News & Products for the week of January 6th 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 January 6th, 2025.
HO scale locomotives
Athearn Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $224.99; with DCC and sound, $294.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division SW1500 features:
- Detailed cab interior
- Front and rear trainline hoses with silver glad hands
- See-through radiator intake grille and cab windows
- Low or high-mounted windshield wipers, per prototype
- Separately applied air tank
Release date: May 2026
Road names: Alton & Southern, Foster Townsend Rail Logistics, Great Northern, Indiana Harbor Belt, Illinois Terminal, Louisville & Nashville, New Orleans Public Belt, Pacific Electric, and Visalia Electric.
HO scale rolling stock
Athearn Pullman 60-foot Common Standard Postal Car
Price: Single car, $89.99; two-pack, $149.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Pullman 60-foot Common Standard Postal Car features:
- Arched overlapping roof panels with simulated rivets
- Formed wire grabs and ladder rests
- Mail slot and mail catcher arms on each side of the car
- Also available unlettered and in maintenance-of-way paint scheme
Release date: May 2026
Road names: Illinois Central, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific.
Rapido USRA double-sheathed wood boxcar
Price: Single car, $54.90; two-pack, $109.90; six-pack, $329.70
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
USRA double-sheathed wood boxcar features:
- Factory-installed metal magnetic couplers
- USRA Andrews trucks with in-line brake shoes
- KC or AB brakes, per prototype
- Detailed underbody with separate brake rods and piping
- Fully assembled
Release date: Available now
Road names: Atlantic Coast Line; Boston & Maine; Chicago & North Western; Lackawanna; Florida East Coast; Grand Trunk Western; Great Northern; Northwestern Pacific; and Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway.
WalthersMainline 40-foot 50-ton drop-bottom gondola
Price: $31.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
40-foot 50-ton drop-bottom gondola features:
- Based on USRA drop-bottom design with updated trucks and AB brakes
- Cast-in floor detail with non-operating drop bottom doors
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Winter 2025
Road names: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Chesapeake & Ohio; Milwaukee Road; New York Central; Pennsylvania; and Southern Pacific.
WalthersMainline American Car & Foundry 40-foot boxcar
Price: $34.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
American Car & Foundry 40-foot boxcar features:
- Detailed 10-panel body
- Eight-foot Youngstown doors
- Late Stanray 4/4 improved Dreadnaught ends
- Stanray diagonal panel roof
- See-through steel running boards
Release date: Winter 2025
Road names: Bangor & Aroostook; Central Railroad of New Jersey; Detroit, Toledo & Ironton; Louisville & Nashville; Norfolk & Western; Reading; and Western Pacific.
WalthersProto Russell snowplow
Price: $89.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Russell snowplow features:
- Fully assembled
- Factory-installed grab irons
- Thin profile stirrups
- Simulated window glass
- Also available undecorated and in multiple maintenance-of-way schemes
Release date: Winter 2025
Road names: Ann Arbor; Chesapeake & Ohio; Chicago Great Western; Green Mountain; New Haven; Minneapolis & St. Louis; and New York, Susquehanna & Western.
WalthersProto Southern Iron & Equipment Co. 50-foot pulpwood flatcar
Price: $44.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Southern Iron & Equipment Co. 50-foot pulpwood flatcar features:
- Separately applied ladders
- Factory-installed grab irons
- Die-cast metal frame
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Winter 2025
Road names: CSX; Georgia Railroad; Illinois Central Gulf; Norfolk Southern; Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac; and Southern.
HO scale accessories
WalthersScenemaster dry bulk trailer
Price: $31.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Transload facility – dry bulk trailer features:
- Triple compartment pneumatic tank with top access hatches, discharge and charging piping
- Standard height kingpin
- Movable wheels with metal axles
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Spring 2025
Road names: Glacier Industrial Sands; Medusa Cement Company; Polymerchants, Inc.; Red Wing Milling Co.; Theobroma, Ltd.; and Valley Growers Association.
HOn30 locomotives
Bachmann Fletcher, Jennings & Co. 0-4-2ST Talyllyn steam locomotive
Price: $179.00
Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com
Fletcher, Jennings & Co. 0-4-2ST Talyllyn features:
- Die-cast metal construction
- Working metal drivers
- International-style hook-and-loop couplers
Release date: Available now
Road names: Talyllyn Ry.
N scale rolling stock
Tangent Scale Models Trinity 4750 covered hopper
Price: $42.95
Manufacturer: Tangent Scale Models, P.O. Box 6514, Asheville, NC 28816; 828-412-3886; tangentscalemodels.com
Trinity 4750 covered hopper features:
- Road-specific details
- See-through etched metal running boards and crossover platforms
- Separate flexible rubber air hoses
Release date: Available now
Road names: BNSF, Burlington Northern, CSXT, Union Pacific, GACX, Interstate Commodities, Inc., and North American Chemical.
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.
