Hello and welcome back to another action-packed edition of the weekly Quick Hits here at Trainz.com. We’re at the tail end of the year, and on the tail end of a big S gauge collection that’s due to hit our website soon (check out last week’s S Gauge Article for more on that), which means I get to go back to my usually variety-filled showcase. I’ve got everything from O Modern, G Scale, and even some N Scale goodies on the feature today, and a Pre-War gem you’re not going to want to miss. Oh, and since it’s nearing the Holiday season, I've decided to kick off the festivities early with a sprinkle of some ‘tis-the-season’ spice in the showcase too. With introductions now out of the way, it’s time to fire up those engines as we take another Quick Hits ride!
This KCS ES44AC Means Business
MTH 30-211621 O KCS ES44AC Imperial Diesel Locomotive w/ Proto-Sound 3.0 #4859
I’m going to start on a strong note here with something brand new in the world of O Modern trains. This stunning KCS ES44AC Imperial Diesel Locomotive from MTH just hit the market last September, along with a beautiful Imperial Norfolk Southern ES44AC as well – but it’s the Kansas City Southern diesel engine that’s going to be getting all of the love today. The choice wasn’t easy, but I’ve decided to go with KSC’s silver powerhouse instead.
The shell features a solid silver base with a trio of red, black, and white stripes that complement it beautifully. The thing about simple designs is that they need to be pulled off perfectly to stand out, and Kansas City Southern doesn’t miss the mark with their version of the ES44AC. The operating features are second to none with this 17” O Gauge locomotive coming fully equipped with an onboard DCC/DCS decoder, a ton of lighting features, and the sound functions make this one of the most dynamic locomotives with ProtoSound 3.0 on the market today!
So it’s only right that we also take a look at the company responsible for giving the green light on such a great design. If you’re living in the American Midwest, chances are you’ve seen some of KCS’s rail road networks at some point in your life. Being around since 1887, and stretching across 10 states, will gain you some notoriety, and that’s just what the Kansas City Southern railroad company has done well over the course of the century. KCS’s adventures weren’t just limited to the United States, with freight services being provided throughout Mexico during the 90s and into the new millennium. A merger with the Canadian Pacific Railway in 2021 would have enabled Kansas City Southern to extend its services into Canada, completing the North American trifecta.
Well, I’m hoping I did enough to get you super excited for this one because I can’t wait to see how it’s incorporated onto layouts. This diesel engine certainly isn’t alone and is kept in great company with a ton of fun O Gauge locomotives ready to get to work!
- Manufacturer: MTH
- Model Number: 30-21162-1
- Road Name: Kansas City Southern
- Scale/Era: O Modern
Christmas Cheer on the Rails
Lionel 8-87035 G Scale 2011 Happy Holidays Boxcar
I said there’d be some Christmas cheer in today’s showcase, and here’s your first dose of some jolly good times. It’s hard to pass up a boxcar as beautifully designed as the one above – couple that with the fact that it’s Lionel G Scale, and it’s going to be a must-have for the holidays.
This Lionel Holiday Boxcar (model # 6-87035) was released back in 2011 in preparation for the holidays. The model train community is incredibly busy during the holidays – there are really few hobbyists that deal with the amount of hassle we see during the Christmas season. Getting the tree up, rearranging the layout, pouring fake snow EVERYWHERE are just a few of the trials and tribulations we deal with – let’s not add trying to find the perfect holiday and Christmas rolling stock.
The boxcar is painted in a wonderfully darker red tone and paired with the traditional Christmas green, making way for both a great festive look and a pretty underrated overall design in my opinion. Plus, if you don’t want to run the Polar Express again this year, this is the perfect start to your own Winter Wonderland-themed layout.
Pre-War Power: 250E Hiawatha
Lionel 250E Vintage O Hiawatha Steam Locomotive
Rounding out the third spot on today’s list is a Pre-War gem that’s showing up less and less frequently as time has passed. The Pre-War 250E Hiawatha steam locomotive from 1936 is a widely popular piece that’s been reproduced several times over the years and remains highly relevant in the model train community even today!
The 250E Hiawatha was a hobbyist’s go-to in its time, enjoying a lengthy seven-year production run that ended in 1942. Older Lionel catalogs have the rarity of this locomotive tiered at a 5 (1 -8) placing at the mid-tier level of the rarity rating. I think enough time has passed to upgrade this engine up a notch from its common standing, seeing as that a few years have passed.
With the near century mark approaching this 250E Hiawatha, I can only imagine that the number of these locomotives is dwindling. The one I have listed above is a wonderful reminder of how far model trains have come. It’s also tough to find these locomotives with most of the original paint, and in working order which is what I have with this Pre-War gem listed above. If you’re interested in becoming a model train historian, I've got plenty of Pre-War locomotives in our catalog as well!
- Manufacturer: Lionel
- Model Number: 250E
- Years Manufactured: 1935 - 1942
- Road Name: Chicago Milwaukee St Paul & Pacific (MILW)
- Scale/Era: O Prewar
N Scale Suburban Nostalgia
Walthers 933-3840 N Split-Level House Building Kit
Ok, N-Scale runners, it’s time for you to rise up for the accessory pick! If you were born after the year 2000, you may not recognize the house you see above – mostly because modern architecture has gone to a totally uniform vanilla look when it comes to the development of modern subdivisions. But if you were a product of any generation prior to the new millennium, then boy oh boy will this house strike up some old memories.
I chose this split-level house because it’s a reminder of an era when subdivisions were buzzing with neighborhood activities, and each home had its own unique look. Sure, our neighborhoods weren’t the gated communities that we saw in 90210, but they had character! So many of these split-level houses exist today making this building kit a perfect piece for anybody designing modern layouts.
It’s a DIY kit with simple instructions, making assembly a piece of cake. I’d recommend it to anybody who may be taking their first shot at a suburban layout design. You can check out plenty more N-Scale buildings on the website.
A Holiday Boxcar Worth Grabbing
American Flyer 6-48831 S Scale Angela Trotta Circus Comes to Town Boxcar
I know I’d mentioned in the introduction that we have a ton of S gauge coming in, and as we trudge through the last of the new inventory, I figured I’d give S gauge runners one final send-off. The budget pick is my favorite pick, and I’ve got a really special one for us today! The Angela Trotta “Circus Comes to Town” Boxcar (model # 6-48831) from American Flyer is our last bit of holiday pre-festivities for the showcase, and I mean, can you blame me?
For those of you who don’t know Angela Trotta Thomas, aka the “Train Lady,” she’s a famous illustrator and watercolor artist who's been designing Lionel boxcars for well over 20 years. Lionel commissions Thomas every year for a new holiday design, and every year she delivers way above expectations. Thomas puts her heart and soul into all of her designs which means just so much more for me considering this is a Christmas themed car meant to stir up joyous feelings.
If you’ve been collecting Lionel, you’ve seen Angela Trotta's work on Lionel catalog covers, paintings, and on boxcars. This 2012 holiday boxcar only had one production run and likely won’t be reproduced anytime soon. I’d recommend acting quick if you’re looking to add a special piece of Lionel history into your collection. I’ve got plenty more of Angela Trotta trains and rolling stock on our website, too, if you’re looking to add more of the famous ‘Train Lady’ to your collection.
- Manufacturer: American Flyer
- Model Number: 6-48831
- Scale/Era: S Modern