While 2021 turned out on the whole to be closer to “normal” for many of us than 2020 was, there was still more time spent at home. This meant those of you who had discovered model railroading during 2020’s lockdown had plenty of time to continue pursuing your new modeling hobby. At the same time, you may have started your own railroading journey in 2021, perhaps inspired by someone you know who did the same the year before.
On top of all that, long-time railroaders undoubtedly made the most of continuing to spend time at home, too.
Wherever you’re at in your model railroading journey, an enormous amount of incredible new products launched in 2021.
Best New Products for Model Railroading in 2021
Here’s a look at some of our favorites!
All new ranges
Not a new product, but more than worth a mention!
During the summer, we introduced S scale products to Model Train Stuff for the first time. These ranges have already proven very popular, and there’s even more S scale trains and accessories to come in 2022, so watch this space!
Locomotives
As always, new model locomotives led the way for new products.
Check out three of our favorites below.
Athearn HO 72120 SD40-2, Burlington Northern #7802
This diesel locomotive is a stunning model of the iconic locomotives that first came to railroads across North America through the second half of the 1970s and 1980s. If you’re an avid trainspotter yourself, it’s still possible to find these trains on our railroads today, often carrying the livery of iconic global brands alongside the railroad name.
Loaded with features, this Athearn locomotive is a brilliant addition to your HO scale train collection and one of our newer models, arriving at our store towards the end of 2021. It is an ideal addition for your model train scene!
Broadway Limited Imports N Scale EMD Locomotives
Back in the middle of the 20th century, you would have found these EMD locomotives on over 50 railroads across the United States.
You can see their reach across the country in our selection of Broadway Limited Imports available at Model Train Stuff.
If you model the 1950s – 1970s era or a specific railroad, these model locomotives will make a brilliant addition to your N scale layout. Choose a locomotive carrying the name of your choice, from Union Pacific and Great Northern to the Pennsylvania Railroad and Chessie System.
Lionel O Scale Legacy GP30 Locomotives
These Lionel locomotives are another excellent example of an iconic train that you could find across the United States during the 1960s and that are still widely in operation today.
From a railroading perspective, these Lionel models enable you to bring the 2nd generation of diesel locomotives into your model train collection. As with the Broadway Limited Imports N Scale collection we featured above, you have a wide range of railroads from which you can choose for your toy train.
The model trains themselves all carry the modern features you’d expect from a near $500 product and are guaranteed to look and sound amazing across your O scale layout.
Rolling stock
Our model train layouts would look pretty dull if our locomotives didn’t have anything attached to them!
Walthers Mainline HO 910-1831 50′ ACF Exterior Post Box Car, Green Bay and Western #7522
We’ve added a significant volume of Walthers Mainline Box Car models to our Model Train Stuff range over the past year.
One of our favorites is the Exterior Post Box Car carrying Green Bay and Western Railroad branding. With such a wide variety of different colors and types of cars, there’s something for every railroad layout design, scale and theme.
These train cars have been a fixture of railroads across North America since the mid-1970s to the present day, used by dozens of operators for all manner of freight transportation. A worthy and budget-friendly addition to your model train collection!
Atlas N Scale Hoppers
If you’re looking to expand your haulage operations across your N scale model railroad, whether you use real-life grain, ballast, or anything else, these are the hopper cars you need.
This is another budget-friendly option that will fit any railroad theme as all the models in this range are exquisitely detailed but also benefit from a simple enough design that they’re easy to customize if you wish. Some of these cars can still be found performing ballast spreading and other functional roles across the United States today, so these model trains are an ideal means of bringing an added touch of reality into your own toy train layout.
Accessories
Woodland Scenics O BR5870 Built and Ready Miss Molly’s Diner
We couldn’t let our look back at 2021’s best products pass without including a train accessory!
Our favorite model train accessory from the past 12 months is this O Scale Miss Molly’s Diner from Woodland Scenics, the perfect addition to a layout that combines a truck stop with a freight or passenger railroad station. Let your model drivers, passengers, or truckers grab something to eat while you marvel at the structure and interior detail that’s gone into this stunning product.
There’s even more to come in 2022!
The model train products we’ve featured here are just a fraction of everything we’ve added to our store in the past year.
Even better, all the leading manufacturers have exciting new product launches planned for 2022. Our Coming Soon pages are already filled with incredible new products that you’ll be able to buy from Model Train Stuff! You can check out the great locomotives that will be arriving this year. Be sure to view our other Coming Soon pages so you can plan your new additions to your train collection and get inspiration for seasonal and themed layout updates.
Happy New Year!