Model Railroad News

Micro-Trains Line Company, Inc. announced today that it has been acquired by Atlas Model Railroad Co, which includes substantially all assets of Micro-Trains Line Co., the Talent, Oregon-based manufacturer renowned for its precision N and Z scale model trains and couplers. The transaction marks a significant expansion of Atlas’s manufacturing and product development capabilities within the U.S. hobby industry.

Under the agreement, Atlas will assume ownership of Micro-Trains’ molds, tooling, and associated intellectual property, ensuring continued production of the brand’s hallmark products. Production will transition into Atlas’s global manufacturing and supply network, ensuring continued availability and consistent quality standards worldwide.

Eric D. Smith, President of Micro-Trains Line Co., added: “Our family and team are proud of what Micro-Trains has meant to hobbyists everywhere. Atlas’s commitment to excellence and long-term investment in the model railroad community makes them the right partner to continue our story.”

Both companies emphasized that the integration will focus on preserving the authenticity of Micro-Trains’ designs while leveraging Atlas’s engineering, logistics, production capabilities to broaden innovation and future product offerings.”
Smith also wants to thank our industry counterparts, many of whom we have worked so closely with making this hobby a true enjoyment to be part of. And a very special thank you to the model railroad consumers; your interest and patronage of our model trains is much appreciated.

Micro-Trains in Talent, OR. will continue to accept and process orders until our finished model train single car releases, multi-packs, trucks, couplers tools and accessories are sold out. This includes our December releases.

In closing, we once again extend our sincerest thanks to all, and wish everyone great success in all your future endeavors.

-via press release

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Review by Jason Quinn/photos by the author

EMD’s GP40 is an exciting new model in Rapido Trains’ catalog of HO-scale offerings. This addition is a natural progression from the hobby manufacturer’s prior GP38 release (see Ryan Crawford’s “Southern Charm” review of Rapido’s Norfolk Southern GP38 in your March 2025 MRN). The two four-axle locomotive prototypes share many characteristics, with the long hood being the location where the two exhibit the most differences. The GP38 model is a non-turbocharged 645 prime mover producing 2,000 hp whereas the GP40 is powered by a 3,000-hp turbocharged 645 prime mover.

General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division first produced its GP40 in November 1965. The new locomotive was the successor to the GP35 model. The GP40 had many upgrades over the similar GP35 model. The GP35 was the last model to use the EMD 567 prime mover. The 40-series units introduced the 645 prime mover; this was the single biggest change from the 35 to 40 series. The GP40 also rode on a longer frame (3 feet longer than the GP35) and had three 48-inch radiator fans, versus the GP35’s two 48-inch and one 36-inch fan arrangement.

ABOVE: MKT 501 at Parsons, Kan., in November 1986. Katy built this slug from from GP40 222 in 1976. The other slug added to the roster at the time was 500, which came from MKT F7A 74A. Both slugs moved to Union Pacific’s roster in 1988 with 501 carrying S300 and later UPY926 numbering. —T.N. Colbert photo, Kevin EuDaly collection 

Production of the GP40 model ended in December 1971. 1,242 were produced, with the majority (1,187) sold to 28 railroads in the U.S. The largest quantity of GP40s was found on Penn Central’s roster with 170 units; these were added to the 105 units New York Central purchased before 1968 and the arrival of Penn Central. The combined fleet clearly put Penn Central/Conrail as the largest operator. Chessie System comes in second place with 161 units from Baltimore & Ohio, 50 from Chesapeake & Ohio, and five from Western Maryland. The smallest order was a single unit sold to Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway (TP&W); this GP40 was an EMD warranty protection unit that became available and joined the road’s roster around 1970. This unit was later acquired by Santa Fe and was that road’s only GP40 on the roster, but didn’t enjoy a long tenure for the railroad. Santa Fe rebuilt TP&W’s GP40 into a GP35u; however, it was soon wrecked, and later scrapped.

Rapido Trains provided not only a GP40 to review but also a slug unit. Rapido has really been hitting the market with slugs lately. This is an overlooked area in the hobby. I com-mend Rapido Trains for their efforts in expanding this unique and uncommon motive power area in HO. My sample is decorated in the green and yellow colors of Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) or often better know as “the Katy.”

The slug is unique to MKT’s roster (Union Pacific after 1988), while the GP40 tooling has opportunities for releases in several road names. In this run, Rapido Trains produces HO-scale GP40 diesel locomotive models in three Canadian National styles; “Death Star” era Illinois Central; Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac; St. Louis-Southernwestern “Cotton Belt” in as-delivered appearance; mid-1990s Wisconsin Central; Western Pacific silver Zephyr livery with orange band; and 1990s era Union Pacific featuring “We Will Deliver” slogan, offered with and without a slug in this run.

My GP40 and slug sample is two-thirds of MKT’s “three stooges” set. The interesting nickname was given to the trio by Katy employees. GP40 222 was wrecked and built into a slug, which is nothing more than a weighted platform with traction motors. The slug receives power from its two mother units. MKT GP40s 226 and 227 were specially equipped for this service with the addition of power cables required to transmit power to the slug. The slug does have nicely detailed power cables, but the GP40 mother unit seems to lack the proper connections (I could not find any good rear pictures of the GP40 units to confirm this though). This set includes MKT 226 GP40 and 501 slug. Rapido offers MKT GP40s separately in three road numbers: 194, 216, and 227.

The two models come in one large flat box encased in Rapido’s traditional clear plastic clam shell. This sturdy box should keep these finely detailed models safe under all but the harshest traveling conditions. As I unpacked the pair, I found these replicas to be free of any damages or blemishes. My first impression of these models was “Wow!”

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Reviews by Clem Harris, Justin Sobeck, and Shane T. Mason/photos by Tony Cook

This all-new N-scale tank car replica was announced in May 2022, with a second production listed in January 2024, and Athearn recently delivered both batches of this absolutely amazing, perhaps the best looking and running 1:160 tank car on the market, during summer 2025. The offerings come fully assembled and packaged in clear jewel cases. Single tank cars and 3-pack sets are included in the production.

For those familiar with the manufacturer’s excellent Genesis 1:87 offerings, this new Union Tank Car 13,000-gallon acid tank car release looks like they shrink-rayed an HO car down to N scale! This small model is a big release for Athearn, marking the company’s first Genesis-branded effort for rolling stock in N scale. Model Railroad News’ regular N-scale modelers will provide their experience with this Athearn release.

Clem Harris
I spent some time reading up on tank cars and the various requirements that they have to safely transport a commodity. For this model and its prototype, my research was all about how tank cars are used to safely transport sulfuric acid.

ABOVE: This new Athearn Genesis N-scale acid tank car model includes see-through etched metal end platforms, body-mounted Type F double-shelf knuckle couplers, and 36-inch metal wheels.

The various standards for tank cars have gotten public attention in the last few years due to prolific derailments. Acid tank cars fall under the older DOT 111 standard that encompasses a minimum plate thickness of 7/16 inches, and can be made of various materials like aluminum or steel alloys, but carbon steel is most common. DOT 111 rated cars do not generally have shielding around the top or ends of the tank, thermal protection, and special fittings that have become standard on newer DOT 117 and DOT 117R cars. DOT 111 cars may or may not have a layer of insulation around them, and will slowly be phased out or upgraded to meet the new DOT 117R standard that took effect May 1, 2025.

Sulfuric acid has many uses, from drain cleaners in your home, to indus-trial cleaning agents in the manufactur-ing of steel, fertilizers, petroleum catalysts, the production of paper, and much more. The number that appears on the placard indicates the percentage of the sulfuric acid being transported, so first responders may deal with a spill or derailment accordingly (more about this on the model).

Athearn executed the reproduction of the various details of these cars correctly for the timeframes they represent. For me, the little details really make an N-scale product stand out. The printing on the car was crisp and clearly readable. One of the things that immediately caught my attention was the rectangular yellow notice showing Chemtrec’s phone numbers. The Procor car shows the era appropriate U.S. 1-800 number along with the separate phone number for reporting leaks and spills in Canada and Mexico found on older tank cars. Chemtrec’s reporting number meets the federal requirement to have an emergency response telephone number that is monitored 24/7 while hazardous commodities like sulfuric acid are being transported.

ABOVE: There is variety in the details across the road names included in Athearn’s first Genesis series N-scale freight car release. This fully assembled tank car replica is a fine addition to the 1:160 hobby market.

The models have diamond-shaped placards indicating the UN number (this is a unique four-digit code as-signed by the United Nations to iden-tify hazardous chemicals, materials, and articles for international transport and commerce. These numbers range from 0001 to 3500 and are crucial for proper handling, packaging, labeling, and emergency response for dangerous goods). This is a neat touch! The UN number for sulphuric acid that has a concentration of greater than 51 percent is 1830, which is denoted on the placards for both cars.

Additionally, the models incorporate vertical restraint-type couplers, more commonly known as shelf-style cou-plers. On the prototype, this prevents couplers from bypassing in derailments and potentially puncturing the ends of adjacent tank cars. This inclusion of the proper coupler demonstrates Athearn was paying close attention to the prototype. N-scale couplers are a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but these couplers were a positive experience, and worked well with other brands of couplers without being finicky or troublesome.

The details on these cars are absolutely amazing. See-through end walkways and manways on top of the cars further highlight the attention to detail these 1:160 reproductions were given. The trainline hoses on the ends of the cars cleared an appropriate height off the rail and did not cause any issues even on less than ideal trackwork.

The biggest question I have when I try out a new release like this, after examining the car for how well it matches with a known prototype, is how well the model performs. In a word, Athearn’s new acid tank car operated outstandingly. I’m not necessarily a “check the weight” kind of guy because on cars like this, there is nowhere to add additional weight if they are too light. With this in mind, I pushed and pulled these cars around the New Mexico Rail Runners N-scale layout for a couple of hours with no derailments or issues to report while operating them in a 22-car train. I placed the tank cars at various places in the consist to see if that would change this solid performing outcome, and Athearn’s Genesis acid tank car ran well no matter where it was placed in the train. Out of the box, the metal wheels were in gauge and the trucks rotated freely on their bolster.

I’m absolutely impressed with these models! With some light weathering, they’ll be right at home on your layout to serve your industries that may have a need for sulfuric acid…

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Review by Aaron Adams/photos by Tony Cook

After several years of absence, Walthers Mainline General Electric (GE) Dash 8 diesel locomotive model returns with both new and previously offered paint schemes. Editor Tony Cook covered two freight versions (wide-nose BNSF Dash 8-40BW and regular cab Santa Fe Dash 8-40B) in our June 2025 issue. Walthers also offers a passenger model based on Amtrak’s unique Dash 8-32BWH variation.

By the early 1990s Amtrak’s fleet of EMD F40PH’s was beginning to age, with the oldest locomotives dating back to 1975, so the passenger carrier was in search of new diesel motive power to supplement its fleet. General Electric provided a solution by adapting the four-axle, wide-cab model of its Dash 8 series freight locomotive, the Dash 8-40BW, which it was building for Santa Fe at the time. Changes to make it suitable for passenger service included a smaller fuel tank, reduced horsepower (3,200 hp compared to the 4,000 hp of its freight counterparts), and the ability to provide head-end power, abbreviated as HEP, for electricity in passenger cars. This variation would be designated as the Dash 8-32BWH, with “32” signifying the reduced horsepower and “H” for the HEP capability. Amtrak took delivery of 20 examples in 1991, with two paid for by the California Department of Transportation. GE would go on to make up the majority of Amtrak’s diesel fleet, mostly in the form of P40DC and P42DC Genesis-series locomotives, until the recent switch to new Siemens Charger locomotives. In the last decade, Amtrak has primarily used its Dash 8 fleet for secondary service such as yard switching and maintenance trains, while the larger Genesis fleet served as the primary diesel power for most of Amtrak’s routes.

Walthers has included four different Amtrak paint schemes in this run, with four numbers each: Phase III (AMTK 515 shown at left), Phase IV (not covered here) and Phase V (AMTK 500), and Amtrak California (AMTK 2054). The most unique paint scheme has to be the as-delivered Phase III scheme, which earned these locomotives the nickname “Pepsi Can,” because of their bright red, white, and blue colors.

After a few years, the two units paid for by California were renumbered from AMTK 501 and 502 to CDTX 2051 and 2052 and permanently assigned to the state-funded Amtrak California routes. In order to match Amtrak California’s bi-level passenger car fleet, they were repainted silver, dark blue, and yellow. Amtrak’s simpler blue and silver Phase V scheme, seen on our sample of Amtrak 500, was introduced in the early 2000s and is the paint job currently worn by the Dash 8 fleet other than California’s two units.

All three paint schemes covered here are nicely rendered and match the colors from Amtrak’s paint scheme and logo guide. The Amtrak California model matches the version of that paint scheme used from 2004 and 2008, which has a V-shaped section of dark blue paint on the nose and CDTX reporting marks below the cab windows.

Because Amtrak California only rosters two Dash 8s, 2051 and 2052, Walthers created two more numbers, 2053 and 2054, to allow for four road numbers matching what is available on the other schemes offered. While the entry-level target for these budget-friendly engines may not notice or find fault with this, it is a little disappointing because Mainline locomotives are usually prototypically accurate even if they include fewer details…

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Review by Tony Cook/photos by the author

A new ready-to-run flatcar is available in HO scale from Kadee. The debut release comes decorated in black and lettered in white for Nickel Plate Road. The design follows the proven path Kadee Quality Products has employed since the arrival of its HO-scale 40-foot boxcar model in the 1990s. This new flatcar measures a bit more than 53 ft. (matching well with its 50-ton prototype). The body is plastic with the center beams on the underframe made of die-cast metal to provide some weight for the HO replica (the sample weighs 2.3 oz.).

The flatcar includes a separate molded deck, and some underbody features are separate pieces and appear in black on this example. The couplers are Kadee’s metal scale-head knuckles and come fitted in a easy-to-access plastic pocket. The friction trucks are mounted to the flatcar by screws. End details include trainline hose and coupler cut lever. The standup brake wheel is retractable. Simply push the post upward to set the brake wheel in position.

There are fine stirrup steps and separate grab irons on the exterior corners of this flatcar. Kadee includes stakes that fit easily in the side pockets of the flatcar. The stakes could be trimmed to a desired height easily. There are two deck railing options: tall panels and short panels . These pieces are trimmed from provided sprues, come in matching color to the bed, and easily fit into the stake pockets.

This made-in-the-U.S.A. flatcar model is a solid rendering of an extremely common North American prototype and sure to see many road names as a regular and ongoing release from Kadee Quality Products.

HO SCALE
50-ton AAR Flatcar
New York, Chicago & St. Louis 3038 9505, $54.95

Kadee Quality Products
673 Avenue C
White City, OR 97503

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