Product news
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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 11, 2021.
HO scale freight cars
American Car & Foundry 5,250-cubic-foot-capacity four-bay covered hopper. Archer Daniels Midland (gray); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (brown with billboard lettering); Seaboard Coast Line (yellow with Family Lines herald); Kodak (gray); Plexiglas (gray); Union Pacific (gray with shield herald, “Building America” slogan, and Chicago & North Western reporting marks); and Western Pacific (gray with Feather River Route” herald). Three road numbers per scheme. Round or trough hatches; separate, factory-applied brake wheel; and body-mounted McHenry couplers. $34.99. Roundhouse line. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Fruit Growers Express 57-foot mechanical refrigerator car. BNSF Ry. (Oxide Red with Western Fruit Express lettering), Burlington Northern (Primed for Grime Frisco patchout in one road number, yellow in two road numbers, and green with Western Fruit Express lettering), Fruit Growers Express (tan with “Solid Cold” lettering), Santa Fe Leasing (Primed for Grime Fruit Growers Express patchouts), St. Louis-San Francisco (yellow with “Ship it on the Frisco” slogan), and Union Pacific (white with “Union Pacific Chilled Express” lettering and ARMN reporting marks). Three numbers per scheme unless noted. Prototype-specific details, see-through screens on genset end, and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Without sound, $69.99 (Primed for Grime, $74.99); with SoundTraxx sound, $109.99 (Primed for Grime, $114.99). March 2022. Genesis series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
National Steel Car barrel ore hoppers. 35-foot car: Canadian National (Mineral Brown and Scale Test Car [single car and three-pack]) and Ontario Northland (Progressive Green). 42-foot car: Canadian National (Mineral Brown) and Ontario Northland (Chevron scheme). Also available undecorated in both body styles. Detailed underbody including all separate air and brake piping, 100-ton Barber S-2 trucks with metal wheels, prototype-specific details, see-through etched-metal end platforms, factory-installed grab irons, and Kadee no. 158 couplers. $59.95 each; three-pack, $179.85; and six-pack, $359.70. 2022 delivery. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
HO scale details and accessories
Electric substation. Factory-assembled and painted with control building and modeler-installed signs. Additional factory-applied details include insulators, cables, and circuit breaker. Measures 6-11/16” x 4-5/8” x 4-5/16”. $114.99. Woodland Scenics, 573-346-5555, woodlandscenics.com
Utility poles. Factory-wired with hand-painted and weathered poles with guy wires and other details. Single crossbar, $19.99; double-crossbar, $24.99; and transformer connect set, $14.99. Woodland Scenics, 573-346-5555, woodlandscenics.com
N scale freight cars
Fruit Growers Express 57-foot mechanical refrigerator car. Fruit Growers Express (tan with “Solid Cold” lettering), BNSF Ry. (Oxide Red with Western Fruit Express lettering), Burlington Northern (Primed for Grime Frisco patchout in one road number, yellow in two road numbers, and green with Western Fruit Express lettering), Santa Fe Leasing (Primed for Grime Fruit Growers Express patchouts), St. Louis-San Francisco (yellow with “Ship it on the Frisco” slogan), and Union Pacific (white with “Union Pacific Chilled Express” lettering and ARMN reporting marks). Three numbers per scheme unless noted. Prototype-specific details, 100-ton roller-bearing trucks with 36” machined metal wheels, and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Without sound, $39.99 (Primed for Grime, $44.99); with SoundTraxx sound, $79.99 (Primed for Grime, $84.99). March 2022. Athearn N. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
International Car Co. bay-window caboose. Phase 4: Burlington Northern (January 2007 repaint and with herald on left side of bay window, one number each), Soo Line (Milwaukee Road patchout), Southern Pacific (brown with orange bay window, three numbers). Phase 3: Chicago & North Western (red with yellow lettering), Norfolk & Western (red post-1971 scheme), and Rock Island (red and black with block-style lettering). Phase 2: Chicago & Eastern Illinois (red with buzzsaw herald) and Louisville & Nashville (red and yellow). Phase 1: Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis (red) and Southern Ry. (red and black with yellow Roman lettering). Half bay-window: Conrail (red shared assets scheme) and New York Central (Safety Green with “New York CentrALERT” lettering). Two numbers per scheme unless noted. Fox Valley Models metal wheels, wire grab irons, and clear window glazing. $39.95. Bluford Shops, bluford-shops.com
Pullman-Standard 4,427-cubic-foot-capacity high-side covered hoppers. Cargill (yellow and black), Chessie System (yellow and blue with Baltimore & Ohio reporting marks), CSX (six paint schemes, one number each), Missouri-Kansas-Texas (red scheme in four numbers, green scheme in two numbers), Northern Pacific (gray), and Rock Island (blue). Six numbers per scheme unless noted. Body-mounted couplers, etched-metal grab irons and running board, and 100-ton trucks with Fox Valley Models metal wheels. $32.95. First quarter 2022. Trainworx, 970-874-9747, train-worx.com
N scale details and accessories
New Look Bus. Boston; GO Transit; Montreal; New York City (two schemes); Toronto (two schemes); Santa Monica, Calif.; and painted but unlettered (four colors and all silver). Full underbody detail including fuel tank, cabling, and engine detail; early (5303) rear engine door style; left-side emergency exit door; interior with drivers controls, passenger seats, and grooved flooring; three bumper styles; and working headlights and taillights (powered by 9-12V DC power supply, not included). $34.95 (GO Transit, $39.95). Early 2022 delivery. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
Electric substation. Factory-assembled and painted with control building and modeler-installed signs. Additional factory-applied details include insulators, cables, and circuit breaker. Measures 3-5/8” x 2-5/8” x 2-3/8”. $69.99. Woodland Scenics, 573-346-5555, woodlandscenics.com
Utility poles. Factory-wired with hand-painted and weathered poles with guy wires and other details. Single crossbar, $19.99; double-crossbar, $24.99; and transformer connect set, $14.99. Woodland Scenics, 573-346-5555, woodlandscenics.com
O scale details and accessories
Utility poles. Factory-wired with hand-painted and weathered poles with guy wires and other details. Single crossbar, $24.99; double-crossbar, $29.99; and transformer connect set, $19.99. Woodland Scenics, 573-346-5555, woodlandscenics.com
Z scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division GP38-2 diesel locomotive. Union Pacific. One road number. 7mm coreless motor with dual flywheels, traction tires, standard printed-circuit board, directional light-emitting-diode headlights, and AutoLatch couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Z scale freight cars
General American 1917 8,000-gallon non-insulated tank car. Roma Wine. Three road numbers (single car and two-pack). Solid-bearing trucks, metal wheels, add-on parts, and AutoLatch couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Pacific Fruit Express class R-70-20 mechanical refrigerator car. Seven road numbers (four-pack, two-pack, and single car). Metal wheels and AutoLatch couplers. American Z Line, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com
Decals
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac 9000-series Thrall 54-foot covered hopper decals. HO scale. Includes road name, spelled out and block letter abbreviated RF&P heralds, road numbers, dimensional and capacity data, consolidated lube plates, wheel inspection dots, and Kartrak Automatic Car Identification labels. Includes bonus two-bay 55-ton covered hopper lettering. Set completes one each Thrall 54-foot and 55-ton covered hopper. $4.99 postpaid. Virginia residents please add sales tax. PayPal accepted. Bill Mosteller, Great Decals, 3306 Parkside Terrace, Fairfax, VA 22031; greatdecals.com
