General Electric U25B diesel locomotive. Burlington Northern (Great Northern Big Sky Blue patchout, Phases IIb and IV in one number each); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (blue-and-yellow warbonnet, Phase IIa in three numbers); Chesapeake & Ohio (solid blue merger renumbering, Phase IIa); Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (Chinese Red and gray, Phase IIb); Chessie System (with Chesapeake & Ohio reporting marks, Phase IIa in three numbers); Louisville & Nashville (gray and yellow, Phase IIa in three numbers); New York, New Haven & Hartford (black, white, and orange scheme, Phase IV in one number and Phase IIb); Penn Central (New Haven Phase IIb and IV patchouts, black Phase III with red-and-white “worm” herald, and black Phase IV with all white “worm” herald, one number each); Pennsylvania RR (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel, Phase III); Rock Island (red and yellow with billboard lettering and maroon and yellow, both Phase IV); and Wabash (blue and yellow, Phase IIa in three numbers). Two numbers per scheme unless noted. New scale 9’-4” Association of American Railroads Type B trucks and gearbox, metal m.u. hoses, and nickel silver RP-25 contour metal wheels. Direct-current model with 21-pin plug for Digital Command Control decoder, $199.95; with LokSound Select Digital Command Control sound decoder, $299.95. Fall 2020. Executive Line. Bowser Manufacturing Co. Inc., 570-368-2379, bowser-trains.com
40-foot stockcar. Canadian National (Boxcar Red), Canadian Pacific (Oxide Red and white), Northern Pacific (“Pig Palace” placard), Pennsylvania RR (circle keystone), Union Pacific (Armour Yellow with silver roof and ends), and Wabash (Boxcar Red). Seven road numbers (three single cars and one four-pack) per scheme. Separate, factory-applied end details and brake wheel, RP-25 contour wheels, and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Single car, $28.98; four-pack, $109.98. November 2020. Roundhouse line. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Hartly-Wright Sign Co. Craftsman kit includes laser-cut clapboard, scribed and corrugated walls, Tichy Train Group doors and windows, and instructions. $65. Nick & Nora Designs, 302-229-6010, nickandnoradesigns.com
General Steel Castings 53-foot bulkhead flatcar. BNSF Ry. (Oxide Red), British Columbia Ry. (dark green), Burlington Northern (Cascade Green), Illinois Central Gulf (orange, four road numbers), Soo Line (black and white with Colormark lettering, four numbers), Trailer Train (early), and Union Pacific (Armour Yellow). Six numbers (three single cars and one three-pack) per scheme unless noted. Separate, factory-applied brake wheel, 50-ton solid-bearing or 70-ton roller-bearing trucks as appropriate, and screw-mounted trucks. Single car, $31.98; three-pack, $90.98. November 2020. AthearnN. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Stoughton 53-foot intermodal container. APL (APCU reporting marks), BNSF Ry. (blue-and-green circle-cross herald with HUBU marks), Dart (“The Dart Advantage” slogan with DRTU marks), DRT (DRBU marks), EMP (EMHU marks), Ferromex (FXEU marks), Hub Group Inc. (UPHU marks), J.B. Hunt (JBBU marks), NACS (NCDU marks), QuikTrax (QTXU marks), Schneider (orange with SNLU marks), Stax (STXU marks), and USA Trucks (BNUU marks). Injection-molded plastic. Three-pack, $35.98. November 2020. AthearnN. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
1:43 scale vehicles. Austin Healy (green), New Mini (black with British flag and orange convertible), new VW Beetle (yellow convertible and metallic green), original VW Beetle (matte black and white, Herbie, light blue and white, and orange), and VW T1 pickup (orange and cream and green and blue). $12.95 each. First quarter 2020. Produced by Cararama, available from Atlas O, 908-687-0880, atlasrr.com
Searchlight signals. Single- and double-head with Union Switch & Signal cabinet (based on Union Pacific prototypes) and single- and double-head without cabinet (based on Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and Southern Pacific prototypes). Signals feature three color H2-style searchlight heads and integrated mini-plug connector for use with Atlas All Scales Signal System. System control boards and cables available separately. Single-head signals, $41.99 each; double-head signals, $49.95 each. Third quarter 2020. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, atlasrr.com
Peel ’n’ Place tufts. Light and medium green grass tufts; red and violet flowering tufts; brown and yellow seeding tufts; brown tipped, dark green, light green, and medium green prairie grass; and light and medium green edging strips. $9.99 each. Woodland Scenics, 573-346-3768, woodlandscenics.com
90-degree bent TweezerNose pliers. For handling small parts and working in tight areas. Xuro-Rubber hand grips, blackened high-carbon steel, and internal return spring. $21.95. Xuron Corp., 207-283-1401, xuron.com
The release for the new Atlas U25b states that the DC model has a 21 pin socket for a decoder. But there is no listing as to which brand decoders will fit in the space allowed. Or is the space sufficient that any brand will fit. For instance, I found that a Soundtraxx 2 21 pin will not smoothly fit into a TCS motherboard. This information could be critical for a purchaser wanting to use a decoder other than a Loksound.