News & Products for the week of December 23rd 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 December 23rd 2024.
HO scale trains sets
Bachmann Acela II train set
Price: $799
Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com
Acela II train set features:
- Includes motorized and non-motorized power cars, first class car, cafe car, and business class quiet car and prototypical interiors with interior illumination
- Features prototypical articulated coupling system
- Includes 81″ x 45″ oval of nickel silver concrete tie E-Z Track
- Additional business class cars sold separately
Release date: Available now
Road names: Amtrak
HO scale locomotives
Athearn Genesis Electro-Motive Division SD60 diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $269.99; with DCC and sound, $369.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division SD60 features:
- Rounded or blunt anticlimbers with or without MU cutouts per prototype
- Single or dual conduit fans per prototype
- Full cab interior
Release date: May 2025
Road names: Burlington Northern, Canadian National, Conrail, Norfolk Southern, Soo Line, and Union Pacific.
HO scale freight cars
Athearn Berwick 60-foot boxcar
Price: $43.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Berwick 60-foot boxcar features:
- Separately applied wire grab irons and etched end platforms
- Detailed underbody includes full brake gear
Release date: April 2026
Road names: Conrail, Norfolk & Western, Norfolk Southern, Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific.
ClassOneModelWorks General Steel Castings heavy duty flatcars
Price: $79.99
Manufacturer: ClassOneModelWorks.com, 8610 NW 107th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64153; 816-243-0044; ClassOneModelWorks.com
General Steel Castings heavy duty flatcars features:
- Road-specific details include curved deck hole fillers and wrap-around decking curves
- Under deck air brake piping
- Stirrups and grab irons at each corner of the cars
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Atlantic Coast Line; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Central of Georgia; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Delaware & Hudson; Lehigh Valley; Louisville & Nashville; New York Central; Penn Central; Reading Railroad; Southern Pacific; Saint Louis Southwest; Wabash; and Union Pacific.
Rapido AAR 40-foot boxcar
Price: $54.95; six-pack, $329.70
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
AAR 40-foot boxcar features:
- Multiple end, roof, and door variations
- Detailed underbody
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Florida East Coast, Lancaster & Chester, Northern Pacific, and Ontario Northland.
WalthersMainline 45-foot logging flatcar
Price: $31.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
45-foot logging flatcar features:
- Four separately applied heavy-duty log cradles
Release date: Winter 2025
Road names: Burlington Northern, Georgia Pacific, Milwaukee Road, Northern Pacific, Southern Pacific, and St. Maries River Railroad.
WalthersMainline AAR 50-foot single door boxcar
Price: $34.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
AAR 50-foot single door boxcar features:
- Eight-foot Youngstown door
- AAR tab side sills
- Detailed underbody includes AB brake
- Stanray diagonal panel roof
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Winter 2025
Road names: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Baltimore & Ohio; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Erie; New York Central; Northern Pacific; Pennsylvania; and Wabash.
Z scale Freight car
American Z Line 4180 Airflow covered hoppers
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 7805 Dublin Rd., Dublin, OH 43017; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
4180 Airflow covered hoppers features:
- Two- and four-packs available
Release date: To be announced
Road names: BNSF, Southern Pacific, and St. Louis Southwestern.
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.
