Product news
Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, structures, electronics, train sets, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroad editors have news on for the week of Dec. 17, 2020.
HO scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division SD40 diesel locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (blue and yellow warbonnet in three road numbers); CSX (gray, blue, and yellow in four numbers); First Union (green and silver in three numbers); Southern Pacific (SD40R and SD40M-2, both painted scarlet and gray with speed lettering in two numbers each); and Utah Ry. (gray, red, and yellow in three numbers). Prototype-specific details, light-emitting-diode headlights, and McHenry scale couplers. Direct-current model with 21-pin plug for Digital Command Control decoder, $159.98; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Econami sound decoder, $229.98. December 2021. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Siemens SC-44 Charger diesel-electric locomotive. Amtrak (Midwest in two road numbers and Pacific Surfliner and Cascades [WSDOT] in one number each). Die-cast metal frame; dual-mode TCS WOWSound decoder with Audio Assist; Keep-Alive capacitor; directional headlights; interior corridor work lights; roof-mounted strobe lights; marker lights; and separate, factory-applied applied windshield wipers, grab irons, and detail parts. $459. Bachmann Trains, 215-533-1600, bachmanntrains.com
HO scale freight cars
FMC 50-foot offset double-door boxcar. Burlington Northern (Union RR of Oregon, Galveston Wharves, and East St. Louis Junction RR Co. patchouts), Arcata & Mad River (red with Simpson Timber Co. lettering), Sierra RR (cream and orange), Yreka Western (dark blue with goose herald), and Northern California shortlines three-pack (one each Arcata & Mad River, Sierra RR, and Yreka Western). Three road numbers per scheme. Injection-molded plastic with separate, factory-applied grab irons, end ladders, and brake wheel; photo-etched metal crossover platforms; and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Single car, $34.98; three-pack, $99.98. December 2021. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
American Car & Foundry 11,000-gallon insulated tank car. Sturtevant Mill Co. (1948, factory new). One road number. Model features step platform; separate, factory-applied ladders, grab irons, and vertical brake staff; and Kadee scale metal couplers. $45.95. Kadee Quality Products Co., 541-826-3883, kadee.com
HO scale passenger equipment
Amtrak Superliner cars. Lounge, coach, and sleeper. Phase 6 paint scheme, one road number each. Detailed interior; tinted, flush windows; trucks with rotating bearing caps; metal weights; and Kinematic couplers. Marker lights can be illuminated with optional light board no. 958046. $87 each. Price is estimate and subject to change upon release. May 2021. Kato USA Inc., 847-781-9500, katousa.com
HO scale sets
Chattanooga. Set includes Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis 0-6-0 steam locomotive with headlight, operating smoke unit, and tender; St. Louis-San Francisco 50-foot plug-door boxcar; Norfolk & Western four-bay hopper; Penn Salt single-dome tank car; NC&StL offset-cupola caboose; 38” x 47” oval of snap-fit E-Z Track; suburban station; signal bridge; 36 telephone poles; 48 assorted figures; 48 railroad and street signs; power pack; and speed controller. $285. Bachmann Trains, 215-533-1600, bachmanntrains.com
HO scale details and accessories
Fruehauf trailers. 35-foot integral-post volume van: Boston & Maine; New York, New Haven & Hartford (Trailiner); Pennsylvania RR (1950s with side door); Delaware, Lackawanna & Western; Nickel Plate Road; and Union Pacific. 40-foot exterior-post volume van (with side door unless noted): Erie Lackawanna (without side door), Lehigh Valley, Penn Central, Republic Carloading, Pennsylvania RR (1960s), and Western Maryland (without side door). 40-foot fluted-side volume van (with side door unless noted): Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Great Northern; Navajo (without side door); Northern Pacific; Pacific Intermountain Express (without side door); and Southern Pacific. Three trailer numbers per paint scheme. $29.95 each. Late 2021. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
Allis-Chalmers HD-21 side-boom tractor. Urethane resin track and body with 3-D printed boom, counterweight, and reel mechanism. Kit (less decals), $46.99; decal set (completes one tractor), $7; assembled, painted, and decaled, $116.99. Kits, January 2021; assembled models six to eight weeks later. Wheels of Time, wheelsotime.com
N scale freight cars
Pullman-Standard PS-2 2,893-cubic-foot-capacity three-bay covered hopper. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (gray); Baltimore & Ohio (gray); Central of Georgia (gray with “The Right Way” slogan); Chicago & North Western (gray with black and white “ball and bar” herald); Great Northern (Big Sky Blue, one road number); Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (gray and black with New York Central herald); and Southern Ry. (gray). Three numbers per scheme unless noted. Etched-metal running board, wire grab irons, and truck-mounted McHenry scale couplers. $29.98. December 2021. AthearnN. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
4,180-cubic-foot-capacity Airslide covered hopper. New paint schemes: BNSF Ry. (buffer service, Mineral Red and white), Brach’s Candy (gray, red, maroon), Burlington Northern (Cascade Green and white), Chessie System (yellow and blue with Chesapeake & Ohio reporting marks), St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt lettering, gray and black), Golden West Service (blue, red, and yellow), and Western Maryland (gray and black). Two road numbers per scheme; also available undecorated. Injection-molded plastic with etched-metal running boards and metal wheels. $36.95. Third quarter 2021. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, atlasrr.com
N scale sets
Durango & Silverton. Set includes Durango & Silverton 0-6-0 steam locomotive with tender, old-time combine, two old-time coaches, 24” x 34” oval of nickel silver E-Z Track, power pack, and speed controller. $239. Bachmann Trains, 215-533-1600, bachmanntrains.com
N scale details and accessories
53-foot intermodal container with 8-55-8 corrugation pattern. Estes (white and yellow with “E” logo), EMP (faded dark blue Florida East Coast patchout), Florida East Coast (dark blue with hurricane herald), Matson (gray scheme), Twin Logistics (green with yellow lettering), Universal (red with black and white graphics), and XPO Logistics (white with red and black graphics). Injection-molded plastic with sides, doors, and fronts tooled to match prototype photos; inter-box connecting pins; and JTC magnetic connecting system (magnets on bottom, metal plates on top). Two-pack, $33.95. Jacksonville Terminal Co., jtcmodeltrains.com
Allis-Chalmers HD-21 side-boom tractor. HO scale model shown. Urethane resin track and body with 3-D printed boom, counterweight, and reel mechanism. Kit (less decals), $31.99; decal set (completes one tractor), $5; assembled, painted, and decaled, $99.99. Kits, January 2021; assembled models six to eight weeks later. Wheels of Time, wheelsotime.com
Z scale locomotives
Alco RS-3 diesel locomotive. Great Northern. Three road numbers. Phase I body, corner-stacked number boards, Alco Association of American Railroads trucks, dual-beam headlight, three-chime airhorn, 800-gallon fuel tank, 7.5mm coreless motor with dual flywheels, traction tires, built-in pilot, directional light-emitting-diode headlights, and body-mounted couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Electro-Motive Division GP38-2 diesel locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. Four road numbers. Rebuilt model with 2020 chassis featuring coreless motor, dual flywheels, traction tires, standard printed-circuit board, directional light-emitting-diode headlights, Auto-Latch couplers, and optional pilot or plow. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Pacific Car & Foundry R-70-20 mechanical refrigerator car. Great Northern (1967 scheme). Seven road numbers (single car, two-pack, and four-pack). Metal wheels and Auto-Latch couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Electronics and controls
Zen midi high power locomotive decoder. For older OO/HO locomotives and modern O gauge locomotives. Six-function (two at 250mA, four at 100mA) decoder features eight-pin harness, one-step locomotive setup, and onboard brown-out protection to keep locomotives running over dirty track. 3 amps peak power, 1.5 amps continuous RMS power. Decoder measures 1.2” x .72” x .20”. $29.62. Price may vary based on exchange rate. DCCconcepts, +44 (0)1729 821080, dccconcepts.com
Club offerings
Great Northern 50,000-gallon wood water tank and pump house. HO scale kit produced by Monroe Models for the Great Northern Ry. Historical Society. Laser-cut basswood kit with micro-plywood, cardstock, and fiber board parts. Tank roof is one-piece injection-molded styrene part with molded shingles and lead-free white-metal cap for top of the cone. Cast white-metal spout is scale 14 feet long and includes chain. Pump house features laser-etched fiber board shingles and cast white-metal chimney. Tank is approximately 6-1/2” tall with 3” x 3” base. Pump house measures 2-1/4” x 2” x 2”. $87.95. Great Northern Ry. Historical Society, gnrhs.myshopify.com
