News & Products for the week of June 16th 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 June 16th, 2025.
HO scale locomotives
Rapido General Electric E44 electric locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $389.95; with ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, $499.95
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 382 High St., Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
General Electric E44 features:
- Operating pantographs (DCC only)
- Road-number-specific details
- Three styles of roof vents
- Various vent hoods as appropriate
- Three styles of hood doors and end doors
- Full cab interior with lighted consoles
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Amtrak, Conrail, Penn Central, and Pennsylvania RR.
WalthersMainline General Electric ES44AC GEVO diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $195.98; with ESU Sound and DCC, $260.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
General Electric ES44AC GEVO features:
- Molded drill starter points for grab irons
- Prototype-specific trucks (three styles)
- Factory-installed speaker in DC and DCC versions
- Six powered axles per unit
- Two- or four-vent dynamic brake vent, per prototype
Release date: Winter 2026
Road names: BNSF Ry., CSX (Baltimore & Ohio, Chesapeake & Ohio, Chessie System, and Pere Marquette heritage units), CPKC, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific.
HO scale rolling stock
ScaleTrains Rivet Counter HypoTypical Bethlehem Steel Co. F68BH “finger rack” flatcar
Price: $52.99
Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Rd. NE, Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com
Bethlehem Steel Co. F68BH “finger rack” flatcar features:
- Fully assembled
- Factory-applied finger rack details
- Underbody brake system with separately applied parts including air reservoir, control valve, reduction relay valve, and retainer valve
- Die-cast metal semi-scale couplers
Release date: November 2025
Road names: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Burlington Northern; Chessie System; Conrail; and Trailer Train.
G scale accessories
Preiser mushroom pickers
Price: $58.99
Manufacturer: Paul M. Preiser GmbH, Am Ruhbach 2, 91628, Steinsfeld, Germany, 09861/94800; info@preiserfiguren.de; preiserfiguren.de
Mushroom pickers features:
- Hand-painted plastic figures
- Three-pack
Release date: Available now
Z scale rolling stock
American Z Line AAR 40-foot modified 1937 boxcar
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 7805 Dublin Rd., Dublin, OH 43017; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
AAR 40-foot modified 1937 boxcar features:
- Etched-metal running boards
- Positionable doors
- Blackened metal wheels
- AutoLatch couplers
- Single car and two-pack
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy.
Books
SilverLake Images Plymouth Locomotives Volume Three: Gasoline Locomotives
Price: $35
Manufacturer: SilverLake Images LLC, available from Ron’s Books, P.O. Box 714, Harrison, NY 10528; 914-967-7541; ronsbooks.com
Plymouth Locomotives Volume Three: Gasoline Locomotives features:
- 86-page softcover book
- Reproduction of catalogs from Plymouth Locomotives
Release date: Available now
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.
