Product news
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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of September 16, 2021.
HO scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division GP15-1 diesel locomotive. Chicago & North Western (Operation Lifesaver scheme in two numbers, 1990s Traditional Yellow in one number), BNSF Ry. (factory weathered Burlington Northern patchout in two road numbers, Heritage I in one number), California Northern (green and cream and Genesee & Wyoming orange and black, three numbers per scheme), GATX Locomotive Group (blue and white with GMTX reporting marks, three numbers), San Joaquin Valley RR (Genesee & Wyoming orange and black, one number), St. Louis-San Francisco (Mandarin Orange and white, three numbers), Union Pacific (Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray, four numbers), and Ventura County RR (Genesee & Wyoming orange and black, one number). Factory-installed and painted wire grab irons, full cab interior, and light-emitting-diode lighting. Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector for Digital Command Control decoder, $209.98; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $299.98. Genesis series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division GP60 and GP59 diesel locomotives. GP60: BNSF Ry. (Heritage III in two numbers, Vermont Ry. patchout in one number), CSX (dark blue and yellow), Denver & Rio Grande Western (black and orange with “Flying Grande” lettering), Southern Pacific (scarlet and gray with speed lettering), Norfolk Southern (black and white with “Operation Lifesaver” lettering, two numbers), and Vermont Ry. (red and white, one number). GP59: Electro-Motive Division demonstrator and Norfolk Southern (Operation Lifesaver 25th anniversary scheme and Southern Ry. heritage scheme, one number each). Three numbers per scheme unless noted. Factory-installed and painted wire grab irons, Celcon handrails, and light-emitting-diode headlights. Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM plug for Digital Command Control decoder, $149.98; with NCE non-sound Digital Command Control mobile decoder, $184.98. Roundhouse line. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division SW1200 diesel locomotive. Chicago & North Western; Baltimore & Ohio; Burlington Northern; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Conrail; Denver & Rio Grande Western; Grand Trunk Western (as delivered, orange-and-black, and red-and-blue schemes); Great Northern (Empire Builder scheme); Milwaukee Road (“Milwaukee Road” lettering on hood in one number, without hood lettering in two numbers); Missouri Pacific; New York, New Haven & Hartford; Northern Pacific; Penn Central (with “Penn Central” lettering on hood in two numbers, without in one number); Pennsylvania RR; Rock Island (red scheme in one road number, maroon with block lettering in two); Soo Line; and Southern Pacific. Three road numbers per scheme; also available undecorated in three styles. Prototype-specific details; die-cast metal frame, chassis, and gearboxes; and detailed cab interior. Direct-current model, $225; with dual-mode sound decoder, $335. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
HO scale freight cars
40-foot single-sheathed boxcar. Northern Pacific; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Boston & Maine; Canadian National; Colorado & Southern; Pacific Electric (two road numbers); Soo Line; and Southern Pacific maintenance of way (one number). Three numbers per scheme unless noted. Injection-molded plastic model with machined RP-25 contour metal wheels and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. $28.98. Roundhouse line. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
General American Transportation Corp. 37-foot meat refrigerator car. Swift (War Bonds scheme [single car and two-pack only], red, and red block), Cudahy (as delivered scheme), Morris Rifkin, American Stores, Armour, Dubuque (large logo), General American Transportation Corp. (GARX reporting marks), Hormel, Kingan (large logo), Oscar Mayer (larger logo), Union Refrigerator Transit (URTX marks), and Wilson. Also available undecorated (assembled single car). Barber S-1 trucks with insulated, blackened turned-metal wheelsets; see-through brake platforms; separate, factory-applied grab irons and ladders; and Macdonald-Cartier couplers. Single car, $49.95; four-pack, $199.80; and Swift War Bonds two-pack, $99.90. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
Bethgon coal gondola. Burlington Northern, Union Pacific, American Electrical Power Co., BNSF Ry., Conrail, and CSX. Six road numbers per scheme. Simplified brake rigging, printing, and lettering; ASF Motion Control 100-ton trucks; and 36” machined metal wheels. Detail kit (includes metal grab irons, couplers cut levers, trainline hoses, and more) and coal loads (offset and symmetrical) sold separately. $21.99. Operator Line. ScaleTrains.com Inc., 423-299-3689, scaletrains.com
G52X coal gondola. Conrail (gray in one road number and Oxide Red in 24 numbers). Separately, factory-applied brake cylinder and arm, air reservoir, control valve, brake wheel, brake wheel housing, brake wheel housing rod, and wire form brake wheel housing rod guide; photo-etched metal see-through crossover platforms; die-cast metal center sill and end frame floors with integral coupler box; and body-mounted Type E knuckle couplers. Coal load (offset and symmetrical) sold separately. $32.99. Rivet Counter line. ScaleTrains.com Inc., 423-299-3689, scaletrains.com
Despatch Shops Inc. and St. Louis Car Co. bay-window cabooses. Despatch Shops Inc.: Penn Central (1975+ class N7 green repaint, four road numbers), Boston & Albany (1949+ brown with white logo, two numbers), Conrail (1976+ class N 7 blue repaint and 1979+ N7 blue repaint, two numbers each), and New York Central (1964+ Lot 782 Century Green repaint with large NYC herald, four numbers). St. Louis Car Co.: Alton & Southern (1981+ red repaint scheme, one number), Illinois Terminal (1953+ Target Red [two numbers], 1960+ Green Oval scheme repaint [one number], and 1979+ green repaint with “The Road of Personalized Services” slogan [one number]). Also available as undecorated kit (1963+ NYC, PC, and early CR; 1975+ ITC and Norfolk & Western; and 1979+ CR). Prototype-specific details, 70-ton Gould solid-bearing or 70-ton Gould roller-bearing trucks with separate brake beam parts, and Kadee scale couplers. $114.95. Tangent Scale Models, 828-279-6106, tangentscalemodels.com
American Car & Foundry 50-foot boxcar with exterior posts. Burlington Northern (Railbox patchout); Green Bay & Western (yellow); Railbox (yellow and black); Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac (blue and silver); Southern Ry. (brown with “Serves the South” and “Gives a Green Light to Innovation” slogans); and Wisconsin Central (maroon). Four road numbers per scheme. Injection-molded plastic body with 33” RP-25 contour metal wheelsets, and Proto-Max metal couplers. $31.98. November 2021. WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
N scale freight cars
Three-window offset-cupola double-sheathed caboose. Burlington Northern (green and yellow); Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (orange and green); Grand Trunk & Western (orange and brown); Soo Line (red and black); Union Pacific (yellow and red); and Western Pacific (orange and silver). Two road numbers per scheme. Molded truss rods with turnbuckles, clear window glazing, and body-mounted McHenry couplers. $34.99. October 2022. Athearn N. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
48-foot cushion coil car. Chessie System (Chesapeake & Ohio reporting marks), BNSF Ry. (Oxide Red with post-2005 herald), Conrail (brown with gray Norfolk Southern hoods), Chicago & North Western (green body with yellow hoods), Illinois Central (black), Indiana Harbor Belt (black and orange), and Norfolk Southern (gray Protect II scheme). Three road numbers per scheme. Die-cast metal body and two rounded hoods with stacking frames. $32.95. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, atlasrr.com
Greenville 100-ton hopper. New paint schemes: Southern Pacific (Golden West Service patchout), Arizona Eastern (Oxide Red), Dolese (yellow), Helm-Pacific Leasing (black), Southern Ry. (black), and Vulcan Materials Co. (black). Three road numbers per scheme. Roller-bearing trucks, plastic wheelsets, and Accumate couplers. $30.95. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, atlasrr.com
North American Car Co. 50-foot insulated boxcar. Delaware & Hudson (yellow and blue); Ashley, Drew & Northern (green and black); Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern (brown); Sexton Foods (orange and silver); White House Apple Sauce (yellow, green, and red); Mountain Pine Lumber Limited (blue); and Quaker Oats Co. (blue). Two road numbers per scheme; also available undecorated. Injection-molded plastic model with roller-bearing trucks and knuckle couplers. $26.95. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, atlasrr.com
National Steel Car 60-foot high-cube double-plug-door boxcar. TTX (yellow-and-black scheme with modern and black-and-white logos and pink “On Track for a Cure” [single car only]), Canadian National (Mineral Red with “wet noodle” herald and website), CSX (dark blue), and Union Pacific (Mineral Red with shield herald and reporting marks). Three-packs only unless noted. Separate, factory-applied ends ladders and door bars; see-through etched-metal crossover platform; body-mounted couplers with blackened trip pins; and 36” metal wheels mounted on plastic axles. Single car, $59.95; three-pack, $119.95. Micro-Trains will donate 10 percent of the proceeds of every car sold to the breast cancer fund of the American Cancer Society. Micro-Trains, 541-535-1755, micro-trains.com
Club offerings
J.R. Short Milling Co. Pullman-Standard 4,750-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper. Accurail HO scale kit custom-decorated for the Kankakee Model Railroad Club. Kit, $30; assembled with Kadee couplers, $35. Shipping $6 per car. Check or money order to KMRC. Kankakee Model Railroad Club, 197 S. East Ave., Kankakee, IL 60901.
