Product Announcements: 2025 National N Scale Convention Kansas

[lock4244]

Announcements from the Manufacturers Breakfast by the participating folks as fast as I could type:

Eric from MicroTrains showed preproduction samples of their new Railgon Gondola by Greenville and will release by the end of end of summer.

That's definitely of interest to me.

Shane at Scale Trains... Many products are returning including the Vertipac (need a Chevy Vega to go with it)

Not something I need for my prototype, but I'd love to see them (or anyone really) do the semi enclosed autoracks that were pretty common in the 80's (side panels but no roof covering and no doors).

[C855B]

Eighteen N Scale versions were released in 2009: Rio Grande (EN-50500-1, EN-50500-2, and EN-50500-3), Seaboard Coast Line (EN-50501-1, EN-50501-2, and EN-50501-3), Milwaukee Road (EN-50502-1, EN-50503-2, and EN-50502-3), Burlington Northern (EN-50503-1, EN-50503-2, and EN-50503-3), Florida East Coast (EN-50504-1, EN-50504-2, and EN-50504-3), and Illinois Central (EN-50505-1, EN-50505-2, and EN-50503).

The HO Scale Frisco (EN-1212-1, EN-1212-2, and EN-1212-3) releases from 2009, which were followed by the Merchants Despatch (EN-1214-1, EN-1214-2, and EN-1214-3) and Baltimore & Ohio Chessie System paint scheme (EN-1216-1, EN-1216-2, and EN-1216-3), releases in 2011, and the Southern Pacific (EE-1207-1, EE-1207-2, and EE-1207-3), Rio Grande - as delivered boxcar red paint scheme (EE-1213-1, EE-1213-2, and EE-1213-3), Merchants Despatch (EE-1214-1, EE-1214-2, and EE-1214-3), Rock Island (EE-1215-1, EE-1215-2, and EE-1215-3), and Baltimore & Ohio - Capital Dome paint scheme (EE-1216-1, EE-1216-2, and EE-1216-3) releases in 2016 were never produced in N Scale.

Ah. Explains why I never got one in SP - they never did it. Have one in FEC. IIRC, I think the 2016 HO batch represented a slightly different body style.

My one is still on the layout, but set to the side. Apparently it didn't like to stay on the rails.

[wcfn100]

Eric from MicroTrains showed preproduction samples of their new Railgon Gondola by Greenville and will release by the end of end of summer,

Not sure if I ever posted these.





Jason

[James Costello]

Paul from shares that Atlas new catalog will release the week of 13th. Reruns of both the 3 and 5 unit spinecar, a new modern boxcar and a new 53’ trailer (not Wabash, and not the same as Trainworx)

As someone who knows, thanks @NSEGeorge for the further info!

[James Costello]

Jason

Thanks @wcfn100 - wow, look at those grabs pop!

[NSEGeorge]

Catching up on what I know-

Peteski-  Jumpei did not specify, but he did go on at length about how DCC is far more popular in the US than it is in Japan, so Kato USA are taking it seriously here. I suspect best way to find out is ask him directly in Novi at the NMRA.

C855B (mike)- The reason for the Vertipac is primarily they have the tooling from ExactRail, and it is a unique looking car in the sea of same.

Peteski-  The M497 is hard tooling

More to come as I decode all the pix and notes.

[thomasjmdavis]

Thanks for the list from the manufacturers' breakfast, @NSEGeorge

Found a morsel for us transition modelers. MTL "In development is a  53’6” commonwealth flatcar."

I have one from Atlas? or BLMA?  But they haven't been re-run for years, AFAIK.  So, a version from MTL will be very welcome.  Either in some early 50's paint schemes (assuming I'm right on what 'commonwealth' flatcar means) or as undecs.
       

[Chris333]

Found a morsel for us transition modelers. MTL "In development is a  53’6” commonwealth flatcar."


     

Didn't Kadee do that in HO scale?

Oops way off: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1196030705654982
50-Ton AAR Flat Car

[NSEGeorge]

We did one at deLuxe in tandem with GHQ at one point.

[Ike the BN Freak]

I spoke to Shane about the Saturday announcement and it being a 90s loco, he mentioned the AC4400 is 90s. But I didn't press it, as didn't they already do the AC4400?

[packers#1]

C855B (mike)- The reason for the Vertipac is primarily they have the tooling from ExactRail, and it is a unique looking car in the sea of same.

This was gonna be my guess as well. If you already have the tooling, plastic is relatively inexpensive. Given the train show runner market (and collector market which I’m guessing Kato is trying to grab with the NYC rocket RDC) it makes some sense.

[Mark5]

Found a morsel for us transition modelers. MTL "In development is a  53’6” commonwealth flatcar."

Is this different from the Walthers/Atlas version? https://www.spookshow.net/freight/walthers54flat.html

Or the Athearn version? https://www.spookshow.net/freight/athearn53flat.html

Mark 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'd love to hear the justification for that.

It's Kato.

[pmpexpress]

We did one at deLuxe in tandem with GHQ at one point.

One of several factory decorated (very low production run) models that Deluxe Innovations sold, the stock number 190501 Clinchfield CRR 10135 release is an ideal foundation for a Clinchfield Railroad tunnel ice breaker car conversion.

CRR ICE BREAKERS - Railwire Thread

[peteski]

Catching up on what I know-

Peteski-  Jumpei did not specify, but he did go on at length about how DCC is far more popular in the US than it is in Japan, so Kato USA are taking it seriously here. I suspect best way to find out is ask him directly in Novi at the NMRA.
Peteski-  The M497 is hard tooling

Thank you George!  At least this confirms the state of DCC adoption in Japan (Kato's main market) and why they have  so far not been adapting it as well as other manufacturers.  Well we (the U.S. modelling community) sort of knew this, but it is not confirmed right by Kato itself.  One would be hard pressed to find many DCC ready (or even friendly) models from other Japanese manufacturers like Tomix or Micro-Ace.

Japanese modelers with their generally small and basic layouts are more runners than operators, so DCC is not really all that desired. And they also do have sound systems which run from DC, so that desire is can be satisfied in Japan.  Plus, since most Japanese trains are silently-running electric, sound is not very interesting as it is for for example with steam or diesel locos.