Five track and roadbed tips Smoother soldered rail joints I had a problem getting smooth solder joints when soldering together 5′ rails. I took an 8′ 2 x 4 and cut a groove down the middle of one side, just wide enough to hold the rail. Then I cut a wide notch in the 2 […]
Trains.com talent Bryson Sleppy delves into the immersive world of Train Sim World 4, released in September 2023 and available on PC, Xbox One and Series S and X, and PlayStation 4 and 5. In this video, our host highlights improvements made since the release of Train Sim World 3 in 2022 (click HERE to […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada has begun operating additional Siemens Venture trainsets between Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto, and is slated to add more departures in April. Meanwhile, the company hosted an open house for journalists to highlight the extraordinary efforts required to keep passenger cars built in the mid-1950s operational. It sought to make the […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett’s widely read annual letter to investors, released on Saturday alongside the company’s 2023 financial results, included a long passage on railroads in general and BNSF Railway in particular. BNSF’s revenue and profits fell last year, which Buffett termed a disappointment. But he noted that the national labor […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s revenue and profits tumbled in 2023 due to a combination of lower volume and lower revenue per carload and intermodal unit. Pre-tax earnings declined 14.2%, to $6.6 billion, as revenue declined 6.9%, to $23.4 billion, BNSF parent company Berkshire Hathaway reported on Saturday. The railway’s operating ratio increased 2.5 points […]
Irish Rail It was the early 1990s and I was an Electro-Motive Division export locomotive district sales manager in the International Locomotive Business Group, based at EMD’s headquarters in LaGrange, Ill. At the time, I was responsible for our locomotive and spare parts sales in Europe, and one of my customers was Irish Rail. During […]
DENVER — A new plan released last week might finally lead to passenger rail service between Denver, Boulder, and Longmont, Colo., but not exactly as originally envisioned. That route was part of the Fastracks commuter rail plan approved by voters in 2004, but has never been built out because of a lack of funding. Now, […]
The evolution of model railroad scenery products has been fun to watch. In prior generations, molded-Styrofoam mountains and scenery mats with dyed green sawdust were considered the norm. Today, we’re blessed with a variety of tools and products that make our layouts look more like what we see when we’re standing trackside. In this article, […]
Q: I am wondering why they mark a little F on the front of a diesel. I know it stands for “Front.” However, isn’t it obvious in most cases where the front is? And in the case of a center cab switcher, where it isn’t at all obvious, why does it matter? What is the practical purpose of […]
CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. — Metra service on the Union Pacific Northwest line has been suspended today (Saturday, Feb. 24) between Crystal Lake and Harvard following a low-speed derailment this morning, WLS-TV reports. Inbound train No. 710, which was scheduled to originate at Crystal Lake at 10 a.m., had no passengers aboard when it derailed as […]
NORWALK, Conn. — The East Norwalk Station on Metro North’s New Haven line will be closed March 11-31, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced, to accommodate construction activity related to the WALK Bridge Replacement Project. As part of the work to replace the 128-year-old swing bridge over the Norwalk River, a new underdrain system […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced the March schedule for shutdowns as part of its ongoing effort to eliminate slow orders on its rail transit lines, along with scheduled work on several of its commuter rail lines. Already in progress are a group of shutdowns on the B, C, and D branches […]
