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 April 22, 2021.
HO scale locomotives
North County Transit District Sprinter articulated two-unit diesel railcar. Prototype photo shown. Directional red and white lights and new tooling for larger rooftop air conditioner units. Additional features to be announced. Non-sound (one road number), $299.99; with PIKO SmartSound 4.1 Digital Command Control sound decoder (two numbers), $399.99. September 2021. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com
HO scale freight cars
FMC 60-foot smooth-side double-door high-cube boxcar. Conrail (Boxcar Red with “can opener” herald), Golden West Service (blue), Norfolk Southern (Mineral Red), and Union Pacific (brown with small shield herald). Primed for Grime (faded base colors to simulate in- service equipment): CSX (blue) and St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt, Freight Car Red). Three road numbers per scheme. Double 8-foot Youngstown doors; separate, factory-applied grab irons, end ladders, and brake wheel; and 70- or 100-ton roller-bearing trucks with 33” or 36” wheels as appropriate. $49.99 (Primed for Grime, $54.99). April 2022. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
48-foot Husky-Stack well car. Trailer Train (yellow), BNSF Ry. (Mineral Red with circle-cross herald), Greenbrier Leasing (red), and Northwest Container (red). Four road numbers each (one number includes 48-foot intermodal container). Separate, factory-applied brake wheel; screw-mounted trucks with RP-25 contour metal wheels; and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. $39.99 (with 48-foot container, $54.99). April 2022. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
General American Transportation Corp. TankTrain tank cars. 282XX-series (black with small logo) and 486XX-series (black with original logo and black with no logo). Ten intermediate cars and one A-B set per paint scheme. Full underbody plumbing and rigging, 100-ton roller-bearing trucks with rotating bearing caps, and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Intermediate car, $64.99; A-B, $119.99. April 2022. Genesis Series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
50-foot gondola. Canadian National (Oxide Red with Wisconsin Central reporting marks, “wet noodle” herald, and website), Denver & Rio Grande Western (orange and black with “The Action Road” slogan), Missouri-Kansas-Texas (green), Norfolk Southern (black), Penn Central (Deepwater Green), and Soo Line (white). One road number per scheme. Separate, factory-applied brake wheel; RP-25 contour metal wheels; and body-mounted couplers. $19.98. May 2021. WalthersTrainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
50-foot insulated boxcar. British Columbia Ry. (green with dogwood flower logo), Canadian National (brown with “wet noodle” herald), Conrail (Boxcar Red with “can opener” and “Quality” heralds), CP Rail (yellow with Multimark herald), CSX (dark blue), and Union Pacific (yellow and silver with shield herald and “We can handle it” slogan). One road number per scheme. Separate, factory-applied brake wheel; RP-25 contour metal wheels; and body-mounted couplers. $19.98. May 2021. WalthersTrainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
Association of American Railroads 1944 40-foot boxcar. Northern Pacific (Metallic Brown with large “NP” lettering and “Northern Pacific Railway” monad herald); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (brown with “Ship & Travel Santa Fe All the Way” slogan); Canadian National (brown with “Serves All Canada” maple leaf herald); Illinois Terminal (brown with oval herald); Kansas City Southern (brown with octagon herald); New York Central (red and gray Pacemaker Freight Service scheme); and Spokane, Portland & Seattle (brown with large “SP&S” lettering and oval herald). Three road numbers per scheme. Murphy panel roof, 4-4 improved Dreadnaught ends, see-through Apex steel running board, 6-foot Youngstown doors, and tab side sills. $29.98. WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
Two-bay hopper with exterior posts. Clinchfield (black), Louisville & Nashville (brown with “The Old Reliable” slogan), Reading Co. (black and red with “America’s Largest Anthracite Carrier” slogan), Southern Pacific (brown), and Union Pacific (Boxcar Red with yellow lettering). One road number per scheme. Separate, factory-applied brake wheel; RP-25 contour metal wheels; and body-mounted couplers. $19.98. May 2021. WalthersTrainline. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
HO scale structures
Snap-together structures. Eagle Point lighthouse (Measures 3 x 8-1/8” x 8-7/8”), $69.98. Lee’s Grocery (2-1/2” x 4-1/2” x 4-5/8”). Main Street Cleaners (5-3/4” x 5” x 5-1/2”). Tommy’s Toys & Games (5-3/4” x 5” x 5-1/2”). $39.98 each unless noted. Walls and trim molded as one complete part (no painting required), window mullions molded into glazing, printed drapes and/or signs as appropriate, and light-emitting-diode lighting. June 2021. Cornerstone Series. Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 414-527-0770, walthers.com
N scale freight cars
American Car & Foundry 2,970-cubic-foot-capacity two-bay Center Flow covered hopper. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (gray with “Burlington” lettering and Burlington Route herald); American Car & Foundry demonstrator (three single cars only); Grand Trunk Western (blue Primed for Grime model with paint patches); Missouri Pacific (gray with Texas & Pacific reporting marks and Missouri Pacific Lines “buzzsaw” herald); Norfolk & Western (gray with NW herald and “Norfolk and Western” lettering); and Winchester & Western (tan with red lettering and herald). Two single cars and one three-pack per scheme unless noted. Photo-etched running boards, detailed underbody, and body-mounted McHenry scale couplers. Single car, $39.99 (Primed for Grime, $44.99); three-pack, $109.99. April 2022. Athearn N. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com
Procor 20,000-gallon general purpose tank car. British Columbia Ry. (green with large dogwood flower herald and “British Columbia Railway” lettering and green with small dogwood flower herald and “BC Rail” lettering), CP Rail (company service), Procor (as-delivered scheme with split “P” logo and UTLX reporting marks, split “P” logo and PROX marks, small modern logo, and large modern logo), Government of Alberta (PROX and UTLX marks), and North American Car (as-delivered scheme). Also available painted black but unlettered. Photo-etched metal walkways; detailed vent stacks, loading hatches, air tanks, and brake equipment; and Rapido knuckle couplers. Single car, $32.95; four-pack, $131.80; and six-pack, $197.70. 2022 delivery. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com
N scale sets
Metra State of Illinois four-piece collector’s set. Includes Chicago Metra Motive Power Industries MP36PH diesel locomotive no. 402 (State of Illinois scheme), Nippon Sharyo bi-level coaches nos. 6074 and 6169, and Nippon Sharyo bi-level cab-coach no. 8541. Models will be packed in specially printed collector’s box with foam insert. $380. July 2021. Kobo Custom Paint line. Kato USA Inc., katousa.com
Large scale locomotives
RailAdventure VI BR 103 electric locomotive. Spring-loaded metal pantographs (not equipped for overhead pickup); two five-pole can-type ball-bearing motors; molded and separately applied details, including lights; windshield wipers, handrails, horn, bumpers, and more; red and white directional lighting; dual-mode Digital Command Control sound decoder (locomotive will run on analog DC, but sound functions only on DCC); hard-chrome plate ball-bearing wheels; and hook-and-loop couplers. $939.99. May 2021. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com
Large scale freight cars
Two-axle boxcar with brake platform. German Federal Ry. (Era IV) and German Imperial Railway Co. (Era II). Positionable door, plastic wheels, and hook-and-loop couplers. $143.99. May 2021. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com
Vintage Warbirds offset-side two-bay hopper. North American Aviation B-25 Mitchell and Douglas SBD Dauntless. Molded handrails and stirrup steps, plastic wheels, and hook-and-loop couplers. $99.99. May 2021. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com
Large scale sets
Pennsylvania RR starter set. Includes 0-6-0T saddletank steam locomotive, refrigerator car, caboose, R/C controller with forward/reverse and stop controls, pocket remote, power clamps, circle of outdoor/indoor track (R1 radius), track clips, and transformer. Locomotive features five-pole can-type motor with gear drive on front and rear axles, detailed cab interior with engineer figure, metal wheels, sliding pickup shoes, and directional lights. Cars have hard plastic wheels. All models are equipped with hook-and-loop couplers. $479.99. May 2021. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com
Tools
Jewelry making hand tools. Model 2193F hard wire cutter with retaining clamps for leaving a square cut on both ends; 2175 Maxi-Shear flush cutter for soft wire up to 12 gauge; 9180NS metal shear for sheets of soft metals and lead up to 20 gauge; Model 494 four-in-one crimping pliers that crimp and fold 1, 2, and 3mm crimp tubes; 485FN flat nose pliers with flat, smooth blades for forming and bending soft materials; and 450 TweezerNose pliers for handling small parts. Alloyed steel and hardened tools with return springs and soft rubber hand grips. $19.75 to $36.50 each. Xuron Corp., 207-283-1401, xuron.com
