Eastern Seaboard Models offers a new release of its Pennsylvania Railroad G26 mill gondola model. This new edition features a revised coupler pocket design and the fully assembled model comes equipped with the company’s fine-scale metal wheels. In addition, this release adds the ratchet brake style and presents Norfolk & Western’s G3 gondola and Pennsylvania G26a and G26c class mill gondolas (also equipped with ratchet-style brake) are new additions. The ends of the gondolas are positionable. The models sell for $37.95 each. Visit Eastern Seaboard Models website for more information. This ..read more

Review by Tony Cook/photos by the author Micro-Trains Line (MTL) adds a new body style to its already wide variety of N-scale rolling stock with the arrival of this 107-series mill gondola model. This Penn Central (PC) release is the second road name for this new MTL model; the first release was a Mineral Red gondola lettered for Santa Fe (107 00 011). The model was included in MTL’s August 2023 Micro-News flyer with Santa Fe road number 170902 and returned in September’s flyer with another Santa Fe release (ATSF 170943); this Penn Central gondola was announced in October 2023’s flyer. This gr ..read more

Atlas delivers a 1:48 rendering of a rebuilt well car and a 40-foot high-cube container to its line of O products; both releases are Master level offerings and are sold separately. The well car measures approximately 16 inches (around 60 scale feet) and the “40 foot” in its label is a reference to what is carried and not the freight car’s length. In the early 2000s, a move toward reducing the variety of sizes in intermodal containers led to the phasing out of 48-foot well cars (and some others) in general use. At the time, single-container well cars built to handle 48-foot containers suddenly ..read more

A popular group of releases from Associated Hobby Manufacturers (AHM) are the collection of Oldtime freight cars. These plastic reproductions came into AHM’s catalog in the late 1960s and sold through the 1970s. Manufactured in Europe, the examples I’m sharing are frequently attributed to Rivarossi; however, I believe Italy’s Pocher was responsible for these HO releases. The confusion is warranted, as you will find on AHM packaging that Rivarossi is credited as the manufacturer. It may be possible that Pocher was the source Rivarossi employed to produce these. You will find in European Rivaros ..read more

Atlas will mark its 100th anniversary with a special release in HO and N scales of its modern commuter passenger car models and sleek ALP-45DP locomotive. Planned for third quarter 2024 delivery, the fully assembled Atlas Master ALP-45DP locomotive (shown at the top of the page) will be available in Silver (sound-ready, standard DC) and Gold (Digital Command Control and sound-equipped with ESU-made electronics) decorated for the hobby company’s anniversary in a fantasy black, silver, and red livery. The decoration, also shared across coming multi-level commuter car models, includes Atlas’ 100t ..read more

Review by John Menges Mass transit modeling took a step forward with PIKO America’s release of its HO-scale North County Transportation District (NCTD) Sprinter commuter train. The impressive model is the second 1:87 U.S.-prototype offering from PIKO in recent years; the Whitcomb 65-ton diesel switcher (“65 Tons of Blue and Orange Fun,” review in March 2023 Model Railroad News features this model). The Sprinter differs from the majority of modern North American commuter trains in that it is a foreign, single-level design adapted to U.S. “hybrid rail” standards. To this reviewer’s knowledge, th ..read more

Review by Kevin J. Holland Having made its name with accurate, highly detailed models of specialized Canadian rolling stock and locomotives in HO- and N-scale plastic, in recent years Rapido Trains, Inc., has pursued the broader North American market by also producing a growing range of products of particular interest to modelers of U.S. railroads. This trend continues with the company’s HO-scale E8 passenger diesels, which debuted in 2022 (“Amtrak ‘Day One’ Arrives” review in December 2022 Model Railroad News) in a multitude of prototype-specific paint and detail combinations. Rapido’s stable ..read more

Review by Tony Cook Rapido Trains delivers its initial offering of another interesting North American prototype with the arrival of this Rohr Turboliner set. Packaged in a handsome 16-inch wide by 20-inch tall cardboard case are five finely detailed HO-scale reproductions of this intriguing and most-recent Amtrak (AMTK) gas-turbine, self-propelled passenger train. The prototype debuted in 1976, not long after a French import paved the way for this design. An early attempt by Amtrak to improve and innovate an important Midwest corridor service (Chicago to St. Louis) saw ANF-Frangeco-built gas-t ..read more

InterMountain Railway has a new collection of HO-scale General Electric GEVO diesel locomotives available. Among the road names is recently merged Kansas City Southern. This model is General Electric’s Tier 4 ET44AC and wears KCS Belle heritage livery. Other road names in this release include Canadian National (EF-644t), CSX (ET44AH), Navajo Mine Railroad, and more. Road numbers include KCS 5001, 5004, 5005, 5008, 5011, 5012, and 5014. The model comes with ESU’s LokSound V5 for DCC-sound operation, and a non-sound DCC edition comes equipped with ESU LokPilot V5 electronics. Announced HO ..read more

By Tony Cook Athearn’s Genesis HO-scale SIECO (stands for Southern Iron & Equipment Co.) 50-foot boxcar arrived with a new production in the last year. This model is available currently (Spring 2023), as part of a specially discounted group of offerings available from your Horizon Hobby/Athearn Trains dealer. Stock is limited, so act now for best selection. The HO model carries a retail price of around $50, but you’ll find it offered as part of this promotion selling for around $30 from select dealers. This fully assembled freight car replica is based on a 70-ton boxcar with sliding ..read more