 
          
            Kadee
          
        
        
        
        
        
          will be releasing an
        
        
          HO scale ready-to-
        
        
          run model of a 50
        
        
          foot PS-1 box car
        
        
          decorated for Western Railway of Alabama in October. The
        
        
          model has 9 foot doors, a cushion underframe, and extended
        
        
          couplers. It will have an MSRP of $36.95. Also coming from
        
        
          Kadee in October is a C&O 40’ PS-1 boxcar as manufactured in
        
        
          1951. Check the above website for pricing information.
        
        
          
            Moloco Trains
          
        
        
        
        
          )
        
        
          has entered into the
        
        
          ready-to-run arena
        
        
          with the release of
        
        
          this HO scale Erie
        
        
          Lackawanna 50’ General American RBL boxcar. Notable features
        
        
          include a 10’6” offset side door, a newly-tooled overhanging
        
        
          Stanray roof, Stanray R3-4 welded ends, and Moloco’s own cush-
        
        
          ioned draft gear coupler boxes and rubber air hoses. Pricing and
        
        
          additional details are available at the above website.
        
        
          
            Owl Mountain
          
        
        
          
            Models
          
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
           has
        
        
          created a modular
        
        
          injection molded
        
        
          lumber load kit for
        
        
          wide-decked HO
        
        
          News column - 14
        
        
          scale flat cars. The load consists of 32 “panels” of lumber which
        
        
          can be stacked together to form units and stacks of lumber in
        
        
          a variety of different arrangements. All parts are cast in a light
        
        
          cream-tan color which is a good starting point for weathering
        
        
          and adding wood grain effects. Although specifically designed
        
        
          to fit the class F-70 series flat cars (ex-Red Caboose) sold by the
        
        
          Southern Pacific Historical Society, the load will fit several other
        
        
          flat cars including Walthers/Proto2000’s 53 footer, Bowser’s
        
        
          class F30A, Tichy’s 53 foot GSC, and Athearn Blue-Box 40 foot
        
        
          and 50 foot flat cars. The lumber load is available through the
        
        
          above website.
        
        
          
            Rapido Trains Inc.
          
        
        
        
        
          ) has announced plans to
        
        
          produce an HO scale EMD FL9 locomotive. Built between 1956
        
        
          and 1960, the FL9 was a dual-power locomotive able to oper-
        
        
          ate as a traditional diesel-electric as well as on direct electric
        
        
          power. This allowed it to handle New Haven Railroad’s passen-
        
        
          ger trains in and out of New York City’s Grand Central Terminal
        
        
          without the need for an engine change. This is the first time a
        
        
          plastic version of this unique locomotive has been produced.
        
        
          Rapido is cutting new tooling for the models that will include
        
        
          authentic details for both the first and second delivery groups
        
        
          of locomotives including third-rail shoes and pantographs
        
        
          where appropriate.
        
        
          The HO scale models
        
        
          will be available with
        
        
          factory-installed ESU
        
        
          LokSound DCC/sound
        
        
          decoders or as DC mod-
        
        
          els (DCC-ready). The
        
        
          MSRP will be $249.95
        
        
          
            Photo courtesy of Mike Schafer
          
        
        
        
        
          MRH-Aug 2014