Engines & rolling stock
LGB (Märklin), PO Box 510559, New Berlin WI 53151, has a Southern Pacific SD 40 diesel (#L25555). Both trucks are driven by Bühler motors with ball bearings, and the locomotive is equipped with traction tires and a built-in mfx/DCC decoder with a variety of authentic sound and light functions, all digitally controlled. There are many separately applied details and opening cab doors. Price: $1,049.99. Also from LGB are two new Lake George & Boulder starter sets—a passenger train with an 0-4-0T locomotive and two passenger cars, and a freight train with an 0-4-0T locomotive, a gondola, and a caboose. Both sets come with 12 sections of curved track, a transformer and controller, and wiring. Price: $379.99 each. Website: www.lgb.com
Burl Rice, http://burlrice.com, has announced a resin, craftsman-style kit for a PS 5,077 cubic-foot boxcar in 1:29 scale. The car features simulated end-of-car cushioning devices (EOC) with approximately 0.25″ of travel, and pre-assembled, chemically blackened brass, AAR type-E knuckle couplers with manual trip pins (compatible with Kadee #1-scale couplers). The kit includes pre-assembled trucks with Gary Raymond wheelsets, ball bearings, rotating bearing caps, and working, scale springs. Price: $275 + S&H.
Excelle Lubricants, 1 Union Special Plaza, Suite 242-A, Huntley IL 60142, is offering a rail conditioning car. The car, handbuilt of styrene on a Hartland chassis, drips the company’s proprietary Excelle Rail Conditioner onto pads that evenly coat the rails with a film of conditioner that penetrates into the rail, slowing corrosion, improving conductivity, and increasing the life of your rails. It also decreases cleaning time as it’s pulled around the track. The car is supplied with a hook-and-loop coupler, metal wheels, a 1 oz. bottle of XL Rail Conditioner, and an extra set of felt strips and clips. It is available in six different colors. Price: $79.99. Website: www.phoenixbottles.com/excelle.htm
Piko America, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Road, Suite 5, San Diego CA 92120, has several new large-scale items, including a New York Central bulkhead flatcar (shown), $119.99; a Texaco single-dome tank car, $97.99; a Union Pacific flatcar with VW Bus load, $114.99; and a White Pass & Yukon low-side gondola, $74.99. For more information, visit the company’s website: www.piko-america.com
Bridges & structures
VES Enterprises, PO Box 11672, Casa Grande AZ 85130, is offering limited edition, western style, ghost-town façades in 1:24 scale. The set consists of three units: a saloon, a livery stable, and a fur trader. All are constructed from actual weathered barn and fence boards for an authentic, deserted-building look. The façades are mounted on a solid cedar base and, with both redwood and cedar trim, will withstand outdoor use. Price for the set: $99 + $18 for domestic shipping. Website: www.gtrainbuildings.com
Accessories & details
Stoneworks, PO Box 684, Monett MO 65708, has added another window kit to its line of laser cut, 1:24-scale masonry windows and doors. The Four-Pane Arched Top Window Kit (#4163) was designed to work with the company’s #4164 Six/Six-Pane Double Hung Window. The new window dimensions are 1.68″ H x 1.87″ W. The window frame is cut from 1/16″ styrene; the glazing is cut from 1/16″ clear acrylic. Price: $2.50. Website: www.RRStoneworks.com
Electronics & software
Remote Control Systems (RCS), PO Box 578, Casino NSW 2470, Australia, has a new five-channel DSM2 TX handpiece for radio-controlled live-steam and battery-powered locomotives. For live-steam locos, the 2x AUX channel knobs are now mounted in the end of the case, allowing more finger room around the two main control channels. This allows full proportional control of a live-steam whistle instead of a simple on/off whistle control using one of the AUX channels. The other channel can be used for blowers, drain cocks, gas controls, etc. Channel 5 can be used for Kadee servo uncoupling. Price: A$149 + A$20 air postage. Website: www.rcs-rc.com
Digitrax, Inc., 2443 Transmitter Road, Panama City FL 32404, has the DCS240 Advanced Command Station, able to control 400 locomotives and support 400 throttles. The DCS240 incorporates SoundFX Programming and acts as a LocoNet-to-computer connection and translator through its built-in USB connection. Track voltage for each scale setting is customizable so you can adjust voltages to match all the power districts on your line to help maintain consistent locomotive speed when crossing gaps. Price: $375. Website: www.digitrax.com
Massoth Elektronik GmbH, Frankensteiner Str. 28, 64342 Seeheim-Malchen, Germany, has several new products. The first is the Track Bender II for flexible track. The unit can be used on code-332 and code-250 rail of any material. The unique lever mechanism makes adjusting the radius of the track much easier. It has an aluminum body, internal, double ball-bearings, and indirect bending access. The tool will bend down to a 12″ (30cm) radius. Check with your local supplier for pricing. Also from Massoth are sounds for several locomotives, including a Davenport diesel switcher, LGB’s new #20060 gang car, and the European version of the Caterpillar diesel switcher. Visit the website for complete info.: www.massoth.com
Miscellaneous
Thorley Miniatures (www.thorleyminiatures.com) is a British company that manufactures cast-resin structure kits for use with G-scale and 16mm-scale trains. The company is looking for a US agent to promote and sell its products in North America. If you or someone you know might be interested in this, please contact Ian Thorley at thorleyminiatures@gmail.com or call him at +447946081386.
Garden Railways has an archive of issues from 1984-2015 on two DVD-ROMs (#15118). Included are all issues of the magazine, the Sidestreet Banner, and all full-size drawings. Price: $89.95. Order at kalmbachhobbystore.com or call 800-633-6644.
Free 2016 Garden Railways index. Visit www.GardenRailways.com and click on “Annual index” under “Our magazine.” For a paper version, send a large SASE to Garden Railways index, PO Box 1612, Waukesha WI 53187-1612.
In memoriam
Dave Cole (1954-2017), editor of Steam in the Garden magazine since 2011, passed away on January 17 following a long illness. Dave was a prime mover for the National Summer Steamup, held each year in Sacramento. He also served as newsletter editor for the Bay Area Garden Railway Society and was the editor of the 2006 National Garden Railway Convention program. We extend our condolences to his surviving sister, Sally.
