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 August 19, 2021.
HO scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division GP18 diesel locomotive. Illinois Central (black and white), Baltimore & Ohio (blue and yellow, one road number), Norfolk & Western (black and white), Burlington Northern (Cascade Green and black in three numbers, Northern Pacific patchout in one number), Nickel Plate Road (black and yellow), and Northern Pacific (black and yellow). Four numbers per scheme unless noted. Factory-installed and painted wire grab irons, etched-metal radiator intake and fan grills, and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector for Digital Command Control decoder, $209.98; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $299.98. Genesis series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
HO scale freight cars
33,000-gallon liquefied petroleum gas tank car. Late body style: The Andrews Co., Greenbrier Leasing, and Procor (black). Early body style: Procor (white) and Union Tank Car Co. Flat panel: Union Tank Car Co. Five road numbers per paint scheme (two single cars and one three-pack). Separate, factory-applied walkway platform, manway, outlet, ladders, brake rigging detail, safety rail supports, tank saddles, and brake wheel; printed placards; and McHenry scale double-shelf couplers. Single car, $63.99; three-pack, $169.99. September 2022. Genesis series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Three-dome tank car. American Car & Foundry Co. (gray and black), Ambrose Wine Co. (gray, black, and red), DuPont (white and black), De Soto Chemical (green and black), East Jersey RR (black and orange), and Warner Quinian Co. (gray and black). Six road numbers per scheme (two single cars and four-pack). Separate, factory-applied applied brake wheel; wire-form safety handrails; and McHenry scale couplers. Single car, $37.99; four-pack, $94.99. September 2022. Roundhouse line. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
50-foot mechanical refrigerator car with exterior posts. Burlington Refrigerator Express (yellow with Burlington Route logo), Burlington Northern (yellow and black with Western Fruit Express lettering), Canadian Pacific (silver and red), Great Northern/Western Fruit Express (yellow and black), Pacific Fruit Express (orange and black with Southern Pacific and Union Pacific heralds), and Union Pacific (orange and black with SP and UP heralds and Pacific Fruit Express lettering). Six road numbers per scheme (two single cars and one four-pack). RP-25 contour machined metal wheels, injection-molded body, and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Single car, $34.99; four-pack, $121.99. September 2022. Roundhouse line. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Greenville Steel Car Co. 86-foot high-cube double-plug-door boxcar. New paint schemes: Baltimore & Ohio (original 1969 scheme, six road numbers); Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy (original 1-1969, four numbers); Eric Lackawanna (original 1965 scheme, six numbers); Missouri Pacific (original 1968 scheme, six numbers); Penn Central (original 1968 scheme, eight numbers); and Wabash (original 1964 scheme, four numbers). Rerun paint schemes: Conrail (1992 “Quality” scheme, same four numbers as 2020 release); Detroit, Toledo, and Ironton (original 1971 scheme, four new numbers); and Southern Ry. (original 1977 scheme, four new numbers). Body shells with or without overlapping side panels, 33” or 36” metal wheelsets as appropriate, and Kadee scale couplers. $54.95. Tangent Scale Models, 828-279-6106, tangentscalemodels.com
72-foot center-beam flatcars. Burlington Northern (green), CSX (black), Columbia & Cowlitz Ry. (blue), Southern Ry. (Oxide Red), Tomahawk Railway (Oxide Red), TTX (yellow), and Union Pacific (yellow and red). Four road numbers per scheme. Die-cast metal underframe, metal wheelsets, and Proto-Max couplers. $31.98. September 2021. WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
HO scale structures
Double-track bridge with lights. Factory-assembled and painted structure. Features four blinking red light-emitting diode warning lights, three-ply wood construction with posts and railings, and metal base. Interior is 4-5/16” wide. Clearance through bridge is 3-3/8”. Lighting requires 4.5V power source (sold separately). $49.99. Menards, menards.com/trains
Single-track bridge with lights. Factory-assembled and painted structure. Features four blinking red light-emitting diode warning lights, three-ply wood construction with posts and railings, and metal base. Interior is 2-1/8” wide. Clearance through bridge is 3-3/8”. Lighting requires 4.5V power source (sold separately). $39.99. Menards, menards.com/trains
HO scale details and accessories
Figure sets. 1960s and ’70s yard crew and construction workers. Hand-painted. Six-pack, $14.98 each. September 2021. SceneMaster line. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
N scale locomotives
Electro-Motive Division GP40 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (blue and yellow warbonnet in one number); CP Rail (red and white with CP Rail lettering and ditch lights in two road numbers); CSX (MOW orange in two numbers and yellow, blue, and gray scheme, both with ditch lights); Maine Central (blue and white with Guilford G); Missouri-Kansas-Texas (green and yellow); Port Harbor Railroad Corp. (First Responders scheme with ditch lights in one number). New numbers: Denver & Rio Grande Western (black and orange with Flying Grande lettering), Penn Central (black and white in two numbers, with red “C” in one number), and Union Pacific (Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray). Back by popular demand: Susquehanna (yellow and black with ditch lights in one number. Three numbers per scheme unless noted, also available undecorated (with or without dynamic brakes). Blackened metal wheelsets, golden-white light-emitting diode headlights, and Accumate couplers. Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker: Without ditch lights, $144.95; with, $154.95. With dual-mode ESU sound decoder: without ditch lights, $254.95; with, $264.95. Second quarter 2022. Master Line. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
N scale freight cars
50’-6” boxcar. New paint schemes: Pan Am (blue and black) and Union Pacific (brown and white with BKTY reporting marks). New road numbers: Burlington Northern (1991 herald-over-three-lines scheme), Canadian National (brown with “wet noodle” herald), CSX (blue and yellow), National Rys. of Mexico (brown and white), and Railbox (as-delivered scheme). Two road numbers per scheme; also available undecorated. Non-terminating corrugated ends, diagonal-panel roof, and Accumate couplers. $22.95 (undecorated, $16.95). Second quarter 2022. Trainman series. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
Chesapeake & Ohio cupola caboose. New paint schemes: Alaska RR (yellow and blue); Chesapeake & Ohio (yellow and blue); Chicago & Illinois Midland (green and red); Detroit, Toledo & Ironton (red and yellow); Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac (blue and white); General Electric (yellow and blue, one road number); Metro North (blue and white, one number); and Black River Western (green and yellow, one number). Two road numbers per scheme unless noted; also available undecorated. Injection-molded plastic with clear window glazing and Accumate couplers. $27.95 (undecorated, $19.95). Second quarter 2022. Trainman series. Atlas Model Railroad Co., 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com
Books
Lionel Trains Pocket Price Guide 1901-2022. Guidebook for toy train collectors and operators for accurate pricing information on prewar, postwar, and modern Lionel trains. Includes pricing information with input from experts in the field, identification and evaluation tips, space for notes, and more. 448 pages. $22.99. Kalmbach Hobby Store, KalmbachHobbyStore.com
How to Design a Model Railroad. By professional layout builder and Model Railroader author Lance Mindheim. Hands-on guide to drawing and designing a model railroad that will fit your available space and result in a realistic layout. Also includes information on how to avoid common pitfalls and progress from the design to construction phase with confidence. 144 pages. $24.99. Kalmbach Hobby Store, KalmbachHobbyStore.com
Special issues
Toy Train Layouts for Small Spaces. New special issue from the editors of Classic Toy Trains magazine. Features 20 CTT articles on compact layouts and how to build them. Includes a 4 x 8-foot O gauge layout in the corner of a living room, a portable 6 x 10-foot S gauge layout in a two-car garage, building tabletop benchwork, fundamentals of wiring, and more. 100 pages. Print version, $13.99; digital version, $13.99; print and digital combo. $19.99. Digital editions are compatible with PC, Macintosh, Android via Google Play app, iOS via App Store, and Win8 devices. Kalmbach Hobby Store, KalmbachHobbyStore.com
