News: Freight Cars
This report lists freight cars that are available or in the works. This page may also contain detailing parts and other items applicable to these cars. Click photos to visit the web sites.
Open Source 3D-printer Files for Freight Car Trucks by RamBros Workshop
The company has made available files for several freight car trucks compatible with their Dragon Railway system. Their freight car models indicate which trucks they need. These are files that you are free to download, modify, and print yourself. The files include the frame and wheels.
Open Source 3D-printer Files for Freight Cars by RamBros Workshop
The company has made available new models under their Dragon Railway system. These are files that you are free to download, modify, and print yourself. The files include the body and the frame. The company has separate files available for their trucks and wheels and their couplers (see their page).
50-foot Plug-door Box Car (updated) by Smoky Mountain Model Works
Jim King, of Smoky Mountain Model Works, posted this announcement:
"If you've followed the S scale groups.io mailing list and at least 1 Facebook page over the past few months, you've probably seen CAD screenshots of a proposed TTX F-box by Ben Trousdale. Ben and I have discussed having me print his parts and market under the Smoky Mtn Model Works name. It's a 50 foot plug door car with flat roof. Until I receive CAD files to determine production costs, my "best guess" is around $95 for a kit minus trucks, couplers, and decals. Price depends on the quantity of kits produced. I will consider the option to include my 100 ton trucks for $30/pair and Kadee 802 couplers. I've contacted K4Decals about creating a set for this car which could be included in the kit. A "full kit" will run in the $130-135 range but everything would be included which saves you the time and cost of sourcing remaining parts. This will likely be a limited run kit so, if you want 1 or more, don't hesitate to voice your interest now. No deposit required, no guarantee it will be produced. This post is ONLY to determine market interest."
Update: this project is a "GO"! Contact Jim if you want to be added to the list.
Start an e-mail message (jimking3@charter.net).
Stock Car Project (updated) by Smoky Mountain Model Works
Jim King, of Smoky Mountain Model Works, has completed his O-scale project for Nickel Plate 36-foot stock cars, both single deck and double deck versions. He is willing to invest the time it takes to scale his designs to S-scale to produce this kit in S.
A bit of background history of stock cars in S-scale. S-Helper Service produced a number of stock cars (40-foot models), but MTH never did a re-run of them, and it doesn't look like ScaleTrains is going to do them anytime soon (if ever). East West Rail Service produced C&O, SOO, and SP kits over a dozen years ago. Stock cars in S are rare, so this is a fantastic opportunity.
Important: the photo is of the O-scale pilot model assembled by a well-known O-scale modeler.
Update: orders for this car are coming, but Jim needs about 25 more reservations to make this project a "go". Please help support this project; you can always sell the kit on the secondary market if you don't want it later on. If you don't like building kits, there are modelers who are willing to do so, so don't let that be a deterrent. These are going to be beautiful models.
Start an e-mail message (jimking3@charter.net).
Planned Freight Car Trucks by Plate C Model Prototypes
Plate C Model Prototypes used to have S-scale freight car trucks for sale that the owner, Adam Chilcote, printed himself. He offers trucks in other scales as well, and got overwhelmed by the orders. So, he contracted with the 3D Central to have them take over the order-taking and printing. Along the way, his S-scale trucks were not migrated over to the 3D Central site. Adam is now wanting to devote time and energy toward getting us the trucks we want in S-scale. His objective is to offer them complete with wheelsets, but that is still up for discussion. However, he has a large collection of trucks designed for use in other scales, and is planning to make them all available in S-scale as well. He has provided a PDF file that details all of the trucks he has done so far (see the link; ignore the "code 88" reference at the top of the document). He had previously done these in S-scale, and will be offering them again, soon: 4101-01, 4109-01, 4112-01, 4116-01. He is tentatively planning on starting this effort in the second half of May. What he is asking us, is to provide him with feedback as to which ones of the trucks he has already designed that you would like to buy in S. That way he can focus on those first. Contact him via e-mail.
Start an e-mail message (achilcote94@gmail.com).
U.S. 250th Anniversary Box Car by Lionel
Lionel announces their U.S.A. 250th Anniversary car. It is scheduled to arrive in November 2026. Contact your preferred dealer to place your order. Lionel showed it sold out already within a month.
Pipe Loads by Milwaukee Flyer
Milkwaukee Flyer has recently released a number of pipe loads. These are designed to go into the A.C. Gilbert gondolas, but they should work for other brands as well.
Wrapped Lumber Loads
New to this web site is a company by the name of Hopper Hill Hobbies. Owner Thomas Vaughan hand-builds solid-wood wrapped lumber loads in N- and HO-scales, and he is now expanding into S-scale as well. Please note that their S-scale offerings aren't listed on their web site, yet. Fellow S-modeler, Mark Charles, ordered some to examine them and was impressed with them. His was a scale 60 feet long, 11 feet tall, and 4 feet deep. They should be a perfect fit for the Pre-Size Model Specialties' centerbeam flat cars.
Sn2 Trucks 3D-printer Files
Tom Bell, of Tebee Models, has made available a collection of 3D-printer .stl files of a variety of Sn2 freight car trucks. These can be freely downloaded. He states that he doesn't have the appropriate wheelsets (they are designed to take the Kadee HOn3 ones), so he cannot vouch for the design, but if you try and print them, he would appreciate your feedback.
Review of ScaleTrains' Reefer
TSG Multimedia does a nice review of the recently-released ScaleTrains reefer.
Trailer-on-Flat-Cars with Trailers by ScaleTrains
ScaleTrains announces their next S-scale freight car, the trailer-on-flat-car (TOFC or "Piggy-back") model. Some railroads built these cars from new and some converted existing flat cars into TOFC service. These are the 53'6" General Steel Casting Corp cars, which had been released by S-Helper Service (SHS) in 1997. For the cars with road names previously released, ScaleTrains made sure to use a different road number than what SHS used, so that you can expand on your existing train. The Milwaukee Road car is a new road name, and SHS only released a red/brown TTX car, so the ScaleTrains' yellow car is new as well. ScaleTrains is also offering more road numbers than the original SHS run, for most of the road names. The cars come with one 35-foot dry-goods trailer (additional models available separately). As is standard with ScaleTrains, the models come with hi-rail couplers and wheels installed, and the boxes include the scale couplers and wheels for easy conversion. You can place your pre-order now and they are scheduled to arrive in June of 2026.
Detailing Parts by Ye Olde Huff 'n Puff
In May 2025, the current owners of Ye Olde Huff 'n Puff, LaBelle Woodworking, added their catalog of cast metal S-scale parts to their web site. It is kind of hidden in their site, so this post is to let you know what they have available. Note that the company can also produce, on demand, any of their HO- or O-scale decals in S-scale.
Reefers by ScaleTrains
As the webmaster, I somehow completely forgot to announce the arrival of the ScaleTrains reefers back in mid-September. For that I apologize. Most of the cars are still available for sale at ScaleTrains. These are the late-1920s cars similar to the ones that S-Helper Service had previously released. Multiple road numbers are available, as well as two factory-painted but undecorated models.
Logging Skeleton Car Kit by Cinder Sam
Harry Noble (a.k.a. "Cinder Sam") offers a kit consisting of parts that provide the bodies of three log-carrying cars for $14. A two-pack assembled version is also available for $10. The modeler needs to provide the trucks, with the model designed for use with A.C. Gilbert link-coupler trucks, Lionel archbar trucks, or Marx trucks. Harry is an NASG member. Contact him to order these as follows:
Harry Noble
1124 Old Springfield Pike
Xenia, Ohio 45385
(937) 972-1576 (phone or text)
New Resin Sn42 Freight Car Kits by South Dock Models
If you enjoy Sn42/Sn3.5 and/or New Zealand Railway modeling, you might be interested to know that South Dock Models (based in New Zealand) has significantly expanded their listing of freight and passenger cars, as well as vans (cabooses). There are too many to list individually, so visit their web site to view their entire inventory.
Re-run of Waffle-sided Box Car by Smoky Mountain Model Works
Jim King is will do another run of the 5277cuft waffle-sided box car kit if the demand is there. The first run was done back in 2008. These are 50' cars built starting in 1974 and used by a variety of railroads.
Start an e-mail message (jimking3@charter.net).
Sn42 Container Flat Car Frame by Newfie Bullet
The company makes available a 3D-printed flat car frame for a Canadian National Sn42 car that is designed to carry one 40-foot shipping container or two 20-foot containers. The modeler has to provide the trucks, brake details, couplers, and decals to complete the model. Visit the web site to see a large photo of a prototype car.
CN/Newfoundland Railway Sn42 Box Car Kits by Newfie Bullet
The company has added two new box car bodies to their S-scale line-up. These are 3D-printed by 3DP Train. The modeler will need to provide the appropriate trucks, wheels, couplers, and decals.
Three-axle Buckeye Truck by Earnest Trains
Earnest Trains, a 3D-print products shop based in San Pedro, California, by request, has upscaled one of their HO-scale products into their first S-scale product, a three-axle Buckeye truck. The photo is courtesy of David Henley, who commissioned the item. The truck comes without wheels (David used S Scale America ones) and it is unpainted. The price on the web site is per pair. (please note that their web site is not secure, but when you actually go to pay for your order, you will be taken to a separate secure web site).
Detailing Parts and Loads by Phil's Train Layout Store
The company offers S-scale 3D-printed resin flat car loads and detailing parts. The company is based in London, Ontario, Canada, so expect some extra shipping/delivery fees.
26" Sn3 Wheels by Leadville Designs
Leadville Designs announces Sn3 26" wheels machined from stainless steel to NMRA code 88 standards with pointed-end axles for smooth operation. Overall axle length is 0.885". Four axles per pack.
Lionel Not Quite Done
The Lionel 2025 catalog volume I is out. It celebrates Lionel's 125th anniversary (although the individual corporations representing "Lionel" have come and gone over the decades). On page 184 we find the American Flyer 2025 Christmas box car. It has opening doors and features different images on each side. On page 246 they still list the American Flyer items previously released such as the PRR Docksider and the Polar Express train sets, the Southern Alco PA engines, various hoppers, and box, milk, flat, dump, and passenger cars (please note that a number of photos and their captions don't match!).
Be sure to see all, or other, products announced over the past year via the main News page.