News & Products for the week of December 9th 2024
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 December 9th 2024.
HO scale locomotives
WalthersMainline Electro-Motive Division GP9 diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $159.98; with DCC and sound, $214.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Electro-Motive Division GP9 features:
- Based on High Hood prototype
- See-through steps
- Scale width hood with correct contours
- Dynamic brakes per prototype
- Die-cast underframe
Release date: Spring 2025
Road names: Central Vermont, Chesapeake & Ohio, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Illinois Central, Louisville & Nashville, Soo Line, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific.
Broadway Limited Imports Electro-Motive Division GP35 diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current mod, $249.99; with DCC and sound, $374.99
Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com
Electro-Motive Division GP35 features:
- Road-specific details
- Also available in Wheeling & Lake Erie Ohio bicentennial scheme
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Canadian National, Conrail, Erie Lackawanna, Norfolk & Western, Pennsylvania RR, Reading, Southern Pacific, and Wheeling & Lake Erie.
HO scale freight cars
Athearn GATC 2600 Airslide covered hopper
Price: $54.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
GATC 2600 Airslide covered hopper features:
- Detailed underbody includes outlet piping
- Rectangular or oval shake brackets
- See-through metal roofwalk
- Factory installed wire grab irons and brake piping
- Separately applied round roof hatches and brake wheel
Release date: April 2026
Road names: Canadian National, Colorado & Southern, Conrail, Diamond Sugar, Nebraska Consolidated Mills, and Southern Ry.
InterMountain Railway Company Sky Box freight car
Price: $54.95
Manufacturer: InterMountain Railway Company, P.O. Box 839, Longmont, Colorado, 80502, 800-472-2530, intermountain@intermountain-railway.com, intermountain-railway.com
Sky Box freight car features:
- Designed for aerospace loads
- Updated hood with separate grab irons
- Factory installed coupler cut bar and air hose
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Great Northern, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, Trailer Train, and Union Pacific.
Rapido Greenbrier Transverse coil car
Price: Single car, $59.95; six-pack, $359.70
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
Greenbrier Transverse coil car features:
- Etched-metal walkways
- Metal grab irons and separate cut levers
- Detailed underframe
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Arkansas & Oklahoma, Chicago Heights Terminal Transfer, Norfolk Southern, Railroad of Lies, South Shore Freight, Union Pacific, and Warwick Railway.
WalthersMainline 41-foot ballast hopper
Price: $31.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
41-foot ballast hopper features:
- Factory-applied longitudinal door and brake details
- Die-cast metal underframe
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Winter 2025
Road names: Amtrak, Burlington Northern, Canadian Pacific, Conrail, CSX, Herzog, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific.
N scale locomotives
Kato General Electric C44-9W diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $155; with DCC, $255; with DCC and sound, $355
Manufacturer: Kato USA Inc., 100 Remington Rd., Schaumburg, IL 60173; katousa.com
General Electric C44-9W features:
- Directional headlight
- Kato magnetic knuckle coupler
Release date: Summer 2025
Road names: BNSF, and Kansas City Southern.
Z scale freight cars
American Z Line Trinity 31,000-gallon tank car
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 7805 Dublin Rd., Dublin, OH 43017; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
Trinity 31,000-gallon tank car features:
- Available as a single car or in packs of two or four
Release date: To be announced
Road names: GATX
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 e-mail Senior Editor Cody Grivno at cody.grivno@firecrown.com and Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy at bryson.sleppy@firecrown.com for more information.