News & Products for the week of May 8th 2023

News & Products for the week of May 8th 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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of May 8th 2023.

News

TrainLife.com closing

On May 2nd, 2023, it was announced that TrainLife is closing its doors. TrainLife started in 2010 as an online resource for the model railroad community. Throughout the years it became a model railroad retailer, with a focus on ExactRail products. ExactRail, owned by the same individual, will continue to operate as usual. For more information on the closing, visit TrainLife.com.

HO scale locomotives

Athearn Electro-Motive Division SD40

Price: Direct-current, $174.99; with DCC and sound, $244.99

Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com 

Electro-Motive Division SD40 features:

• Separately-applied wire grab irons and air tanks
• Curved radiator fan grab iron
• See-through cab windows, dynamic brake and radiator fans
• Uncoupling levers
• Also available undecorated

Release date: September 2024

Road names: Burlington Northern Santa Fe; Conrail; Chesapeake & Ohio; Fort Worth & Western; Penn Central; and Southern Pacific.

Broadway Limited Baldwin I-5 

Price: Direct-current, $699.99; with DCC and sound, $799.99

Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com

Baldwin I-5 features:

• Brass boiler, cab, and tender body
• Separately controllable headlight, rear light, and cab light
• Factory-installed engineer and fireman figures
• Separately applied details include handrails, grab irons, ladders, piping, cab glass, whistle, and brass bell

Release date: Available now 

Road names: New Haven

HO scale passenger cars

Athearn Bombardier passenger car

Price: Single car, $69.99; three-pack $194.99

Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com 

Bombardier passenger car features:

• Detailed interior
• Separately-applied grab irons
• Bombardier trucks with outside brakes
• Weathered grills

Release date: September 2024

Road names: Metrolink; New Mexico Railrunner; and Sounder.

HO scale structures

American Model Builders Sander’s Grocery

Price: $38.95

Manufacturer: American Model Builders; http://www.laserkit.com/

Sander’s Grocery features:

• Cut from milled basswoods and birch plywood
• Pee-and-stick windows, doors, and trim
• Full color signage for a variety of businesses
• Structure measures 4.75″ deep x 2.5″ wide x 3.375″ tall

Release date: Available now

N scale passenger cars

Rapido Canadian passenger car set

Price: Eight-car set, $499.95

Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com

Canadian passenger car set features:

• Full interior and underbody detailing
• Track-powered interior lighting
• All-new Club-Galley tooling
• The Rapido set includes one baggage car, one club-galley, one Dayniter, one cafe-bar-lounge, and four coaches
• The Ocean set includes one baggage car, one coach, one Dayniter, one cafe-bar-lounge, two Bay sleepers, and two E-series sleepers

Release date: To be announced

Road names: Canadian National; and VIA Rail Canada.

Z scale freight cars

American Z Line Trinity RAF 53-foot spine cars 

Price: Contact manufacturer

Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com  

Trinity RAF 53-foot spine cars features:

• Five-unit sets
• Each set includes 53-foot trailers
• Add-on and optional parts including trailer hitches in different positions, container hole adapters and posts, and retracted legs

Release date: To be announced

Road names: JB Hunt

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.