Category Archives: News

Walthers Announces Freight Cars

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Walthers is all about freight cars this month, with three each from WalthersProto and WalthersMainline announced.

First up is the WalthersProto 40′ UTLX 16,000-Gallon Funnel-Flow Tank Car. Available in two numbers each from Honeywell (AFPX), Cargill (CRGX), Union Tank Car Company “OMYA” (UTLX) and Procor (PROX). Details include etched metal walkways and platforms, separately applied grab irons and road specific details. Previously these cars were part of Walthers Goldline, which was incorporated into the new WalthersMainline brand, and listed for $29.98. Now, as part of the new WalthersProto brand, they list for $37.98. Walthers does have a history of upgrading the details of their cars over time, so we’ll see how they do next April.

Next up is a new car, the WalthersProto 50′ AAR Single-Door Boxcar. Available in Burlington (CB&Q), Burlington Northern (BN), New York Central (NYC) and Southern Pacific (SP). They’re also available in two numbers for each road. Details include separately applied grab irons and underbody brake rigging. They’re do in May and list for $31.98.

The WalthersProto 53′ AAR Flatcar is available in four new roads, Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O), Cotton Belt (SSW), Rhode Island (RI) and Union Pacific (UP). Each get one road number as this old Proto 2000 kit takes it’s place in the ready to run WaltherProto lineup. It’s listed at $27.98, which is a reduction in price from the previous release (it was $34.98 and also ready to run, but came with a load). They’re also scheduled for May.

In what also appears to be a new offering, the WalthersMainline 49’ 100-Ton Eastern 3-Bay Hoppers are available in Chessie (B&O), Conrail (CR), Milwaukee Road (MILW), Norfolk & Western (N&W) and Pennsylvania (PRR). Each get two roadnumbers, but it doesn’t appear they come with a load. List price is $19.98 and they’re due in April.

Next up for WalthersMainline is their 40′ ARA Steel Boxcar w/Dreadnaught Ends. Available in one road number each for Elgin, Joliet & Eastern (EJ&E), Great Northern (GN), Northern Pacific (NP) and Toledo, Peoria & Western (TP&W). They list for $19.98 and should be out in May.

And finally, WalthersMainline 50′ Insulated Smooth-Side Boxcar rounds out this months announcements. Available in Chicago & North Western (CNW), Gulf, Mobile & Ohio (NIRX), Southern Pacific (NADX) and Western Pacific (WP). They’re also available in one road number, also list for $19.98 and also should be out in May.

MTH Announces new Geeps

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MTH has decided to try its hand at EMD’s GP35. The initial run features three road numbers each for Baltimore & Ohio (B&O), Erie Lackawanna (EL), Pennsylvania (PRR), New York Central (NYC), Norfolk & Western (N&W), Santa Fe (ATSF), Southern Pacific (SP), and Union Pacific (UP). They’ll be available in DC (DCC ready) for $179.95 and DCC/DCS for $279.95 (it’s also available in a version for Märklin’s Digital System). MTH has an impressive list of details for it’s GP35s (windshield wipers, metal see-thru body grilles, lift rings, metal grab irons and handrails, see-thru rooftop fan housings, etc…). It will be interesting to see if they follow Athearn Genesis and WalthersProto’s lead with road specific details or if they’ll all look the same except for the paint schemes (the images on their website are clearly mockups, so we’ll have to wait and see). I guess well find out in January 2012.

ExactRail Reruns and Previews

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ExactRail has announced a rerun of it’s Trinity 64’ TRINCool Reefer in Phase III. It’s in their Platinum Series and feature etched metal details, separately applied grab irons, separate door tracks and near-scale draft gear with Kadee #156 Whisker couplers (the original run had Kadee #58s). They’re available in 18 new road numbers, which means you could have forty-two different numbers if you bought the original run of 24 (they also made 24 different numbers of the Phase I version, which would give you 66. If you need more BLMA also has produced the car :-) They list for $32.95 and will be available November 8th.

ExactRail is also rerunning their Milwaukee 40’ Rib Side Box Car in their third different paint scheme. This one features the 1963 repaint scheme and like the first two runs comes in their Platinum Series (with standard Platinum Series detailing). Also like the first two runs, it’s available in 12 different road numbers. They list for $34.95 and will be available November 8th.

While not officially announced, ExactRail also posted information on two upcoming releases on it’s Blog. Look for the Evans 5277 Boxcar in Burlington Northern (BN), Lake Erie, Franklin & Clarion Railroad Company (LEF), Louisiana Midland (LOAM), Railbox (RBOX) and Rock Island (ROCK). While the Pullman-Standard 5344 Boxcar will be available in Bangor and Aroostook (BAR), Milwaukee Road (MILW), Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern (MNS), Rock Island (ROCK), Sandersville (SAN) and Texas Mexican (TM). Better start saving your money Rock Island fans. Official announcement with more details soon, as they expect to release them late this year.

Walthers Streamlines Product Lineup

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If you’ve ever been confused by Walthers Gold vs Platinum Line, Trainline and Proto 1000, or where Walthers Rolling Stock fits in the picture, you’re about to get some help. Walthers is consolidating it’s train lines into three levels. At the top is WalthersProto. It combines the Proto 2000, Platinum Line and passenger cars into one high end brand that feature road specific details, separately applied grab irons, etched metal walkways and underbody detailing. Up next is WalthersMainline. It encompasses the Proto 1000 and Gold Line models and uses more durable molded details in place of the delicate, separately applied ones  WalthersProto uses. Finally, WalthersTrainline wraps up the low detail, more generic Walthers train offerings.

With prices in the $30-$40 range for freight cars, $65-$70 for passenger cars and hitting $200 for DC locomotives ($300 for sound and DCC), the WaltherProto line doesn’t come cheap. Priced similar to or higher than Athearn Genesis, ExactRail Platinum, Rapido and Tangent, Walthers doesn’t have much margin for error, they have to be top notch. WalthersMainline isn’t a bargain either. With prices starting at $20 for  freight cars, they’re some of the most expensive “low detail” cars out there. That said, I do like their look and prefer them to Athearn’s Ready To Roll freight cars. Unfortunatly for Walthers, the reverse is true for WalthersMainline locomotives. I find Athearn’s Ready To Roll locomotives have more detail at comparable prices. As for WalthersTrainline, I don’t see much to recommend them. If you want rolling stock at rock bottom prices I like Atlas’s Trainman line. Yes they’re far from perfect, but a great value and don’t have that toy train look. Same thing for the locomotives. I would much rather spend a few dollars more on an Athearn Ready To Roll or an Atlas Trainman locomotive than for a WalthersTrainline one.