News & Products for the week of December 25th 2023
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 25th 2023.
HO scale locomotives
Bachmann USRA light Mikado
Price: $359.00
Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com
USRA light Mikado features:
- DCC-ready with 21-pin socket
- Directional light-emitting diode lighting
- Metal drivers
Release date: Available now
Road names: Nickel Plate Road, Seaboard, and Union Pacific.
HO scale freight cars
Tangent Bethlehem Steel quad coal hopper
Price: $52.95
Manufacturer: Tangent Scale Models, P.O. Box 6514, Asheville, NC 28816; 828-412-3886; tangentscalemodels.com
Bethlehem Steel quad coal hopper features:
- Based on 3350 cubic foot prototype
- Multiple road numbers per scheme
- See-through brake step platform
- Road-specific details
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Available now
Road names: Clinchfield, Louisville & Nashville, Seaboard System/CSXT, and Wisconsin Central.
HO scale passenger cars
Rapido Comet commuter car
Price: Single coach, $119.95; single cab coach, $129.95; three-car set, $369.95
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
Comet commuter car features:
- Full interior detail including individual seats
- Tinted windows
- Controllable interior and end marker lights
- MBTA and SEPTA products have a higher cost due to licensing requirements
- Also available unlettered
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Boston MBTA, Connecticut DOT, MARC, Montreal AMT, New York Metro North, and Philadeplhia SEPTA.
HO scale caboose
Bachmann short body bay window transfer caboose
Price: $79.00
Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com
Short body bay window transfer caboose features
- New and existing tooling
- Blackened machined metal wheels
Release date: Available now
Road names: CSX, Missouri Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific.
WalthersProto Milwaukee Road rib side caboose
Price: $59.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Milwaukee Road rib side caboose features:
- Factory-installed wire grab irons, railings and ladders
- Detailed underbody with separate brake gear
- Correct Milwaukee-style trucks
Release date: Spring 2024
Road names: Milwaukee Road
HO scale details
Modern relay shed
Price: $12.00
Manufacturer: Jackson-Standard Models; 2925 Glenmere Ct., Springfield, IL 62704; 217-971-9817; www.jacksonstandard.com
Modern relay shed features:
- Represents a modern 6′ x 8′ relay shed built by the Safetrans System Corporation
Release date: Available now
Z scale locomotives
American Z Line Electro-Motive Division SD40-2
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
Electro-Motive Division SD40-2 features:
- Road-specific details include sunshades, high snowplow, corrugated radiators, exhaust silencer, prototypical antennas
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Union Pacific
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.
