News & Products for the week of April 15th 2024
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 April 15th 2024.
HO scale locomotives
Athearn Genesis Electro-Motive Division SD70-series
Price: Direct-current model, $199.99; with DCC and sound, $286.94. Add $8.70 for Primed for Grime.
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division SD70-series features:
- Detailed fuel tank with fuel fillers, fuel gauges, and breather pipes
- Wire grab irons
- See-through cab windows and full cab interior
Release date: August 2025
Road names: Union Pacific, Arizona & California, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Indiana Railroad, Progress Rail Services Corp., RJ Corman, and Western Pacific.
HO scale freight cars
Broadway Limited Imports heavyweight business car
Price: $99.99
Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com
Heavyweight business car features:
- Separately applied details include hand rails and antennae
- Detailed interiors
- Underbody detail per prototype
- Illuminated interiors
- Also available unlettered and in Christmas paint scheme
Release date: Fall 2024
Road names: Northern Pacific; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Canadian National; Chesapeake & Ohio; CSX; New York Central; Norfolk & Western; Southern Pacific; and Union Pacific.
Funaro & Camerlengo Illinois Central automobile boxcar
Price: 59.99
Manufacturer: Funaro & Camerlengo; 10 Funaro Court, Honesdale, PA 18431; www.fandckits.com
Illinois Central automobile boxcar features:
- Decals included
Release date: Available now
Road names: Illinois Central
Walthers Trinity three-bay covered hopper
Price: $34.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Trinity three-bay covered hopper features:
- Clerestory-style roof
- Late Trinity-style jacking pads and pulling tabs
- 1990s-era square cornered roof hatches
- Detailed hopper gates with vibrator brackets & outlets
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Spring 2024
Road names: Illinois Central Gulf, BNSF, Chicago & North Western, General American Marks Co., Norfolk Southern, St. Lous-San Francisco, Southern Railway, and Union Pacific.
HO scale vehicles
Rapido New Look transit bus
Price: $74.95
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
New Look transit bus features:
- Optional left side emergency exit door and either single- or dual-stream rear doors
- Etched metal interior stanchions, stamped metal handrails and separate farebox
- Interior includes separate bench seats and grooved flooring
- Optional detail parts included
- Also available undecorated
Release date: To be announced
Road names: AC Transit, Toronto Transit Commission, Los Angeles SRCTD, Miami-Dade MTA, Long Island MSBA, Ottawa OTC, and Philadelphia.
N scale freight cars
Athearn 65 foot mill gondola
Price: $39.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
65 foot mill gondola features:
- Working drop ends
- Separately applied wire grab irons
- Interior detailing
Release date: July 2025
Road names: CSX, Cotton Belt, Lehigh Valley, Rio Grande, Southern, and Southern Pacific.
Z scale locomotives
American Z Line Electro-Motive Division SD40-2
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
Electro-Motive Division SD40-2 features:
- Directionally controlled lighting
- Blackened metal wheels
- DCC ready
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Conrail
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 email Senior Editor Cody Grivno at cgrivno@kalmbach.com and Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy at bsleppy@kalmbach.com for more information.
