News & Products for the week of February 24, 2022

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 February 24, 2022.

HO scale locomotives

Electro-Motive Division F7A diesel locomotive. Amtrak (phase 1 scheme); Burlington Northern; CSX; Kansas City Southern; Pan Am Rys.; and Union Pacific (Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray scheme). Executive paint schemes unless noted. Two numbers per scheme. Separate, factory-applied air horns; factory-installed light-emitting-diode lighting; and McHenry scale couplers. Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector for Digital Command Control decoder, $116.99. March 2023. Roundhouse series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com

Alco RS-3 diesel locomotive. Western Maryland (black-and-yellow scheme in two road numbers) and Pennsylvania RR (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel with train-phone antenna in three numbers). Prototype-specific details, can motor with flywheels, and RP-25 contour nickel-silver wheels. Direct-current model with 21-pin plug for Digital Command Control decoder, $199.95; with dual-mode ESU LokSound Select sound decoder, $299.95. Executive Line. Bowser Manufacturing Co. Inc., 570-368-2379, bowser-trains.com

Electro-Motive Division SW7 diesel locomotive. Phase II body and cab: Detroit, Toledo & Ironton (orange and black); Conrail (blue); Kansas City Southern (white); Pennsylvania RR (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel); and Seaboard Coast Line (black and yellow). Phase I body and cab: Chessie System with Chesapeake & Ohio reporting marks (blue, vermillion, and yellow) and Southern Ry. (“tuxedo” scheme). Four road numbers per scheme (two each in direct-current and Digital Command Control); also available undecorated (DC only). Prototype-specific details, light-emitting-diode headlights, and Proto-Max couplers. Direct-current with Next18 Digital Command Control decoder plug, $149.98; with dual-mode ESU sound decoder, $209.98. WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. 414-527-0770, walthers.com

HO scale freight cars

Pacific Car & Foundry 50-foot boxcar with 6- and 8-foot Youngstown plug doors. Southern Pacific (as-delivered Boxcar Red scheme, Primed for Grime Golden West Service patchout in two road numbers, and Boxcar Red with speed lettering), Golden West Service (dark blue), St. Louis Southwestern (Primed for Grime Golden West Service patchout in one number), and Wisconsin Central (maroon). Three road numbers per scheme unless noted. Separate, factory-applied grab irons and etched metal coupler platforms; machined metal RP-25 contour wheels; and body-mounted McHenry scale double-shelf couplers. $49.99 (Primed for Grime, $54.99). March 2023. Genesis series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com

Gunderson Maxi I five-unit articulated well car. TTX (Yellow and black with DTTX reporting marks: with Burlington Northern herald, with Southern Pacific lettering in two numbers, and with five Hapag-Lloyd containers in one number), Rail-Bridge Corp. (dark blue), and Santa Fe Leasing (Primed for Grime Maersk patchout). Separate, factory-applied wire grab irons and etched-metal walkways; 33” and 38” RP-25 contour nickel silver wheels; and body-mounted McHenry scale lower-shelf couplers. Standard, $214.99; Primed for Grime, $239.99; and with containers, $249.99. March 2023. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com

Pacific Car & Foundry 57-foot mechanical refrigerator car. Northern Pacific (silver), Burlington Northern/Western Fruit Express (white), Pacific Fruit Express (white and orange schemes), Southern Pacific Fruit Express (white), Union Pacific (white with “Building America” slogan, shield herald, and ARMN reporting marks), and Union Pacific Fruit Express (orange). Three road numbers per scheme; also available undecorated. Keystone or Hydra-Cushion underframe, 9-foot Youngstown plug doors with separate latch bars, and Proto-Max metal couplers. $34.98 (undecorated, $29.98). WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. 414-527-0770, walthers.com

Thrall rebuilt 40-foot well car. Single cars: DTTX (black-and-white herald [53000- and 745000- series], large red herald with “Forward Thinking” slogan, small red herald, and small red herald with Railbox herald and “Next Load, Any Road” slogan). Five-unit articulated car: BNSF Ry. (Mineral Red with post-2005 herald), DTTX (black-and-white herald, large red herald, and small red herald), and Santa Fe Leasing (yellow). Four road numbers per paint scheme. Die-cast metal frame; molded 3-D brake rods with chains, brake piping, and weld lines; and Proto-Max metal couplers. Single car, $31.98; five-unit articulated car, $149.98. WalthersMainline. Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. 414-527-0770, walthers.com

HO scale passenger equipment

Lightweight fluted-side passenger cars. Amtrak (phase 1), Burlington Northern (executive scheme), CSX (blue and gray), Kansas City Southern (black, red, and yellow), Pan Am Rys. (simulated stainless steel and blue), and Union Pacific (Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray). Available as single coach and diner, dome, and observation car three-pack. Machined metal RP-25 contour wheelsets, clear window glazing, and body-mounted McHenry couplers. Coach, $43.99; diner, dome, and observation car three-pack, $109.99. March 2023. Roundhouse series. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com

General Motors Diesel Division steam heater car. Union Pacific (Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist gray); Ontario Northland (chevron and green schemes); Canadian National (1954 and “wet noodle” schemes); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (blue and yellow); Amtrak (phase 2 scheme); Auto Train (white); Algoma Central (silver, maroon, and yellow); Canadian Pacific (maroon and black); Denver & Rio Grande Western (orange, black, and silver); Great Northern (Empire Builder scheme); Milwaukee Road (1950 maroon-and-orange scheme and 1955 Union Pacific scheme); New York Central (black and white); Northern Pacific (two-tone green); and VIA Rail Canada (patched CN scheme and blue and yellow stripes). One to five numbers per scheme; also available undecorated. Dual-mode steam sounds with user-controlled volume and high-bass speaker, detailed underframe and express trucks, working backup lights (controlled by magnetic wand), and Macdonald-Cartier metal couplers. $79.95. Rapido Trains, 905-474-3314, rapidotrains.com

HO scale details and accessories

28-foot drop-sill trailer. United Parcel Service (gray with current UPS logo and gray with United Parcel Service lettering). Five trailer numbers per scheme. Injection-molded plastic with vinyl tires and painted wheels. $37.99. March 2023. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com

40-foot high-cube intermodal container. CMA-CGM (dark blue), Hapag-Lloyd (orange), Hyundai (red), and Wan Hai (dark blue with “We Carry, We Care” slogan). One three-pack per scheme. Stackable injection-molded plastic containers. Three-pack, $39.99. March 2023. Athearn Trains, 800-338-4639, athearn.com

N scale details and accessories

20-foot standard-height intermodal containers. Two-packs: Ocean Network Express (Cherry Blossom Magenta) and Hapag-Lloyd (orange with faded blue graphics). Single container: CMA CGM (dark blue “Lady Liberty” transport container) and Maersk (rainbow scheme). Prototype-specific doors, inter-box connecting pins, and JTC magnetic connecting system (magnet on bottom and metal plate on top). Single container, $18.95; Two-pack, $29.65. Jacksonville Terminal Co., jtcmodeltrains.com

Electronics/controls

LocoFi 3 Wi-Fi based sound decoder for HO scale locomotives. Package includes LocoFi 3 module with wired speaker and baffle; preloaded micro SD card with one set of generic diesel sounds; micro SD card adapter to load different sounds; light-emitting-diode bulbs for front and rear lights, including spare bulbs [LED resistors are on board]; and heat-shrink tubing. Measures 1.98” x 0.64” x 0.25″. $112. WiFi Model Railroad LLC, wifimodelrailroad.com

Club offerings

Toledo, Walhonding Valley & Ohio 50th anniversary 50-foot single-door boxcar. Accurail HO scale kit custom-decorated for the Associated Model Railroad Engineers of Coshocton. Two road numbers. Decal number jumble included. $20 each (two or more cars, $17.50 each). $10 shipping regardless of quantity ordered. Send check or money order to Richard Jones, 214 S. 18th St., Coshocton, OH 43812.