News & Products for the week of January 30th 2023
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 January 30th 2023.
News
Micro Mark celebrates 95 years of selling tools to modelers
Founded in 1928 as Scientific Model Airplane Company in Newark, New Jersey, Micro-Mark has been in the Frisoli family for three generations and turns 95 next year. Starting with rubber-band-powered wooden model airplane kits, Micro-Mark eventually grew to produce wooden model ship kits, dollhouse furniture, and model railroad accessories. Now, not only does Micro-Mark service the scale-model and model-train hobby segments, but cosplayers and makers use its products, too.
“The common link is specialist tools for hobbyists,” says Chas Fox, Micro-Mark CEO. “The customer leads where we go next.”
And where the customers lead has been bright. Micro-Mark has experienced rapid growth over the last seven years, going from 60,000 to 240,000 transactions annually. And while Fox doesn’t think the company will continue to see such a rate of expansion, he expects continued potential for growth in the demand for 3D printers, laser cutters, and other new technologies useful for hobbyists.
“We introduced 4,600 new products in the last five years,” Fox says. And while not all of those were perfect or home runs, he says introducing new products keeps the company moving forward and helps sell older items already in Micro-Mark’s catalog.
In keeping with Micro-Mark’s mission to stay on the move and add lines that fit well with existing markets, it recently purchased the Laser-Art line of structure models for model railroaders.
“[Laser-Art] will be in the catalog the first quarter of 2023,” Fox says, with the full offering eventually available as they ramp up manufacturing in Berkley Heights, New Jersey. Formerly owned and operated by Sam and Marilyn Krutt of Branchline Trains in Vernon, Connecticut, Laser-Art is a popular brand with a long history.
For its part, Micro-Mark started making wooden kits for model railroaders in 2017 under the Scientific name, and Fox says Laser-Art fits perfectly. The line will be branded Laser-Art by Scientific.
So, after 95 years, what’s next? Fox has no interest in slowing down the advance.
“When I got here, we weren’t attending any trade shows,” he says. “Now, we go to 40 a year.” For him, it’s about engaging directly with customers and hearing what they have to say and how they use Micro-Mark products. Fox says the company plans to sell more hand and power tools directly to businesses.
That doesn’t mean Micro-Mark is looking to dive into the full-size tool market, it just plans on continuing to look for opportunities that fit.
HO scale locomotives
Athearn Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current, $224.99; with sound, $294.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive features:
- Detailed cab interior
- Operating light-emitting diode ground lights
- See-through radiator intake grill and cab windows
- Prototypically-accurate low or high-mounted windshield wipers
Release date: January 2024
Road names: Frisco; Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern; Rock Island; Southern Pacific; Southern Railway; and Union Pacific.
Rapido Electro-Motive Division E8 executive units
Price: Two-unit direct-current set, $459.90; with DCC and sound, $669.90
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
Electro-Motive Division E8 executive units feature:
- Correct HEP muffler and hatch
- Roof-mounted cooling coils, non-skirted fuel tanks
- Die-cast chassis
- Numerous road-specific detail parts in both plastic and etched metal.
- Available in A-A sets
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Canadian National and Illinois Central
Rapido General Electric Dash 8 diesel locomotive
Price: Direct-current, $239.95; with DCC and sound, $349.95
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
General Electric Dash 8 diesel locomotive features:
- Various road name-specific details
- Etched-metal, see-through steps
- Operating LED headlights, ditch lights and rear lights
- Detailed cab interior
- Factory installed grab irons and handrails
Release date: To be announced
Road names: BC Rail; Canadian National; and Quebec North Shore & Labrador.
HO scale freight cars
ExactRail Pacific Car & Foundry 7633 boxcar
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: ExactRail, 525 E. 1860 S., Provo, UT 84606; 866-945-1701; exactrail.com
Pacific Car & Foundry 7633 boxcar features:
- Narrow-style draft box featuring shank wedges, striker casting and nut and bolt detail
- CNC-machined metal wheel sets
Release date: Spring 2023
Road names: CP Rail; Milwaukee Road; Missouri Pacific; Texas Pacific; Union Pacific; and Western Pacific.
WalthersMainline 72-foot centerbeam flatcar
Price: $34.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
72-foot centerbeam flatcar features:
- “Opera Window” or standard centerbeam as appropriate
- Die-cast metal underframe
- 36″ RP-25 contoured wheelsets
- Proto-Max metal couplers
Release date: Summer 2023
Road names: BNSF Ry.; Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific; Illinois Central; McCloud River; Hampton Lumber; Northwestern Oklahoma Railroad; Trailer Train; and Union Pacific.
WalthersMainline International Car Company extended wide-vision caboose
Price: $44.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
International Car Company extended wide-vision caboose features:
- Prototypically-accurate extended wide vision cupola
- Prototypically-accurate X-panel roof
- No running boards or end ladders
- Detailed underbody with side-mount brake gear
- Barber Swingmaster roller bearing trucks with 33″ metal RP-25 contoured wheelsets
Release date: Spring 2023
Road names: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Chesapeake & Ohio; Detroit, Toledo & Ironton; Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range; Great Norther; Northern Pacific; and Soo Line.
HO scale structures
Broadway Limited operating water tower
Price: Unpowered, $59.99; with power and sound, $99.99
Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com
Water tower features:
- ABS plastic construction
- Hand painted
- Motorized, sound-synchronized vertical fill spout
- Sound effects include spout movement squeak, water hatch squeal and clang, water filling, and a talking engineer
- Push button included
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Chesapeake & Ohio; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Denver & Rio Grande Western; Great Northern; Milwaukee Road; Norfolk & Western; Northern Pacific; Pennsylvania Railroad; Southern Pacific; Union Pacific; and Western Pacific. Also available unlettered in yellow and brown.
Walthers Cornerstone chemical distributor
Price: $129.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Chemical distributor features:
- Includes 5 structures: main building, shipping building, free-standing office, storage tanks with containment basin, and pipe bridge
- Dual-loading rack for shipping building interior
- Two loading racks for rail cars
- Four truck docks with doors & seals
Release date: Spring 2023
N scale locomotives
PIKO America Whitcomb 65-ton diesel locomotive
Price: Direct current, $189.99; with DCC and sound, $299.99
Manufacturer: PIKO America LLC, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego, CA 92120; piko-america.com
Whitcomb 65-ton diesel locomotive features:
- Various factory-applied details
- Die-cast metal chassis
- Operates on rails down to code 40
- Metal handrails
- Minimum radius: 7.55″
Release date: September 2023
Road names: Atlantic Coast Line and United States Army Transportation Corps
N scale freight cars
Athearn Genesis National Steel Car 6000 gondola
Price: Single; $44.99; two-car set, $79.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
National Steel Car 6000 gondola features:
- Removable scrap load
- Etched-metal crossover platforms
- Separately-applied metal grab irons
- Brake piping including metal and plastic components
- Rubber trainline hoses
Release date: February 2024
Road names: American Iron & Metal; IMRX; and Texas-Louisiana Producing & Carbon Co.
N scale structures
Walthers Cornerstone split level house
Price: $37.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Split level house features:
- Molded in three colors with clear acetate windows
- Appropriate to 1950s to present day layouts
- Construction featuring modeled brick and wood siding
- Attached one-car garage and slab-style front porch
- Curbside mailbox, large and small shutters, and brick exterior chimney included
Release date: Spring 2023
Z scale freight cars
American Z Line BethGon coalporter
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
BethGon coalporter features:
- Includes protein covers and coal inserts
- AZL AutoLatch couplers
- Blackened metal wheels
Release date: To be announced
Road names: BNSF Ry.
Tools and equipment
Deluxe Materials Precision Plastic Glue
Price: $7.50
Manufacturer: Heartland Hobby Wholesale, https://www.hhwonline.com
Deluxe Materials Precision Plastic Glue features:
- Controlled precise application
- Visible glue level
Release date: Available now
Proto Design Labs N4 accessory decoder
Price: $29.95
Manufacturer: Proto Design Labs, protodesignlabs.com
N4 accessory decoder features:
- Converts Kato No. 4 remote turnouts to DCC without external wiring
- Self-contained inside roadbed
- Customize strength of switch machine coil drive
- Left and right versions for respective turnouts
Release date: Available now
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.
