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 December 9, 2021.
HO scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division SD70-series diesel locomotives. SD70M: Union Pacific (“We Are One” scheme, one road number; lightning stripe scheme with Harbor Mist Gray trucks; and lightning stripe scheme with silver trucks and green anti-skid material on top of nose, one number). SD70: Norfolk Southern (black and white with diagonal stripes on sill), Denver & Rio Grande Western (fictional orange-and-black scheme with “Flying Grande” lettering, two numbers), and Illinois Central (fictional orange-and-white and black with green diamond herald schemes, two numbers each). SD75I: Canadian National (red, white, and black with “wet noodle” herald). Detailed and painted cab interior with control stand, display screens, and crew seats; factory-installed wire grab irons; and McHenry lower-shelf couplers. Direct-current model with 21-pin connector, $234.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 sound decoder, $334.99. January 2023. Genesis series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
HO scale freight cars
Celtran Inc. ethylene refrigerated liquid tank car no. 268. Kit includes cast-resin and 3-D printed parts, assembly hardware, decals, and photo-illustrated instructions but not trucks or couplers. $34.99 plus shipping. Concept Models, con-sys.com
FMC 5,327-cubic-foot capacity boxcar with 12-foot plug door. East Camden & Highland (as-delivered scheme); Chattahoochee Industrial RR (1999 Oxide Red repaint in three numbers and as-delivered gray scheme); Green Bay & Western (East Camden & Highland patchout, three numbers); Laurinburg & Southern (green with gray and blue patches, one number); Minnesota, Dakota & Western (1993 green repaint); and Quebec Central (East Camden & Highland and New Orleans Public Belt RR patchouts, one number each). Six numbers per scheme unless noted; also available as ready-to-run undecorated model. American Steel Foundries 100-ton Ride Control trucks, CNC-machined 36” metal wheelsets, and Kadee no. 58 couplers. $42.99. Evolution Series. ExactRail, 866-945-1701, exactrail.com
Railgon 53-foot gondola. Baltimore & Ohio (Railgon patchout), Conrail (Oxide Red with “can opener” and “Quality” heralds), CSX (black and yellow), Delaware & Hudson (black), Railgon (as-delivered scheme, eight road numbers), and Soo Line (brown with billboard lettering). Four numbers per scheme unless noted. Injection-molded plastic with 100-ton roller-bearing trucks, 36” turned-metal wheelsets, and Proto-Max metal couplers. $31.98. January 2022. WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
60-foot high-cube double-plug-door Plate F boxcar. BNSF Ry. (Oxide Red with post-2005 herald), Canadian National (Oxide Red with “wet noodle” herald, website, and DWC reporting marks), TTX (Union Pacific Freight Car Red patchout, yellow with black-and-white logo, and yellow with modern logo), and Union Pacific (Freight Car Red with shield herald). Four road numbers per paint scheme. Separate, factory-applied latch bars; X and diagonal roof panels; 70-ton roller-bearing trucks with 33” turned-metal wheelsets; and Proto-Max couplers. $34.98. January 2022. WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
HO scale details and accessories
Factory-painted 33” nickel-plated insulated wheelsets. Contoured back, .110” tread, and 1.005” axle length. Suitable for trucks from Moloco, Arrowhead Models, ExactRail, InterMountain Railway Co., Kadee Quality Products Co., Tangent Scale Models, and some Athearn. Twelve-pack, $15.99. Moloco, molocotrains.com
N scale locomotives
Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy steam locomotive. 1941 scheme with as-delivered aftercooler and 25-C-100 coal tender in three road numbers, 1944 scheme with Wilson aftercooler and 25-C-400 coal tender in three numbers, “The Big Boy Tour” excursion with standard finish and Challenger excursion tender, “Promontory Excursion” with glossy finish and Challenger excursion tender, two-tone gray and aluminum with Wilson aftercooler and 25-C-400 coal tender, and two-tone gray and yellow with Wilson aftercooler and 25-C-40 coal tender. One number per scheme unless noted. Dual-mode Paragon 4 sound decoder with Rolling Thunder, operating smoke unit with on/off switch, and die-cast metal body and chassis. $599.99. November/December 2022. Broadway Limited Imports, 386-673-8900, broadway-limited.com
Z scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive. New paint scheme: Conrail (blue with “can opener” herald). Two road numbers. Prototype-specific details, traction tires, blackened-metal wheels, directional light-emitting-diode headlights, and AutoLatch couplers. Includes adapters for replacing AutoLatch couples with Micro-Trains no. 905 couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Z scale freight cars
General American 1917 8,000-gallon tank car. New paint scheme: Gibson Wine Co. (silver and black). Seven road numbers (single car, two-pack, and four-pack). Injection-molded plastic with vertical brake staff, metal wheels, and AutoLatch couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Tools
65-watt soldering station with digital temperature control. Includes DCS-AT689A soldering station, solder stand and sponge, Sapphire 179 super versatile solder, 30ml Sapphire No-Clean flux, and medium C-type spare tip. Ideal for soldering Digital Command Control decoders, general circuit work, re-wiring locomotives, and building brass kits. $88.90. Price may vary based on exchange rate. DCC Concepts, +44 (0)1729 821080, dccconcepts.com
