News & Products for the week of March 18th 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 March 18th 2024.
Rapido Trains announces US tour
Rapido Trains has announced a tour across the continental United States. The tour, which began on March 17th at the California Southern Model Railroad Club in Los Angeles, will make stops at model railroad clubs, rail museums, and hobby shops from California to Michigan en route to Rapido Trains headquarters in Toronto. Upcoming stops include Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, and more.
Read more about the Rapido Trains 2024 US tour here
HO scale passenger cars
Athearn Genesis Pullman-Standard 77-foot chair car
Price: $109.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
Pullman-Standard 77-foot chair car features:
- Apricot or seafoam green walls per road number
- Dark rose, turquoise, or forest green seats per road number
- Illuminated interior
- Detailed underbody
Release date: July 2025
Road names: Athearn and Southern Pacific.
HO scale freight cars
Athearn American Car Foundry 4600 covered hopper
Price: $164.99; three-pack, $164.99
Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com
American Car Foundry 4600 covered hopper features:
- Photo-etched metal roofwalk
- Separately applied wire grab irons, stirrup steps, and brake wheel
- Separate brake cylinder, valve and air reservoir with wire brake plumbing
- Also available undecoarated
Release date: July 2025
Road names: Burlington Northern; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; First Union Rail; Saint Marys Railway West; and Western Pacific.
Walthers American Car Foundry 50-foot dreadnaught end plate B boxcar
Price: $34.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
American Car Foundry 50-foot dreadnaught end plate B boxcar features:
- Dreadnaught ends
- Stanray diagonal panel roof
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Summer 2024
Road names: Burlington Northern; Canadian National; Chicago & North Western; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Illinois Terminal; Penn Central; Rock Island; Southern Railway; and St. Louis-San Francisco.
HO scale structures
Conowingo Loon’s Nest
Price: $37.00
Manufacturer: Conowingo Models; conowingomodels.com
Loon’s Nest features:
- Overall size is 3.5 inches long by 3 inches wide and 3 inches tall
- Kit features Tichy doors and windows and cedar shingles by Rail-Scale Models
Release date: March 2024
Z scale locomotives
American Z Line Electro-Motive Division SD70ACE
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
Electro-Motive Division SD70ACE features:
- Spirit of Union Pacific paint scheme
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Union Pacific
Z scale passenger cars
American Z Line heavyweight combine coaches
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
Heavyweight combine coaches features:
- New tooling
- Available with two- or three-axle trucks
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Chesapeake & Ohio
Z scale freight cars
American Z Line Ortner hopper
Price: Contact manufacturer
Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com
Ortner hopper features:
- Available in two-packs and four-packs
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Southern Pacific
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.
