News & Products for the week of April 1st 2024
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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of April 1st 2024.
HO scale freight cars
Athearn 52-foot mill gondola
Price: Single car, $34.99; three-pack, $84.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
52-foot mill gondola features:
- Improved rivet and bolt details
- Corrected wire grab-iron placements
- Refined end-sheet molded-on details
Release date: July 2025
Road names: Denver, Rio Grande & Western; Burlington Northern; Canadian Pacific; Delaware & Hudson; Grand Trunk Western; and Nacionales de Mexico.
Rapido Pacific Fruit Express R-40-27 and -28 reefer
Price: Single car, $59.95; six-pack, $359.70
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
Pacific Fruit Express R-40-27 and -28 reefer features:
- Separate wire grab irons
- Road number accurate cooling fan houses
- Positionable roof hatches
- Rapido Lincoln-Washington semi-scale metal couplers
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Southern Pacific and Union Pacific (Pacific Fruit Express).
N scale freight cars
Athearn Genesis Union Tank Car 33K LPG tank car
Price: Single car, $39.99; three-pack, $104.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Union Tank Car 33K LPG tank car features:
- Photo etched metal walkways and end platforms
- Wire safety rails and end handrails
- Early, flat panel, and late body styles available
- Injection molded body
Release date: July 2025
Road names: Capital Finance, Exxon Mobil corporation, North American Tank Line, PLMX, Rocky Mountain Transportation, and Transportation Equipment Inc.
News & Products is a regular feature of Trains.com for model railroad operators and builders to get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more. Model railroad product news may include HO, N, O, S, and Z scales. Product release dates and prices will vary according to each manufacturer.
If you are a manufacturer and have new product releases, please email Senior Editor Cody Grivno at cgrivno@kalmbach.com and Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy at bsleppy@kalmbach.com for more information.
