2024 NTS N Scale Announcement Summary

[Mark5]

As far as I can tell, no new N scale tooling was announced. 

Scale Trains announced a 2nd run of their Rivet Counter N Scale GE AC4400CW https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=58271.0

Bachmann Announced re-run on 44 Tonners and updated Crane/Boom combos (fixing the insane ride height) as well as updated/new 19th century passenger cars (1880's baggage cars). https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=58270.0
I saw on another forum that Bachmann had decorated samples of the new coil car - looks decent (maybe I will pick one up if I can find one significantly lower than the $59 MSRP  ).

Notably, the fabulous new MTL 60' flat is having its first release this month (thanks Joe for reminding).

Kato announced Surfliners but I think that preceded the NTS.

Apparently nothing new announced from the traditional big hitters Atlas, Athearn, Intermountain, Trainworx, Wheels of Time, etc.

Please feel free to correct/update/mock etc. 

Mark

[JoeD]

As far as I can tell, no new N scale tooling was announced. 

Scale Trains announced a 2nd run of their Rivet Counter N Scale GE AC4400CW https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=58271.0

Bachmann Announced re-run on 44 Tonners and updated Crane/Boom combos (fixing the insane ride height) as well as updated/new 19th century passenger cars. https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=58270.0
I saw on another forum that Bachmann had decorated samples of the new coil car - looks decent (maybe I will pick one up if I can find one significantly lower than the $59 MSRP  ).

Apparently nothing new announced from Atlas, Athearn, MTL, Intermountain, Trainworx, Kato, etc.

Please feel free to correct/update/mock etc. 

MTL is releasing the 60' flat.  We have some more surprises in the works.  No need to mock...I spend all my free time mocking myself...full time job


Mark

[amato1969]

(Gozer says "We have some more surprises in the works.")

Excellent!

[johnb]

don't forget the Bachmann 1880's baggage cars...might want one for a streetcar kitbash

[thomasjmdavis]

MTL is releasing the 60' flat.  We have some more surprises in the works.

If you really want to surprise me, do something with 10 windows (more or less) and a baggage door.... but, I'll settle for a backdated 1954 version of the PS-2, or almost anything with a prototype build date prior to 1956.

[sp org div]

Apparently nothing new announced from the traditional big hitters Atlas, Athearn, Intermountain, Trainworx, Wheels of Time, etc.

Atlas wasnt even there nor Athearn or TW or WOT…
Highlight for me was the ST preproduction display with espee tunnel motors

[Point353]

We have some more surprises in the works.

Lehigh Valley FT locos?

[lock4244]

That's ok, Rapido beat my wallet silly earlier this year. Need some time to regroup should Bowser announce big MLW's.

[JoeD]

Lehigh Valley FT locos?

I can add that suggestion

Joe

[ski]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but has there been any announcement or news about possible North American outline Code 55 track from Peco that was hinted at earlier in the year?

[James Costello]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this but has there been any announcement or news about possible North American outline Code 55 track from Peco that was hinted at earlier in the year?

I was hoping we'd hear something out of NTS about this too.

[sp org div]

Peco wasnt there
But Piko was
They had their HO krauss maffi and N whitcomb on display

[peteski]

Peco wasnt there
But Piko was
They had their HO krauss maffi and N whitcomb on display

Funny how things have changed. When I lived in Poland in the '70s Piko was an East German company making H0 and N scale models. Fairly crude.
They did make track, but it was an inverted-U shaped rail made from sheet metal.  Here are some early  Piko turnouts in my collection.



And an underside of an electric loco showing how very basic the drive was.  Outer wheelsets are not driven.

[Jimbo]

Funny how things have changed. When I lived in Poland in the '70s Piko was an East German company making H0 and N scale models. Fairly crude.
They did make track, but it was an inverted-U shaped rail made from sheet metal.  Here are some early  Piko turnouts in my collection.

The design of the turnouts looks very similar to the approach Arnold did with their track.  Folded sheet metal rail, with point rails that pivot all the way to the frog.  But Arnold used rail joiners (vs. what appear to be pins?).

Curiously, I recall an advertisement (or perhaps catalog description) of this rail design as being a “feature” - “dust and dirt roll off the rounded top, keeping it clean.” (Or something to that effect.)


Thanks for sharing!!


NOW - any chance Piko might make a Krauss-Maffei in N scale?  (And - wouldn’t an AS-616 be a better choice?  Asking for a friend…)

-Jim

[peteski]

Yes Jim, Piko track used flat pins which then plugged into the hollow rail on the other side.  Actually Zeuke Berliner Bahnen TT gauge track (also from East Germany in that time period) used the same type of track (except 12mm gauge).

Aren't Marklin Z gauge turnouts also constructed this way (with the frog pivoting with the points)?

And you're right about Arnold touting self-cleaning track, except theirs was solid steel rail  (blackend).  They did use rail joiners and the track ends were staggered.



And yes, I would love to  see N scale version of the Krauss-Maffei. Not that I need one, but it is really cool looking!