News & Products for the week of March 3rd 2025
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 March 3rd, 2025.
HO scale rolling stock
Athearn Genesis Electro-Motive Division GP7 diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current mode, $229.99; with DCC and sound, $329.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division GP7 features:
- Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, breather pipes, and retention tanks
- See-through cab windows and full cab interior
- Etched metal radiator intake grilles and fan grilles
- Details include couple cut levers, “nub” style walkway tread, windshield wipers, and wire grab irons
- Also available in US Army
Release date: September 2026
Road names: Alaska Railroad; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Conrail; Louisville & Nashville; Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis; Reading; Seaboard Coast Line; Southern; and Tennessee Valley.
Broadway Limited Imports Lima Locomotive Works A1a Berkshire steam locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $699.99; with DCC and sound, $799.99
Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com
Lima Locomotive Works A1a Berkshire features:
- Hand-crafted brass boiler, cab, and tender bodies
- Factory-installed fireman and engineer features
- Separately-applied details include handrails, grab irons, ladders, piping, cab glass, and air tanks
Release date: Spring 2026
Road names: Boston & Albany.
HO scale rolling stock
WalthersProto scale test car
Price: $49.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Scale test car features:
- Die-cast body
- Factory-installed wire grab irons
- Photo-etched brass placards
- Three different side access doors
- Also available in gray data only scheme
Release date: Fall 2025
Road names: Archer Daniels Midland; Burlington Northern; Canadian National; Chesapeake & Ohio; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Conrail; and Union Pacific.
HO scale details
Athearn 40-foot corrugated steel container
Price: Thress-pack, $47.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
40-foot corrugated steel container features:
- Fully assembled
- Stackable
Release date: September 2026
Road names: CMA GCM, CULINES, GE SeaCo, Hatsu Marine, Hede Shipping, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Textainer, and Triton.
S scale rolling stock
ScaleTrains S-Helper American Car Foundry 40-foot reefer
Price: $68.99
Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Rd. NE, Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com
American Car Foundry 40-foot reefer features:
- Opening roof hatches
- Metal handrails and grab irons
- Separately applied handbrake wheel
- Fishbelly underframe
- Also available unlettered in orange or yellow paint schemes
Release date: October 2025
Road names: American Refrigerator Transit, Bangor & Aroostok, Fruit Growers Express,Santa Fe Refrigerator Dispatch, Union Refrigerator Dispatch, and Western Refrigerator Line.
N scale train set
Kato Super Chief train set
Price: $330.00
Manufacturer: Kato USA Inc., 100 Remington Rd., Schaumburg, IL 60173; katousa.com
Super Chief train set features:
- Set includes Electro-Motive Division F7a diesel locomotive with 4-4-2 sleeper, diner and observation car, standard loop of Kato Unitrack, and power pack controller
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Santa Fe
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.
