The Rip Track

There are three major model railroad shows in North America that have become known in the hobby as shows where many manufacturers announce and debut new products: the National Train Show held in conjunction with the NMRA's national convention, the International Hobby Expo held every October in Chicago, and Trainfest held every November in Milwaukee.  Last weekend, I went to Trainfest and recorded quick interviews with as many manufacturers as I could to find out what we can expect from them this model railroad year.  I was able to talk to so many different companies that each had so much to say that Episode 11 is the first mulitpart episode of The Rip Track Podcast.  We'll hear from several manufacturers in each part of this episode, and each part will have photos and links in the show notes that relate to the announcements that were mentioned therein. 

Trainfest

Exhibitors interviewed for this part of Episode 11:

• Walthers
  • New releases page
  • HO scale - Milwaukee Road ribside cabooses
  • HO scale - Missabe prototype 34' wood caboose due December 2009
  • HO scale - tank cars
  • HO scale - all door box car
  • HO scale - large woodchip hopper
  • HO scale - gondola
  • HO scale - Proto 2000 Pullman-Standard 4427 covered hopper
  • HO scale - ballast cars
  • N scale - Pullman-Standard 10-6 sleepers
  • N scale - Pere Marquette prototype 72' baggage cars
  • N scale - 64-seat coach
  • N scale - Difco dump cars
  • N scale - 5-unit double stack car
  • HO scale - Union Pacific "City of ..." passenger train
  • HO scale - Waddams gas station
  • HO scale - Stuckey's gas station
  • HO scale - laser-cut wood structure kits
  • HO scale - E7 locomotives (CB&Q, PRR)
  • HO scale - ethanol industry series models
• Intermountain Railway Company
  • HO scale - Procor pressure flow hoppers expected in April or May 2010
  • HO scale - R-70-20 open-end refrigerator cars
  • HO scale - GE ES44AC "GEVO" locomotives
  • HO and N scale - SD40-2W locomotives
  • Check with DCC decoder manufacturers for decoders that don't seem to fit
  • HO and N scale - AC-12 locomotives, improved performance, sound units shipping
  • Intermountain Railway Company Modelers Club
• Lionel LLC
  • Wizard of Oz and Beatles collector box cars
  • Union Pacific Challenger locomotive
  • Vision Line CC2 locomotive
  • GEVO locomotive
  • Union Pacific Genset locomotive
  • 2-10-10-2 steam locomotive expected in May 2010
  • F3 locomotives in the Classic Series
  • Vision Line tank cars
  • rotary coal dumper reissue with a new conveyor system
• Athearn
  • HO scale - Union Pacific "veranda" gas turbine locomotive expected in June 2010
  • HO scale - GP15-1 locomotive expected in May 2010
  • HO and N scale - 60' 33,000 gallon tank cars, three styles
  • HO scale - SD70ACe and SD70M-2 locomotives with full cab interiors
  • N scale - more roadnames on the Southern Pacific prototype bay window caboose
  • N scale - new Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt cabooses to be announced soon
• Kato USA
  • HO scale - Kobo BNSF SD40-2 locomotives
  • HO scale - SD40-2 mid-production locomotives, many undecorated models available
  • HO scale - C44-9W locomotives painted for Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and C&NW "dynamic duo" set
  • N scale - TTX double stack cars with CN and Pacer containers
  • N scale - MR&T containers
  • N scale - New York Central M-497 jet-powered RDC
  • N scale - PRR Broadway Limited passenger train
  • N scale - Southern Pacific Daylight passenger train
  • N scale - PA/PB and E8A/B sets in SP Daylight paint
  • N scale - GS-4 locomotives, new numbers in both daylight and wartime black paint
  • N scale - Santa Fe El Capitan passenger train expected in December 2009
  • N scale - Santa Fe F7 locomotives
  • N scale - Union Pacific SD70ACe "heritage paint" locomotives reissues
  • N scale - Santa Fe Super Chief passenger train reissues with new car numbers
  • N scale - Amtrak P42 set
  • N scale structures
  • N scale - yard and highway trucks
• Brooklyn Peddler
  • train whistles
  • hats and novelties
  • train painting kits
  • water bottles
  • engineer rubber duckies

Listen to Episode 11 Part 1