News & Products for the week of July 7th 2025

News & Products for the week of July 7th 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 July 7th, 2025.

HO scale locomotives

Athearn Genesis Electro-Motive Division SD90MAC-H diesel locomotive

Price: Direct-current model, $294.99; with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $399.99

Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com

Electro-Motive Division SD90MAC-H features:

• Flexible rubber train line and m.u. hoses
• Etched-metal, see-through steps
• Full cab interior with see-through cab windows
• Detailed fuel tank with fillers, gauges, and breather pipes
• Die-cast metal frame
• Road-specific details

Release date: December 2026

Road names: Electro-Motive Division Leasing, BC Rail, Missouri-Kansas-Texas, Missouri Pacific, Rock Island, St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco), and Union Pacific.

InterMountain Railway Seaboard Coast Line GP16 diesel locomotive

Price: With ESU LokPilot non-sound Digital Command Control decoder, $269.95; with ESU LokSound sound decoder, $339.95

Manufacturer: InterMountain Railway Co., P.O. Box 839, Longmont, CO 80502; 800-472-2530; intermountain-railway.com

Seaboard Coast Line GP16 features:

• Die-cast metal chassis
• Injection-molded plastic body
• Road-specific details
• Two to six road numbers per paint scheme

Release date: To be announced

Road names: Independent Locomotive Service (BTR Grain), Canton Steel, CSX, Family Lines (Clinchfield and Seaboard Coast Line), GATX Leasing, Palmetto, Pioneer Rail (Mississippi Central and Decatur Junction), Rail Link Commonwealth Railway, RJ Corman, Seaboard System, and Webb Asset Management.

HO scale rolling stock

Athearn FMC 5,077-cubic-foot capacity centered double-door boxcar

Price: $54.99

Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com

FMC 5,077-cubic-foot capacity centered double-door boxcar features:

• Photo-etched metal crossover platforms
• Separately applied grab irons, end ladders, and brake wheel
• Full underbody brake detail and piping
• Body-mounted McHenry scale couplers

Release date: December 2026

Road names: McCloud River Railroad Co.; Camino, Placerville & Lake Tahoe RR; Seattle & North Coast; Sierra RR; Union Pacific; and Western Pacific.

O scale locomotives

Atlas O Premier General Electric ET44 diesel locomotive

Price: $799.95

Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com

General Electric ET44 features:

• 1:48 proportions
• Die-cast metal truck sideframes, pilots, and fuel tank
• Metal chassis, handrails, horn, and body side grills
• Detachable snow plow
• Two hand-painted crew figures in cab
• Proto-Sound 3.0 with Digital Command System
• ProtoSmoke diesel exhaust

Release date: First quarter 2026

Road names: Canadian Pacific Kansas City, BNSF Ry., Canadian National (BC Rail and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern heritage units), CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific.

Club offerings

Spokane, Portland & Seattle Alco FA1 No. 857

Price: Direct-current model, $239.95; with ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, $349.95. Insured shipping and handling: $25 (domestic), actual cost (international)

Manufacturer: Produced by Rapido Trains, available from SP&S Ry. Historical Society, 114 NE 7th St., McMinnville, OR 97128; spshs.org; president@spshs.org

Spokane, Portland & Seattle Alco FA1 No. 857 details:

• $150 deposit required to reserve
• Society members receive 10% discount
• Non-members receive one year membership as part of retail price
• Final payment to be invoiced when models are received
• Checks, credit card, and PayPal accepted
• Reservations required by Aug. 15, 2025
• Reserve by mail or email

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.