News & Products for the week of March 9th 2026
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 9th 2026.
HO scale locomotives
Rapido General Electric U33C and U36C diesel-electric locomotives
Price: Direct-current model, $249.95; with DCC and sound, $359.95
Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 382 High St., Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com
General Electric U33C and U36C features include:
- Multiple nose, long hood, and cab variations
- Rotating bearing caps, where appropriate
- Die-cast metal frame with separate details
- Detailed cab interior with illuminated control stand lights
- Metal grab irons and brake chain
- Prototype-accurate tread patterns on walkways
- Etched-metal steps with fold-over step edge designs
- Rubber sanding lines
- Road-specific fuel tanks
Release date: To be announced
Road names: U33C — Burlington Northern, Delaware & Hudson, Erie-Lackawanna, Illinois Central, Northern Pacific, Penn Central, Southern Ry. (high short hood), and Southern Pacific. U36C — Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Clinchfield; and National Railways of Mexico
ScaleTrains Rivet Counter Wabtec CM44AC diesel-electric locomotive
Price: Direct-current model, $229.99; with DCC and sound, $339.99
Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Rd. NE, Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com
Wabtec CM44AC features include:
- Road-number- and prototype-specific details
- Factory-applied wire grab irons, spare knuckles, train line hoses with silver glad hands, three-hose m.u. clusters with silver glad hands, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, mirrors, and sunshades
- Light-emitting-diode lighting, including ground lights; deck-mounted ditch lights; and front, rear, and side walkway lights
- Detailed cab interior
- Late Hi-Ad trucks with rotating bearing caps
Release date: October 2026
Road names: CSX (YN3.com and YN3 Boxcar Logo).
HO scale passenger equipment
Bachmann Budd 85-foot Grand Canyon Fred Harvey full dome car
Price: $93
Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com
Budd 85-foot Grand Canyon Fred Harvey full dome car features include:
- Transparent tinted windows
- Detailed trucks
- Detailed, illuminated interior
- Separately applied plastic diaphragms
- Blackened metal wheels with RP-25 contours
- E-Z Mate Mark II couplers
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Grand Canyon Ry.
HO scale rolling stock
ScaleTrains Operator line Trinity 31,000-gallon tank car
Price: $29.99
Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Rd. NE, Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com
Trinity 31,000-gallon tank car features include:
- Textured plastic end and top walkways
- Injection-molded plastic one-piece tank body with separate ends
- Detailed manway cover and protective housing
- Simplified underbody brake rigging
- Molded grab irons
- Standard full-height ladders
Release date: August 2026
Road names: Nebraska Corn Processing, Bridger Rail Shipping, Ferromex, Siouxland Ethanol, and Trinity Industries Leasing.
WalthersProto SIECO 50-foot pulpwood flatcar
Price: $54.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
SIECO 50-foot pulpwood flatcar features include:
- Separately applied ladders
- Factory-installed grab irons
- Heavy die-cast metal frame
- Proto-Max metal couplers
- Also available undecorated
Release date: Summer 2026
Road names: Maine Central, Seaboard Coast Line, and Southern Ry. Two to three road numbers per scheme.
HO scale structures
WalthersCornerstone Amtrak rural station
Price: $39.98
Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com
Amtrak rural station features include:
- Non-functional platform lights
- Detailed modern concrete platform and fencing
- Interior waiting bench
- Station sign decals for Rensselaer, Ind., and other cities
- Measures 22-7/8 x 4-15/16 x 2-11/16″
Release date: Summer 2026
N scale rolling stock
Bachmann Northeast steel caboose
Price: $50
Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com
Northeast steel caboose features include:
- Clear window glazing
- E-Z Mate Mark II couplers
- Separate, factory-applied smokejack
Release date: To be announced
Road names: Chessie System (Western Maryland reporting marks) and Union Pacific (Maintenance of Way).
Books
N Scale Arduino Enhanced Layouts
Price: Soft-cover, $25.99; Kindle, $6.99
N Scale Arduino Enhanced Layouts features include:
- Written by Paul and David Bradt
- Edited by Joanna Opaskar
- Explores several layout enhancement options using Arduinos
- Includes simple and complex systems as well as breadboard testing
- Projects can easily be adapted to other modeling scales
- Available via Amazon
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 e-mail Senior Editor Cody Grivno at cody.grivno@firecrown.com.
