2025 Springfield Show News

[James Costello]

MTL new Greenville "Railgon" 52'06" gondola



(Image from RMC Facebook Posts)

[James Costello]

Aurora Miniatures N Scale Greenbrier / Gunderson 6276cuft 50' Plate F Boxcar (2016 Prototype)
(From their Facebook Page)



Apparently 10 schemes in first run...

[James Costello]

RMC have had their usual coverage on Facebook, but I haven't seen much from the MRH crowd with their regular posting on their forum.

JoeF did have the following from Micro-Engineering though that may be of interest:

MicroEngineering is just a couple booths over from MRH. I talked to them and they said their new website with a shopping cart should be up by May.

[Scottl]

Those Aurora boxcar will be a great addition.  The 60' cars were superb.

[dem34]

Peco had their American Outline N scale on display again.
Some confirmation
-They want to get a similar lineup to their Streamline offerings before releasing.
-It IS going to be the embedded half rail like Streamline Code 55.

Up in the air.
They said soon when I asked about release. Which to me at least gives me hope like a year or so. But I may hold off on some things if it really is "Just around the corner." Because I would like to use the more robust track for TTrak purposes.

[Mark5]

Thanks James!

Mark

[James Costello]

Preliminary research on the MTL Greenville gon (thanks also now to MTL for putting so much of the prototype info on their recent announcments):

GONX series 330000-330499 built by Greenville Steel Car, Order 1180, Nov-80 to Jan-81. TTX class GSG10.

2494cuft with 14 panels / 13 ribs

GONX 1981 Photo:
https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=50487
GONX 2003 Photo:
https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=8070

Some to CNW (CNW series 350100-350599 (mixed builders), from GONX series 330000-330499):
https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=17367

Some to DRGW (DRGW series 330000-330499 (broken), from GONX series 330000-330499):
https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=42902
https://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=5700

Apparently this is the same car that Arrowhead did in HO back in 2020.

A couple of posts from the MFCL discussing the older HO E&C shops 52'06 mill gon:

"Generally 1980-81, but I’m not sure which builder’s car the E&C model is closest to as Thrall, Bethlehem Steel, and Greenville all built similar 14-panel gons with non-terminating ends and there were differences among them."
Jim Eager

"I assume you're asking about the smoothside version.  Built by Greenville in 1981 for Railgon.  Secondhand to CNW at least.  DRGW too?
As Jim said similar cars built by Thrall and Bethlehem, mostly for Railgon.  Except for the riveted Pullmans all 1980s Railgons look very similar.  I assume Trailer Train drew up the plans and said "if you want the order, build this."
Scott Chatfield

But not just for Railgon, similar cars were built by Bethlehem for D&H, KCS, PBR, and WC (the last technically built by JAC), and by Thrall for Soo Line. Greenville’s non-GONX cars all had corrugated side panels, and Berwick’s non-GONXs were 16-panel cars and were riveted (MPA, PBNE, PBR, SB).
I missed the covered gons Thrall built for CSL.
Jim Eager

I'm looking forward to seeing this car in N - all those MDC mill gons are getting tired!

[GaryHinshaw]

Oh my, modern N scale is being smothered with love.  Both the MTL gon and the Aurora box will be very welcome, if the wallet willing.

Any indication what road names Aurora is planning?  I found the following among their HO listings: FBOX/old logo, FBOX/new logo, BKTY, COER, IC, UCRY, so presumably these will be offered in N as well.

[OldEastRR]

Any pix of new products?

[mike_lawyer]

I would really be interested in seeing some pictures of the Peco North American C55 flex.  That could be a game changer.

[peteski]

Peco had their American Outline N scale on display again.
Some confirmation
-They want to get a similar lineup to their Streamline offerings before releasing.
-It IS going to be the embedded half rail like Streamline Code 55.

Up in the air.
They said soon when I asked about release. Which to me at least gives me hope like a year or so. But I may hold off on some things if it really is "Just around the corner." Because I would like to use the more robust track for TTrak purposes.

I asked the same questions and received the same answers from the Peco reps. They were very nice guys to chat with. Yes, it is about a year away from production.  I applauded them for using the same robust track they used  for their current c55 track.

They had a small sample of a piece of straight track and a turnout.  I should have taken a photo but I still keep forgetting to use my smart phone as a camera.  What can I say.     The tie size and spacing looked good to me (not an expert). Without having calipers to measure, it looked like Atlas C55.

[Mark5]

The following (all N scale) should be mentioned:

BLI - Baldwin RF-16 "Sharks" : https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=59115.0

Bowser - 70 ton 2 bay covered hoppers (based on ACF design) https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=59111.0
(also ballast cars based on the above)

Atlas - Announced the resurrection and enhancement of old Lifelike loco tooling: Van Sweringen Berkshires (NKP, etc) and Alco C424 (Ph1) https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=59119.0

ScaleTrains - announced another run of EMD SD40T-2 tunnel motors https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=59116.0

Mark

[basementcalling]

Aurora Miniatures N Scale Greenbrier / Gunderson 6276cuft 50' Plate F Boxcar (2016 Prototype)
(From their Facebook Page)



Apparently 10 schemes in first run...

Is this the same prototype as the Exact Rail FBOX cars that Scale Trains now owns the tooling for?

[mu26aeh]

Is this the same prototype as the Exact Rail FBOX cars that Scale Trains now owns the tooling for?

The EXR car is a Trinity 6275.  This is a Greenbrier/Gunderson 6276.  This will be better bc it has 1 more cubic foot 😆

[Scottl]

And the last Exactrail FBOX paint was not level