Value Trains USA

The car is a mid-70s ACF 5077 cu ft boxcar. Prototypical paint schemes are on their way.

People (1)

James Wright (jlwill2000 - https://www.youtube.com/user/jlwii2000/ talking with Shane Wilson of ScaleTrains.com. James has an incredible nose for new products at shows - I joked that I should just follow him around. As was, we did bounce into each other a lot this weekend.

Rapido

Rapido had a couple of surprises at Trainfest, namely the announcement of the US version of the SW-1200 switch engine in HO scale, and the unannounced Osgood-Bradley passenger cars in N scale, which should be shipping within the week.

First, a few shots of a Royal Hudson:

The RS11/18 and Tempo cars:

Osgood-Bradley cars in N scale:

Wheels of Time

Wheels of Time has a new Southern Pacific ACF 62-ft bulkhead flatcar coming soon, as well as trucks and construction machinery in HO and N scale, some of which is using 3D printing:

Protothrottle

Here's a look at the setup that Iowa Scaled has for demoing the Protothrottle as part of the Spring Creek Model Trains booth:

Athearn

The big news out of Athearn at Trainfest was the N scale PS-2 4427 covered hoppers:

Dimensional Modeling Concepts

Dimensional Modeling Concepts seemingly (to me at least) appeared out of nowhere at the National Train Show in KC... where I regrettably didn't make it to their booth. I hope I made up for it here at Trainfest.

One of their first products is a mostly 3D printed late 1970s Drott-Case Intermodal Lift Crane, which later turned into the Mi-Jack cranes used today:

They have a long line of roof details -

Diesel locomotive servicing Boom Cabinets:

The most attention getting product is the 4-wire barbed wire fence jig and fixture it uses four spools of embroidery thread, and their suggestion is to either go in with a group to buy one, or buy one and start trading favors, having others do things for you while you run fence on their layouts. The product comes with enough materials for well over 100 yards (either 125 or 175 yards) of fencing, and the thread comes off the spools aligned, with a tool to run to each fencepost to keep it aligned while gluing:

The Trainmaster

The Trainmaster features limited production craftsman kits in HO and N scales:

Note: overexposed with lots of light added to see interior details:

Okay, this one looks a bit odd because I had my camera flipped upside down to get the light under the eves:

Bachmann

Only a couple items from Bachmann - when I asked what was new since Kansas City, this is what I was shown:

Walthers

I had Terry Thompson as a guide to the new products at Walthers, and it was fun to see how many new items they have introduced in the short time since the National Train Show.

HO scale Brick Post Office (933-4200) (which really looks like it could be any sort of office building):

Note the gas meter and electric service details -

When Terry showed me this, I mentioned that I thought I had lived in it once - he says he hears that from a lot of people and loves it (Split Level House, HO, 933-3794):

Walthers likes "systems" where you can combine multiple kits to make up something unique to your layout. Their newest system is the Cornerstone N scale bridge system, and based on Terry's comments, I think you'll see more pieces for this to come out soon:

The announcement that got some prototype modeling groups buzzing is the WalthersMainline 85' General American G85 Flatcar, in several versions (the 20-foot containers are new too):

Walthers wants to do their part to grow the hobby, so they have come up with a program called "Pathways" which describes how a new model railroader can grow from a train set to a full fledged, multi-train scenicked layout. Stage one is to buy a train set:

Add more track to get past the basic oval:

Add scenery and structures:

More structures (I had dinner at a Culvers on Sunday night):

Finally, add more cars and locomotives:

They seemed to miss the step about registering for Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine, but we'll see about fixing that.

Scenic Express

Scenic Express is the exclusive dealer for Martin Welberg Scenic Studios, which includes grass tuft sets and textured mats, among other products. The Martin Welberg products feature multi-height static grass and ground foam mounted on thin vinyl sheets for ease of cutting to incorporate them into your own scenery. The photos really don't do them justice:

Custom Model Railroads/CMR

Another product that photos cannot do justice to are the tall HO scale buildings produced by CMR. This is the Hotel Belvedere, which is modeled after the Hotel Belvedere in Baltimore, MD. Acrylic sheets are used in the construction of CMR products like this:

Kato USA

Kato USA leads off with the SD70ACe UP 1943 "Spirit of Union Pacific":

It is available in both DCC sound and DC  versions:

The same model is also available in the standard UP Armor Yellow and Harbor Mist Grey paint scheme:

Also on display at the Kato USA booth was the new Super Chief. Currently led by an ABBA set of F7s, Alco FA's are planned for this train:

I think I have a few more photos of the Super Chief, I'll have to check.

Meanwhile, Kobo-Custom is taking reservations for a weathered Union Pacific FEF-3 4-8-4:

Split Level House

Yup lived in one of those in Newark, CA the year I graduated HS. A design that was and (still is?) a major cookie cutter favorite of home builders. I got a downstairs bedroom that had a lot of room for a MR.

Jack

Jeff, By soon, what was the

Jeff,

By soon, what was the estimated time of release for the Wheels of Time straight taper bulkhead flat cars.  If it wasn't for the chinese factory closing, I think they might have been out by now but WOT had to recover their molds and get moved.

Arrowhead Models

Arrowhead Models introduced it's first models this past summer with variations on the Committee Design Hopper. While the basic body of the car is largely the same between the versions, differences in brake and door hardware allow for many different releases of this model.

The first is the Pennsylvania RR 2603 cu ft. H-39 hopper with Miner Handbrake and Keystone gate hardware:

Southern RR inherited 70 Committee design cars with Miner Handbrakes and Wine gate hardware from the original Norfolk Southern in 1974:

The D&RGW, while not a member of the original Committee, purchased 800 of the Bethlehem-built HT hoppers in multiple series. The Arrowhead model comes from the largest group of these, with Ajax handbrakes and Wine gate hardware:

Tangent Scale Models

Tangent Scale Models continued their tradition of introducing new models appropriate to the region the train show is in with a new high side PS-2 4427 covered hopper, with the lead model decorated for the Milwaukee Road:

People (2)

While I was hanging around the SoundTraxx booth with George Bogatiuk, RIch from Digitrax came by:

Atlas

Atlas has reintroduced it's All Scales Signal System, and it will handle both Common Andode and Common Cathode signals, and everything from single multi-color LEDs to color-position signals. For more information, download the Signal Guide at https://atlasrr.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d874482234a50e1de0f984690&id=c24fcc7fef&e=71f4b47712

Fox Valley Models

Fox Valley Models announced an N scale PS Coal Gon in multiple roadnames for Trainfest:

And as Model Railroaders might be the only people happy to get coal for Christmas, the 2018 and (antedated 2017) FVM Christmas cars will use the PS coal gons -

Coming up in 2019 from FVM are 20, 40, and 53-foot containers:

ScaleTrains.com

The big announcement from ScaleTrains.com at Trainfest was the BSC F68AH bulkhead flat car in HO scale:

Don't worry about the funky brightness - it's the lighting, not the car:

Backing up to the Kato

Backing up to the Kato pictures. Those high top fans, dynamic brake vent vs. fan and elongated warbonnet scream F3, not F7 to me. 

Broadway Limited Inc.

N scale Cryo Tank Cars:

N scale SD40-2's -

Kato USA

I may be mis-remembering if he said F7 or "F-unit." But I figured it came out of that box sitting in the middle of the oval marked "F7 Frieght Train set AT&SF."