Hello there!
The ScaleTrains™ Summer Road Trip™ resumed this week with our first stops being in the Dakotas.
RECAP: SOUTH DAKOTA
On Wednesday, July 6th, we were in Sioux Falls, South Dakota visiting with the Sioux Valley Model Engineers Society. This club is home to the state's largest permanent indoor HO Scale layout and traces its history back to 1948. Presently, the society occupies a building within the fairgrounds and hosts monthly open house events where everyone can view their model railroad and learn about the hobby. The layout features several of South Dakota's popular landmarks including Mount Rushmore with a working fireworks display complete with sound; Crazy Horse; Falls Park in Sioux Falls; and much more. If your travels take you through South Dakota, this is a must-see.
NEXT STOPS: NORTH DAKOTA
Tomorrow evening, Friday, July 8th, at 7:00pm local time, we’ll be visiting the Spud Valley Model Railroad Club in West Fargo, North Dakota at the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds (Address: 1351 Main Ave W West Fargo, North Dakota). The club has been in existence for over 50 years and operates an HO Scale layout with over 400 feet of track within the restored Northern Pacific Railroad depot building at Bonanzaville (no admission charge). They also operate a portable N Scale layout at local train shows and exhibitions. If you’re in the area, we hope you’ll join us.
On Sunday, July 10th, we’ll be visiting the Dakota Central & Western Model Railroad Museum for a Meet & Greet. The event will take place at the Lewis Hotel at Buckstop Junction (Address: 3805 E Bismarck Expy Bismarck, North Dakota 58501). Doors open at 1:40pm and the presentation begins at 2:00pm. Everyone is welcome to join the fun. Like most stops, this will be our only visit to the area during the Road Trip.
The Dakota Central & Western Model Railroad Museum is a group of dedicated model railroaders with a large HO Scale operating display that is located in the basement of the Lewis Hotel in the center of Buckstop Junction, a historic townsite on the east edge of Bismarck. The display is located in an approximately 3,000 square foot space, and has over 1,000 feet of operating track. The group meets every Thursday evening at 7 PM, and is open to members and guests.
MONTANA AND BEYOND
Following our stops in the Dakotas this week, we will be visiting nine (9) more model railroad clubs throughout the month of July. Our travels will take us through Montana’s “Big Sky Country” and beyond as we make our way to the Pacific Northwest. We hope to see you at one of these stops!
SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2022 at 2pm
Dakota Central & Western Model Railroad Club
Meet & Greet - Everyone Welcome
Buckstop Junction, Lewis Hotel
3805 E Bismarck Expy Bismarck, North Dakota
TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2022 at 7pm
Rimrock Model Railroaders
Meet & Greet - Everyone Welcome
IMPORTANT: Not handicap accessible
547 Garden Avenue Billings, Montana
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022 at 7pm
Livingston Model Railroad Club
Meet & Greet - Everyone Welcome
Basement of the Northern Pacific baggage building
163 Pine Creek Road Livingston, Montana
FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 at 7pm
Pocatello Model Railroad Club
Meet & Greet - Everyone Welcome
B-59 S Harrison Ave Pocatello, Idaho
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022 at 7pm
Western Montana Railroad Historical Association
Meet & Greet - Everyone Welcome
619 N Last Chance Gulch Helena, Montana
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 2022 at 7pm
Montana Museum of Railroad History
Meet & Greet - Everyone Welcome
IMPORTANT: Located inside Montana Expo Park
400 3rd St NW Great Falls, Montana
SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2022 at 1pm
Missoula Model Railroad Club
Meet & Greet - Everyone Welcome
Drummond Depot
3400 Captain Rawn Way Missoula, Montana
And more…
View more dates and locations in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Nebraska by clicking the "View Road Trip Dates" button below.
To learn more about our upcoming shows, events, and the ScaleTrains Road Trip, click the button below.
Our latest run of Rivet Counter™ HO Scale P-S/Trinity Backpacker Well Car Sets is in stock now and inventory is limited. This run includes modern versions for modelers with layouts circa 2005 and beyond.
This week, we’re taking a look at the TTX “PRR Heritage” version. By the early-2000s, many Backpackers were still in service, racking up miles alongside newer well car designs. In the late 2000s, a few examples would receive TTX’s new Tuscan red “PRR Heritage” logo which was introduced in 2008. The color was a nod to Pennsylvania Railroad, which helped create Trailer Train.
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Rivet Counter HO Scale Pullman-Standard Trinity Backpacker Well Car Set (5), Trailer Train/K-LineStarting at $139.99
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Rivet Counter HO Scale Pullman-Standard Trinity Backpacker Well Car Set (5), Trailer TrainStarting at $139.99
Out of stock
Don’t miss out on these new modern “Backpackers.” Order your favorite roadnames and paint schemes, including TTX “PRR Heritage,” today before we sell out.
To complement the “Backpacker”, we’re offering all-new Operator™ CIMC 40' Tarp Top Containers.
One of the roadnames we’re offering in this run is Hapag-Lloyd, another popular container transportation company based in Germany. The carrier was formed fifty years ago in 1970 by the merger of two other shipping lines: Hamburg-American Line (formed in 1847) and North German Lloyd (formed in 1857). Since then, Hapag-Lloyd has gone through several other mergers and acquisitions but still retains its original name. Notably, the company acquired CP Ships in 2005 - which was formerly a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific Railway. Today, Hapag Lloyd is one of the largest oceanic freight carriers in the world.
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Operator HO Scale CIMC 40’ Tarp Top Container, ZimStarting at $10.49
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Operator HO Scale CIMC 40’ Tarp Top Container, CoscoStarting at $10.49
The prototype Tarp Top Containers are easy to spot because they feature removable canvas tops (simulated on the model) to allow for hauling oversize or other types of bulky cargo that does not easily fit through the end doors. Some Tarp Tops are even used to haul trash for companies like Waste Management and Republic Services.
Don’t miss out on these unique Tarp Top Containers. Inventory is limited so order your favorite roadnames today.
In addition to the unique “Tarp Top”, Operator HO Scale CIMC 40’ Modern Angled Containers are in stock now but availability is extremely limited. One of the roadnames we’re offering is NYK Lines.
Nippon Yūsen Kabushiki Kaisha, commonly known as NYK Lines, is a Japanese shipping company. A subsidiary of Mitsubishi Group, the shipping company is Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Its fleet of nearly 660 ships includes container, tankers, bulk and woodchip carriers, roll-on/roll-off car carriers, reefer vessels, LNG carriers, and cruise ships. As of 2018, the company operates 95 containerships.
NYK’s history dates back to 1885 as Japan’s first passenger ship transportation company. Trade routes were established between Tokyo and Seattle in 1896, beginning NYK’s long relationship with the United States. Fast forward to 1985, 100 years after the company was created, NYK established an intermodal business with its partner, Southern Pacific Railroad. Today, NYK Lines stands as one of the top 5 container carriers in the world and jointly owns ONE (Ocean Network Express) with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and K Line.
We’re offering all-new roadnames and paint schemes in singles and in sets of three (3). In addition to NYK Lines, we’re offering other popular roadnames. See the inventory chart below for details.
Inventory is limited so order your favorite roadnames today before they sell out.
Last month, in conjunction with the 2022 National N Scale Convention, we joined nearly 200 modelers from all over the world for an “Extra Fare” event at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. While there, we unveiled our all-new Rivet Counter N Scale EMD SD40-2 Diesel Locomotive. After the unveiling, we rode the museum’s “Missionary Ridge Local” train behind famous steam locomotive 4501. To learn more about our experience, click the button below to watch a video covering the event.
Our very first Fox Valley Models™ N Scale freight car is the Trinity RD-4 Coal Hopper. In this run, we’re offering 24 new road numbers for Chicago & North Western so you can build long Powder River Basin coal trains on your layout.
The Powder River Basin coal boom began in the 1970s, shortly after coal was discovered there. Burlington Northern was the first railroad to access the basin with Union Pacific (UP) and Chicago & North Western (CNW) arriving later on. The CNW ran close to the northern section, as did the Union Pacific at Caballo, Wyoming. In 1982 CNW and the UP formed Western Railroad Properties, Inc. (WRPI), to acquire half interest in the Burlington Northern coal line from Shawnee Junction to Coal Creek Junction.
This partnership would allow the CNW and UP to expand their services to the many coal mines in the region. As a result, CNW rostered thousands of coal hoppers, including the RD-4 model. CNW’s RD-4 Coal Hoppers were numbered in series 880000 to 880249 and were built between April and May of 1994, only one year prior to the merger with Union Pacific. The fleet of RD-4s were used to ship the Wyoming coal to eastern states for power generation. Throughout the 1990s, including in the post-1995 merger era, long unit trains of CNW painted coal hoppers could be seen stretching 2 miles across the drylands of northern Wyoming.
Now, you can model CNW’s coal trains of the 90s thanks to our new Fox Valley Models N Scale RD-4 Coal Hopper. We’re offering multiple road numbers for each roadname so can easily build a long unit coal train. Plus, with our quantity buy pricing, hoppers are as low as $19.99 each.
In addition to CNW, we’re also offering additional roadnames. Take a look below.
- BNSF Railway
- Norfolk Southern
- Trinity Leasing/TILX
- Union Pacific/Building America
Preorder your favorite roadnames and paint schemes including Chicago & North Western by next Monday, July 18th for delivery in winter 2023.
Our latest run of Rivet Counter N Scale Greenbrier-Gunderson Multi-Max™ Autorack Cars features new road numbers and two (2) new roadnames, including Utah Central Railway (UCRY) and Trailer Train (TTX).
Modelers can expand their automotive roster even further thanks to the new road numbers. Whether you’re building a long unit train of autoracks or simply need a few mixed in with your manifest freight, the Multi-Max is the perfect addition to your modern N Scale roster.
Available roadnames and paint schemes:
- BNSF/Yellow/CTTX - Standard BNSF logo printed on corrugated panel
- BNSF/Orange/TTGX - BNSF black logo printed on logo panel
- Canadian National/White Logo/CTTX
- Canadian National/Red Logo/TTGX
- Canadian Pacific/Beaver Logo/TTGX - NEW ROADNAME
- CSX/Boxcar Logo/CTTX
- CSX/Boxcar Logo/TTGX
- Kansas City Southern/Yellow/CTTX
- Kansas City Southern/White/TTGX
- Norfolk Southern/Horsehead/CTTX
- Norfolk Southern/Horsehead/TTGX
- TTX/White/TTGX - NEW ROADNAME
- Utah Railway/White/UCRY
- Union Pacific/Building America/TTGX
If you missed out on the first run or simply want to add more to your roster, here’s another golden opportunity to secure these modern autoracks. Preorders are due by Monday, July 18th. Delivery is expected late this fall so preorder today.
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Rivet Counter N Scale Gunderson Multi-Max Autorack, Union Pacific/Building America/TTGXStarting at $44.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale Gunderson Multi-Max Autorack, BNSF/Orange/TTGXStarting at $44.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale Gunderson Multi-Max Autorack, Norfolk Southern/Horsehead/TTGXStarting at $44.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale Gunderson Multi-Max Autorack, BNSF/Orange/CTTXStarting at $44.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale Gunderson Multi-Max Autorack, CSX/Boxcar Logo/TTGXStarting at $44.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale Gunderson Multi-Max Autorack, Canadian Pacific/SooStarting at $44.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale Gunderson Multi-Max Autorack, CSX/Boxcar Logo/CTTXStarting at $44.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale Gunderson Multi-Max Autorack, Kansas City Southern/Yellow/TTGXStarting at $44.99
Out of stock
Preorders for our first run of Fox Valley Models N Scale GE ES44 GEVOs are due by next Monday, July 18th. This run includes highly anticipated roadnames like CSX Pride in Service versions.
PRIDE IN SERVICE HISTORY
The Pride in Service Program is one way that CSX recognizes the service of its employees who are United States military veterans and active-duty first responders in their local communities. To kick off the program when it was first announced in 2019, CSX dedicated three ES44 locomotives in special paint schemes to honor the Spirit of Our Law Enforcement, First Responders, and the United States Armed Forces.
We’re honored to include CSX Transportation’s Pride in Service locomotives in the first run of our Fox Valley Models N Scale ES44. We worked closely with CSX to ensure that our models accurately portray the paint schemes of each of the three locomotives.
THE MODELS
For the first time, the ES44 will be available with DCC & sound. In addition, detail parts including wire grab irons, 3-hose MU clusters, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, sunshades, brake wheel, etc. are factory-applied.
We’re offering 5 roadnames and multiple paint scheme variations so you can add some variety to your modern N Scale roster.
- BNSF/25th Anniversary/Heritage III (5 road numbers)
- BNSF/Next Fuel/Heritage III
- CSX/Pride in Service (3 road numbers)
- CSX/Safety Train/Spirit of West Springfield
- CSX/YN3 Boxcar Logo
- Florida East Coast/Champion
- GE/Next Fuel/Blue
- Iowa Interstate/30th Anniversary
Preorders for your favorite roadnames and paint schemes, including CSX Pride in Service versions, are also due by next Monday, July 18th so be sure to place your preorder today or find a Select Retailer™. Delivery is expected in Spring 2023.
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Fox Valley Models N Scale GE ES44AC, GE/Next Fuel/BlueStarting at $119.99
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Our all-new Rivet Counter N Scale EMD SD40-2 Diesel Locomotive includes classic and contemporary roadnames like Burlington Northern, the railroad to order and roster more of the model than any other company.
HISTORY
Formed in 1970 thanks to the mega merger of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; the Great Northern; the Northern Pacific; and the Spokane, Portland & Seattle, the new Burlington Northern Railroad inherited a tired, worn-out fleet of locomotives from its predecessors. By the mid-70s, the company was in desperate need of newer, reliable motive power. They looked no further than the EMD SD40-2 and ordered a total of 835 units, plus an additional 27 for its subsidiary, the Colorado & Southern.
THE MODELS
The Rivet Counter series SD40-2 is the definitive N Scale model of EMD’s best-selling diesel locomotive. Our model combines smooth operating performance with unparalleled railroad, road number, and era specific™ details. Unique Burlington Northern features include…
- Road number maintenance base lettering
- Class lights (non-operating)
- Federal Signal 372 rotary beacon (non-operating)
- BN-style latched battery box doors with narrow louvers and lift-off hinges
- Lost wax brass cast Leslie RS-3K-R horn mounted on the cab
- Motorola ASP-16 “Firecracker” antenna mounted on the cab
- And more…
In addition to Burlington Northern, we’re also offering the following roadnames and paint schemes.
- Chessie System
- CSX/SD40-3/YN3
- Norfolk Southern/Admiral Cab/Horsehead
- Southern/High Hood/Gold Lettering
- Southern/High Hood/Dulux Lettering
- Union Pacific/Fast Forty
Delivery for our all-new Rivet Counter N Scale diesel locomotive is expected in Winter 2022/2023 and preorders are due by 7/18. So don’t miss out, place your preorder today.
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Rivet Counter N Scale EMD SD40-2, Conrail/Can OpenerStarting at $149.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale EMD SD40-2, EMD Lease/Blue & WhiteStarting at $149.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale EMD SD40-2, Union Pacific/Fast FortyStarting at $149.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale EMD SD40-2, Chessie System/B&OStarting at $149.99
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Rivet Counter N Scale EMD SD40-2, Burlington Northern/BNStarting at $149.99
If everything goes as planned, the latest run of Rivet Counter HO Scale GE ET44 Diesel Locomotives, which includes most of the CN Heritage & Military Units, are expected to arrive at our warehouse in mid-July. We’ve added four (4) popular roadnames/paint schemes to this run which are available for preorder now. Here are the 4 favorites we’re bringing back.
- CSX “Spirit of Ravenna”
- CSX “Georgia Road”
- GE Demonstrator/blue, white, and green
- Kansas City Southern/road number 5000
Quantities are extremely limited, with most item numbers having fewer than 48 pieces. Be sure to preorder your favorite roadnames and paint schemes now before the models arrive with the rest of the shipment later this month.
HO ET44S AND N CARBON BLACK COVERED HOPPERS
As mentioned above, the latest run of Rivet Counter HO Scale GE ET44 Diesel Locomotives are expected to arrive at our warehouse in mid-July. Delivery of the EJ&E Heritage Unit has been delayed as we seek the best solution for the orange and gray colors. Towards the end of the month, our newest run of N Carbon Black Covered Hoppers are anticipated to arrive as well. You can view our latest ETA Updates for all models by clicking the button below.
Thank you for taking the time to read our weekly newsletter. We appreciate your business and hope to visit with you at one of our upcoming Road Trip Meet & Greet events this summer.
Sincerely,
The ScaleTrains Crew
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