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 October 7, 2021.
HO scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division GP7 diesel locomotive. Great Northern (simplified orange-and-green scheme); Bangor & Aroostook (blue and yellow in two road numbers, American Revolution Bicentennial in one number); Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf (red, white, and black, one number); Midland Valley (black, red, and white, one number); Pennsylvania (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel); and St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco, Mandarin orange and white [freight unit in two numbers, dual-service unit in one number]). Three numbers per scheme unless noted. Wire grab irons, Celcon handrails, and full cab interior. Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector for Digital Command Control decoder, $219.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 sound decoder, $319.99. November 2022. Genesis series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
HO scale freight cars
FMC 5,283-cubic-foot capacity double-door boxcar with exterior posts. BNSF Ry. (Oxide Red); Burlington Northern (Cascade Green, herald-over-stripes scheme); Canadian National (Oxide Red with CNA reporting marks); Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern Ry. (dark blue with “Ply-Pak Equipped” stencil); and Southern Pacific (brown with plain lettering and speed lettering with “Hydra-Cushion” stencil). Three road numbers per scheme. Separate, factory-applied brake wheel; RP-25 contour metal wheelsets; and McHenry couplers. $34.99. November 2022. Roundhouse line. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Bethlehem 3,737-cubic-foot capacity four-bay covered hopper. Indianapolis Power & Light (1973 as-delivered scheme in 12 road numbers or 1975 as-delivered scheme in six numbers), Missouri Pacific (1980 as-delivered scheme, nine numbers), and Union Pacific (1985 repaint with Missouri Pacific reporting marks, one number). Also available as undecorated kit. Wire uncoupling levers, grab irons, brake rods, and lever hangers; Kadee no. 158 scale couplers; 100-ton ASF Ride Control trucks with machined metal wheelsets; and two load styles. $48.99. ExactRail, 866-945-1701, exactrail.com
4,750-cubic-foot capacity three-bay covered hopper. New paint schemes: St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco, pre-merger green scheme), Canadian National (Oxide Red with Chicago Central reporting marks, “wet noodle” herald, and web address), Chicago & North Western (green with separate logo plate), Illinois Central Gulf (orange and black with reporting marks only), Missouri Pacific (gray with screaming eagle herald), Morrison-Quirk Grain Corp. (gray), North American Chemical Co. (DGHX reporting marks), and Rocky Mountain Brokerage (green and black, five road numbers). New road numbers: Terminal Grain, Sioux City, Iowa (white and black) and Rock Island (blue). Six numbers per scheme unless noted. Metal wheelsets, knuckle couplers, and etched metal running boards. $46.95. Release date to be announced. InterMountain Railway Co., 303-772-1901, intermountain-railway.com
Union Tank Car Co. 10,000-gallon X-3 tank car. Atlantic Refining (black and yellow), Eastman Chemical (black and yellow), Northern Pacific (black and white, three road numbers), Procor Limited (black and yellow), Products Tank Car (black and yellow), Seaboard Air Line (black and white, three road numbers), and Union Tank Car (1920s, 1930s, and 1950s schemes). Six to 12 numbers per scheme unless noted, also available undecorated (AB and K brake versions). Metal wheelsets, AB or K brakes as appropriate, and semi-scale couplers. Single car, 54.95; three-pack, $164.85; and six-pack, $329.70. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
89-foot channel-side flatcar. Trailer Train (1960s brown 40-foot trailer service with TTX reporting marks, 1960s brown with “Twin 45” stencil and KTTX marks, yellow 40-foot trailer service with TTX marks, yellow with “Twin 45” stencil and KTTX marks, and yellow general service with JTTX marks). Four road numbers per scheme. Die-cast metal underframe, 70-ton roller-bearing trucks with 33” RP-25 contour turned-metal wheelsets, and Proto-Max metal couplers. $31.98. December 2021. WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
HO scale structures
Electrical equipment box kit. Laser-cut acrylic kit. Measures 1-9/16” x 1-1/16” x 1-1/8”. $7.95 Summit USA, 337-436-8481, summit-customcuts.com
N scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division SD45-2 diesel locomotive. BNSF Ry. (orange and black post-2005 herald in three road numbers and blue-and-yellow warbonnet); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (“Kodachrome” scheme in three numbers and blue-and-yellow warbonnet); Clinchfield (black and yellow); Erie Lackawanna (gray, maroon, and yellow); Pan Am Railways (dark blue with Maine Central reporting marks in three numbers); and Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern (yellow and green in two numbers). Four numbers per scheme unless noted. Injection-molded plastic with directional headlights, plastic handrails, and clear window glazing. Direct-current model, $139.95; with Digital Command Control motor and light decoder, $219.95; and with DCC sound decoder, $249.95. Release date to be announced. InterMountain Railway Co., 303-772-1901, intermountain-railway.com
N scale freight cars
2,600-cubic-foot capacity Airslide covered hopper. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (two single cars in 1955 scheme and two-pack in 1980s repaint); General American (as-delivered scheme, two single cars, and two-pack); Rock Island (gray with block lettering); Seaboard Coast Line (black); St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco, gray with billboard lettering); and Southern Pacific (gray with billboard lettering). Three single cars per scheme unless noted. Gravity or gravity-pneumatic outlets, solid- or roller-bearing trucks as appropriate, and see-through metal running boards. Single car, $37.99; two-pack, $62.99. November 2022. Athearn N. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
N scale structures
Lowe’s home improvement center low-relief kit. Laser-cut styrene and acrylic kit with building-mounted signs, street sign, and clear acrylic window glazing. Measures 12-3/4” x 2” x 2-7/8”. $54.95. Summit USA, 337-436-8481, summit-customcuts.com
Weathering supplies
PanPastel Rust & Earth Weathering Colors set. Includes seven colors, a palette tray, and Sofft application tools (one knife, five knife covers, and two sponge bars). $54.99. Produced by PanPastel, available from Kalmbach Hobby Store, KalmbachHobbyStore.com
Magazines
EMD at 100 special issue from Trains magazine. Features the 100-year history of Electro-Motive. Provides an in-depth look at key locomotives in EMD’s history, such as the E7, F7, GP7, and SD40. 92 pages. Print and digital versions, $9.95 each; print and digital combo, $14.95. Digital editions are compatible with PC, Macintosh, Android via Google Play app, iOS via App Store, and Win8 devices. Kalmbach Hobby Store, KalmbachHobbyStore.com
Favorite Projects special issue from Model Railroader magazine. Features how-to articles by 16 of today’s best modelers, including Pelle Søeborg, Cody Grivno, Lou Sassi, Larry Puckett, and more. Includes articles on benchwork, track, wiring, Digital Command Control, scenery, structures, and rolling stock. 84 pages. Print and digital versions, $9.99 each; print and digital combo, $14.99. Digital editions are compatible with PC, Macintosh, Android via Google Play app, iOS via App Store, and Win8 devices. Kalmbach Hobby Store, KalmbachHobbyStore.com
