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.
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!).
ACF Two-bay Covered Hopper Kit (updated) by Mike Fyten
Mike Fyten announces that he has completed the work on his 3D-printed ACF two-bay covered hopper kit. He is offering these at $75 each with free shipping within the U.S. The modeler will need to build and paint the model, and provide trucks, couplers, and decals. Tichy Train Group, for example, makes decals for these cars. Mike does not have a web site, so contact him via e-mail to make arrangements.
Start an e-mail message (mike@kvrr-usa.com).
Outside Clasp 70-ton Trucks by Bonsall Scale Carshops
New-to-S manufacturer Bonsall Scale Carshops has released their 3D-printed trucks. These were trucks used by Carbon County Railway (CBC, Utah), and Bessemer & Lake Erie (B&LE) hoppers. These trucks are designed to use the NorthWest ShortLine part #37737-4 wheels and to be attached to the body using 2-56 bolster screws. The parts are slightly flexible making it easier to safely insert the wheels. Sold per pair.
Sn2 Russell Trucks by Smoky Mountain Model Works
Smoky Mountain Model Works announces the 36-inch wheelbase Russel truck kit for two-foot narrow-gauge railroads. These can be ordered with or without HOn3 wheelsets.
Sn3 Freight Car Kits by Leadville Designs
Leadville Designs is now accepting pre-orders for these Sn3 freight cars. They are wood kits with details made out of etched-brass, and plastic. The kits come with decals, but no trucks or couplers.
New Freight Car Loads by Terrain3D
Terrain3D announces several new flat car and gondola loads in S-scale. These are 3D-printed, unpainted models. The company only sells through eBay.
Scale America Web Site Updated
"Way back" in 2022 Matt Gaudynski announced the formation of "Scale America", which consists of various brand names merged into one, such as "S Scale America". The company carries various scales. For those not familiar with the connection and history of the Des Plaines Hobbies store, this is basically the continuation of the former manufacturing arm of the Des Plaines Hobbies hobby store, but now set up as a separate entity. Well, their web site has recently been updated and they now offer various freight cars for sale, complete with an online shopping cart system. As of today, included are the S Scale America 52' Evans box cars, the SSA three-bay open-top hoppers, the SSA Intermodal containers, their collection of MicroScale S-scale decals, former River Raisin Models brass detailing parts, and some remaining stock of S-Helper Service freight cars. Their former Fox Valley Models track components are shown and listed, but are still marked as "sold out".
Helium Car Update by Beaver Models
Beaver Models announces that they now have the "metal roof walk" part available if you prefer to have that for your helium car. Greg has also updated the kit's instruction sheet (PDF file is available from the web site's home page).
Shipping Containers by Team Track Models
Team Track Models has added various shipping containers to their product line. These are paper kits that you print yourself and build up into the model. Full instructions are on their web site. Add them to your intermodal cars or build an large intermodal lot in an affordable manner. These are available in various lengths (based on the configuration). Be sure to select "S scale" on their web site, as they offer models in various scales.
ScaleTrains Announces Wood Reefers
ScaleTrains continues with producing S-scale freight cars as part of their S-Helper Service brand name, with this announcement of taking pre-orders for the 40-foot ACF wooden reefer. These cars ran from the late 1920s well into the 1960s. These models will come with hi-rail wheels and couplers installed, and have scale wheels and couplers inside the box. They are expected to arrive in October 2025.
AF Coupler Conversion Kit for Hoppers by Benn Central Shops
Ben Trousdale announces that he has a kit available to allow his Benn Central Shops hopper kits to be coupled to other AF-compatible cars and engines. The kit's contents, priced at $10, are shown in the first photo. The second photo shows how they fit into the Kadee 802 draft gear box for which his cars are designed. These are not available via his 3D Central Trains page, so see his Facebook page, or contact him via e-mail to make arrangements.
Start an e-mail message (ben.benncentral@gmail.com).
Pilot and Draft Gear for American Models SD60 by Benn Central Shops
Ben Trousdale announces that he has 3D-printed parts for improving the look of an American Models SD60. The parts include the front pilot and draft gear with plow, and the rear pilot and draft gear. These are not available via his 3D Central Trains page, so see his Facebook page, or contact him via e-mail to make arrangements. These are $25 per set, plus the cost of shipping.
Start an e-mail message (ben.benncentral@gmail.com).
Replacement Truck Bolster for Lionel Cylindrical Hopper by Benn Central Shops
Ben Trousdale announces that he has 3D-printed replacement bolsters for the Lionel cylindrical hoppers. These are only applicable to Lionel's first run, where the cars ran too high. These are not available via his 3D Central Trains page, so see his Facebook page, or contact him via e-mail to make arrangements. These are $8 per pair, plus the cost of shipping.
Start an e-mail message (ben.benncentral@gmail.com).
Coupler Boxes by Smoky Mountain Model Works
Jim King announced that he has converted his previously-released Kadee-, Inventive Models-, and Sergent-compatible coupler boxes to 3D-printed versions. These are available now and are only available in grey.
4180 Airslide Covered Hopper Kit by Benn Central Shops
Benn Central Shops announces the 3D-printed kit for an 4180 Airslide covered hopper. These cars were manufactured by General American Car Company starting in 1963 for a wide variety of railroads. They have a far larger capacity than the original mid-1950s Airslide hoppers (made in S-scale by River Raisin Models in brass in 1988). 3D Central will be printing and shipping these kits starting in mid-December 2024. The kit is for the body only; the modeler will need to supply the desired decals, appropriate 100-ton trucks, and the couplers. Benn Central Shops is working on producing a separately-available 100-ton truck, but it is not ready yet.
Freight Car Loads by American Models
American Models offers these 3D-printed, unpainted loads for flat cars and gondolas.
Intermodal Spine Cars Proposal by American Models
American Models is considering another run of the 1996 intermodal spine cars. This was a 5-car set. Some of their original tooling is missing, so they will need to make an investment in re-creating that tooling, hence the need for finding out how many people would be interested. If you are interested in possibly purchasing one or more of these sets, please contact American Models via e-mail (see below) or by calling them at (734) 449-1100.
Start an e-mail message (corbinbates@netscape.net).
Type 27 8,000-gallon Tank Car by Pre-Size Model Specialties
Pre-Size Model Specialties is announcing their next S-scale kit, the Type 27 8,000-gallon tank car. These Type 27 tank cars were built from 1927 well into the 1940s. American Car & Foundry built more than 1,800 of them. They were the most common type of tank car in the first half of the 20th century. These cars were used to carry petroleum, alcohol, ammonia, chemicals, molasses, and vegetable oil. Most were rebuilt for use as maintenance-of-way cars well into the 1980s. The kit was manufactured for Pre-Size by Miniatures from the North (Simon Parent). The kit consists of 3D-printed parts and wooden footboards. The final model is very accurate and detailed. Highly-detailed instructions are available via the Pre-Size web site, so you can see what this project entails. The kit does not come with trucks, couplers, or decals. Steve Wolcott indicated that he is exploring decals.
The company is also announcing that they are now the U.S. distributor for Miniature from the North's Bettendorf 50-ton trucks. If you are in the U.S., this will save you the cost of paying for international shipping (Miniatures from the North is based in Canada), and Pre-Size offers free shipping within the U.S.
90-ton Depressed Center Flat Car by Steel Mill Modelers Supply
Steel Mill Modelers Supply announces the S-scale version of their 90-ton depressed-center car. The car is 3D-printed and arrives unpainted. The kit includes the body, the brake wheel, the company's own 100-ton trucks and scale metal wheels, hardware, Kadee S-scale #802 couplers, and a metal weight. On their web site, be sure to select "1/64" for the S-scale version. The modeler has to paint the model and provide the desired decals to complete the car.
Another Run of the Railbox Box Car by American Models
American Models has produced another run of their 50-foot Railbox box car. They are also offering a set of 4 cars, each with their own road number. As is standard with American Models, these are available with hi-rail wheels and couplers, or scale wheels and couplers.
Freight Car Trucks by Steel Mill Modelers Supply
Steel Mill Modelers Supply announces two new trucks available in S-scale. The three-axle, 6-wheel Buckeye truck with roller bearings fit any heavy-duty freight car from the 1960s onward. They come with 36" scale metal wheels, and nylon inserted bearings. They are available for $25 per pair in kit form or painted and assembled for $35 a pair. The four-wheel ASF 100-ton roller bearing truck has similar features, but they come only in kit form. They are $19.95 a pair.
Pullman-Standard Covered Hopper Kits by Benn Central Shops
After a very long time of perfecting his design, and after showing examples at the recent NASG Convention in Harrisburg, PA, Ben Trousdale is excited to announce the availability of his first two covered hopper kits. These are kits for 3D-printed bodies only. The modeler will need to complete the model by adding trucks, wheels, couplers, paint, and decals. These are available for $70 each, and the first print is scheduled to start on October 15, 2024. The Pullman Standard 4750 three-bay covered hopper was manufactured from 1972 through 1981, for a total of over 56,000 cars! These well-built cars are still used today. Also available for pre-order is the Pullman Standard 3000 two-bay covered hopper, built starting in 1977. Bill Lane built an early pre-production version of the 4750 car and had Circus City make Conrail decals for him, so those should be available from that company, if you are interested.
Treadwell 200-ton Hot-Metal Car by State Tool & Die
State Tool & Die is pleased to announce their first S-scale kit. The company was founded in 1945, and since 1993 has been producing steel-mill-related model railroading items in HO-scale. This is their first venture into S. The Treadwell 200-ton hot metal cars are used to transport hot iron from Cleveland Cliffs in Northern Indiana to Cleveland Cliffs' BOF in Riverdale, IL over the mainline. There are typically five to eight of these in a train, and they run on an almost daily basis. This S-scale kit comes complete with trucks, scale metal wheels, and Kadee couplers. The kit costs $225. If you are able to attend the The Great Berea Train Show this upcoming weekend (October 5 & 6), State Tool & Die will be there and they will offer this S-scale kit for $200 (they will also have 4-pack and 100-pack S-scale wheels available for sale at $10 and $100, respectively). State Tool & Die's web site is linked below, but they don't have the car listed on their site yet. However, the Steel Mill Modeler's Supply web site does have the car listed (be sure to select "1/64" otherwise you get the HO-scale version!), for a slightly reduced price.
Fox Trucks by B.T.S.
Bill Wade announced that he has his caster working on the S-scale version of the Fox trucks. No word on a due date or costs. The Fox trucks were very popular in the late 1800s, because they were able to support up to 120 tons. Samson Fox, the inventor, was a British gentleman, who made an arrangement with an American to sell his trucks in the U.S. Within a year the NYC ordered 100 pair, and when the PRR heard of this, they ordered 150 pair. Due to their success in the U.S. they formed the Fox Solid Pressed Steel Company in New Jersey in late 1888. Two years later, they were producing 100 trucks per month, selling to over 30 railroads. The 1893 economic crash took the company down. They formed the Fox Pressed Steel Company in Pennsylvania in early 1896, but its focus was on building complete freight cars (mostly hoppers and flat cars).
The 2024 NASG Annual Member Car
Since 2020 the NASG has been producing the Annual Member Car specifically for NASG members. This year's car is an insulated reefer to be produced for us by American Models. The Mathieson Dry Ice reefer has an aluminum body color, brown ends, and black lettering. The car was owned by National Car Company (NX), which was a subsidiary of the Fruit Growers Express Company (FGE), and leased to Mathieson Chemical Company for use in a dedicated dry-ice hauling service. The model will be based on the 2200-series of insulated reefers that American Models has produced. There will be two prototype railroad numbers available, namely #8842 and #8855, and they will be available with either hi-rail wheels and couplers or "scale" wheels and couplers. Update: Jim Whipple was able to find two real-world photos of the car on the Web, linked to below.
Canadian National Sn42 Freight Cars by Newfie Bullet
These cars were used by the CN on the Newfoundland narrow-gauge (42"-gauge). These are body 3D-prints only; the modeler must provide all other parts to complete the model.
Sn3 Freight Cars by Western Rails Company
Western Rails Company announces the availability of Sn3 3D-printed freight cars. Note that for the high-sided gondolas, the company also offers the pipe gondola (no ends) and the idler flat (no ends and no sides) versions of those cars. These are bodies only; the modeler must supply everything else to complete the model. As a side note: if you see a model that they only offer in another scale, contact them to see if they can make it in S; they have indicated that they are willing to do so.
Flat Car Load by Phoenix Precision Models
The company has available a flat car load of a pair of WWII-era Jeeps. These are 3D-printed, unpainted models.
New Zealand Railway Freight Cars by New Zealand Finescale
These are one-piece 3D-printed body kits with etched-brass underframe with working suspension. These include the North Yard wheels, but do not include the couplers and the chain hooks (available separately). Decals might be available upon request. Full instructions are available on their web site. Note that these are gauged to Sn42 (a.k.a. Sn3.5).
Halliburton Flat Car Kit by Pre-Size Model Specialties
Pre-Size Model Specialties announces a new resin kit. Thrall and Halliburton built 150 of these specialized cars in the 1960s. They were scrapped in 2023. These cars were built to carry dry ingredients for oil drilling and roamed the country from Alaska to Texas and points east, everywhere Halliburton was drilling. The kit consists of high-quality resin castings, PVC pipe, and many detail parts. Custom etchings of roof walks and ladders are included, as well as decals. Does not come with trucks or couplers. This kit was produced in partnership with Rumbling Rails Engineering.
New D&RGW TOFC Set by Depot G Hobbies
On February 15, 2024, Depot G Hobbies (NASG Dispatch advertiser, and 2024 NASG Convention vendor) announced an exclusive freight car run, to be manufactured for them by American Models. This is the Rio Grande Motorways TOFC set. Rio Grande Motorways was the trucking and bus subsidiary company of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The set includes two D&RGW TOFC flat cars (standard-gauge) with different road numbers, one with as-delivered silver lettering and one with later white lettering. Also included are three 40-foot Motorways trailers with different paint schemes.
Update: These have now been delivered. The 5-piece set is $199 plus shipping. The initial order is limited to 35 sets. If you have already placed an order, or are going to place an order, you can, optionally, order an additional set of the three trailers. Note that the trailers are not for sale separately; you must order the complete set before qualifying for the additional set of trailers. The updated photos show American Models' actual production models. The first and second photo show the set (the second flat car is not shown).
New: The company commissioned American Models to also go ahead and produce 20 D&GRW non-TOFC flat cars. This one is shown in the third photo. These are priced at $55 plus shipping and can be ordered separately from the above-mentioned set. Again, these can be picked up at the upcoming NASG Convention to save on shipping.
On Windows computers, right-click on the photos to see a larger version.
The company does not have a web site, so place your order via postal mail, e-mail, or by phone.
Depot G Hobbies
Jim Marski
P.O. Box 63
Pine, CO 80470
(303) 345-5031
Start an e-mail message (DepotGHobbies@outlook.com).
Loads by Terrain3D
The company sells only via eBay. They offer several unpainted, 3D-printed gondola and flat car loads in S-scale.
PS-1 Box Car Kit (updated) by Smoky Mountain Model Works
Jim King, of Smoky Mountain Model Works, recently announced that he is considering producing a kit of the ubiquitous 40-foot PS-1 box car. If you model 1948 or later, you may well be interested in this project. Update: Jim has received the required minimum reservations, so the project is a "go". To keep the number of choices to a minimum, Jim will only produce one body style (the most common one), and only the 8-foot door version using Youngstown-design doors (the most common one). Pullman-Standard built these into the mid-1960s. The kit will be to SMMW's usual high standards. The correct ASF Ride Control trucks will be available separately for $32 per pair. Since there were so many railroads that bought these cars, SMMW's kit will not include decals, but those decals can be sourced from several decal manufacturers (e.g. K4 Decals, Circus City Decals & Graphics). The price of the kit is yet to be determined. If you are interested in one or more of these kits, or would like to amend your previous reservations, contact Jim to make a no-deposit reservation. Click on the e-mail link or visit the web site to contact Jim. He provided a listing of the railroads that had these cars:
A&WP, AA, ACL
BAR, BM
C&EI, CG, C&G (Columbus & Greenville), C&O, CGW, CNJ, CNW
D&H, DSS&A
Erie
GA, GN, GTW
KCS
L&N, LECX, LS&I
M&Stl, MILW, MKT, MP
N&W, NJI&I, NRBX, NYC, NYRX
PRR
RI, Rutland
Sav & Atl, SAL, SCL, SLSF, SOO, Southern, SSW
TLCX, TM
UP, USAF, USAX, USMC, USN
VGN
Wabash, WofA, WP
Start an e-mail message (jimking3@charter.net).
Be sure to see all, or other, products announced over the past year via the main News page.