News & Products for the week of April 7th 2025
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 7th, 2025.
HO scale locomotives
Athearn Genesis Electro-Motive Division GP49 diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $249.99; with DCC and sound, $349.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division GP49 features:
- Details include coupler cut levers, lift rings, walkway tread, windshield wipers, sanding lines, and wire grab irons
- Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, and breather pipes
- See-through cab windows and full cab interior
- Etched metal fan grilles
- Also available in Athearn “USA 250th Anniversary” paint scheme
Release date: November 2026
Road names: Boston & Maine, Ferrocarriles Nacionales de México, and Norfolk Southern.
HO scale passenger equipment
WalthersProto 85-foot heavyweight paired window coach
Price: $109.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
85-foot heavyweight paired window coach features:
- Detailed interior with factory-equipped overhead Light-Emitting Diode (LED) illumination
- Factory-installed grab irons
- Detailed underbody includes separate brake gear, steam traps, and generator
- Also available unlettered in green paint scheme
Release date: Fall 2025
Road names: Chesapeake & Ohio, Milwaukee Road, New York Central, and Union Pacific.
HO scale rolling stock
InterMountain Railway Evans 100-ton angled head coil car
Price: $49.95
Manufacturer: InterMountain Railway Company, P.O. Box 839, Longmont, Colorado, 80502, 800-472-2530, intermountain@intermountain-railway.com, intermountain-railway.com
Evans 100-ton angled head coil car features:
- Etched metal walkways
- Operating metal knuckle couplers
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Burlington Northern Santa Fe; Chesapeake & Ohio; Chicago & Northwestern; Conrail; CSX; Detroit, Toledo & Ironton; Illinois Central; and Reading.
Rapido National Steel Car 73-foot centerbeam flatcar
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
National Steel Car 73-foot centerbeam flatcar features:
- Factory-installed rubber air hoses, metal grab irons, and coupler lift bars
- Road specific details include six truck types
- See-through eroded metal crossover platforms
- Detailed underbodies include brake piping
Release date: 2026
Road names: Trailer Train, BC Rail, Canadian National, Copper Basin Railway, Ontario Northland, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, and Wisconsin Central.
Tangent Scale Models Gantt Manufacturing Company bay window caboose
Price: $134.95
Manufacturer: Tangent Scale Models, P.O. Box 6514, Asheville, NC 28816; 828-412-3886; tangentscalemodels.com
Gantt Manufacturing Company bay window caboose features:
- Road-specific details include multiple body, roof, underframe detail, and truck combinations
- Stanray “terminating” diagonal panel roof
- Underbody details include brake system with brake rods and piping, release rod, and toilet air flush system
- Side wire curved grab irons
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Available now
Road names: Norfolk Southern, and Southern Ry.
HO scale structures
Menards Sinclair Station
Price: $39.99
Manufacturer: Menards; menards.com
Sinclair Station features:
- Fully assembled and decorated
- Includes two vehicles
Release date: Available now
WalthersCornerstone plastic pellet plant
Price: $99.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Plastic pellet plant features:
- Large brick and metal processing structure with truck-loading doors, front office doors and windows, and rooftop air conditioners
- Four tall storage silos
- Loading rack with piping for two railroad cars
- Overhead walkways
- Molded in six colors
Release date: Spring 2025
N scale freight cars
Rapido National Steel Car 73-foot centerbeam flatcar
Price: Single car, $44.95; six-pack, $269.70
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
National Steel Car 73-foot centerbeam flatcar features:
- Road-specific details include deck configurations and truss configurations
- Detailed underbody include brake piping
Release date: 2026
Road names: Trailer Train, BC Rail, Canadian National, Copper Basin Railway, Ontario Northland, BNSF, Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, and Wisconsin Central.
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 e-mail Senior Editor Cody Grivno at cody.grivno@firecrown.com and Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy at bryson.sleppy@firecrown.com for more information.
