- Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, & breather pipes
- Separately applied air tanks
Release date: January 2025
Road names: Wisconsin & Southern, Burlington Northern, Conrail, Kansas City Southern, Louisville & Nashville, Missouri Pacific, Reading & Northern, Santa Fe, Soo Line, and Union Pacific.
Rapido Electro-Motive Division GP40
Price: Direct-current model, $239.95; with DCC and sound, $349.95
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
Electro-Motive Division GP40 features:
- Road-specific details and battery box doors
- Underframe details include traction motor cables, air filters, and separately-applied parts
- Detailed cab interior
- Etched see-through steps
Release date: To be announced
Road names: St. Louis Southwestern; Western Pacific; Canadian National; Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad; Illinois Central; Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac; Union Pacific; and Wisconsin Central.
HO scale freight cars
Rapido National Steel Car ballast hopper
Price: single car, $54.95; six-pack, $329.70
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
National Steel Car ballast hopper features:
- Removable ballast load
- Diecast frame
- Factory installed separate metal grab irons
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, Amtrak, BC Rail, CSX, Herzog, Milwaukee Road, and Union Pacific.
Tangent Pullman-Standard 40-foot Mini Hy-Cube boxcar
Price: $50.95
Manufacturer: Tangent Scale Models, P.O. Box 6514, Asheville, NC 28816; 828-412-3886; tangentscalemodels.com
Pullman Standard 40-foot mini hy-cube boxcar features:
- Separately-applied air hoses, wire grab irons, coupler lift bars, and stand-off ladders and stirrup steps, and brake system piping
- 2 different draft gear and trombone-style coupler lift bar variations
- See-through” crossover end platforms
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Available now
Road names: Northern Pacific; Burlington Northern; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Chicago & North Western; Denver & Rio Grande Western; Illinois Central Gulf; Milwaukee Road; and Southern Railway.
WalthersMainline National Steel Car three-unit 53-foot well car
Price: $99.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
National Steel Car 53-foot well car features:
- Detailed brake gear with air lines
- Separately applies side ladders
- Die-cast body
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Winter 2024
Road names: BNSF, Canadian National, and TTX.
HO scale passenger cars
Conowingo Passenger Car No. 1
Price: $40
Manufacturer: Conowingo Models; conowingomodels.com
Passenger Car No. 1 features:
- Represents a flatcar repurposed into a passenger car
- Laser cut wood, custom #d printed and Tichy Train Group parts
- Includes Conowingo Railroad decals
Release date: Available now
Road names: Conowingo Railroad
HO scale structures
Summit Best Buy backdrop structure
Price: $70.00
Manufacturer: Summit USA, LLC 512 Ford St., Lake Charles, LA 70601; 337-436-8481; summit-customcuts.com
Best Buy backdrop structure features:
- Laser cut in white and clear acrylic
- Includes self-adhesive micro plywood
Release date: Available now
Multi-scale details
MiniPrints wood chipper
Price: Varies depending on scale
Manufacturer: MiniPrints; miniprints.com
Wood chipper features:
- Unpainted 3-D resin prints
- Available in O, HO, N and S scales
Release date: Available now
News & Products is a regular feature of Trains.com for model railroad operators and builders to get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more. Model railroad product news may include HO, N, O, S, and Z scales. Product release dates and prices will vary according to each manufacturer.
If you are a manufacturer and have new product releases, please email Senior Editor Cody Grivno at cgrivno@kalmbach.com and Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy at bsleppy@kalmbach.com for more information.
Hmm…the O, HO and N scale wood chipper….can we put O, HO and N scale politicians in it????
I know, I know….very wrong….
The Northern Pacific 659999 model brought memories from 1967 or so. I was clerking at the east end of the westbound yard at Northtown (Mpls) and wrote down car numbers and called them into Frank Ascher at the main office. He really questioned me about that number. Yes that was the number! It was stenciled for the IC at Kankankee, IL. for AO Smith. Never saw another car like that again. According to rules of that year, assigned car had to come to their owners road first and then be placed in pool service.
Happily Retired NP BN BNSF from Mpls. MN>