We put the Atlas N scale General Electric Dash 8-40CW diesel locomotive to work on Model Railroader’s new N scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy project layout. […]
Atlas N scale General Electric Dash 8-40CW diesel locomotive
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Unions ask for end to mediation over national contract
WASHINGTON — Two unions involved in the negotiations for a new national rail labor contract have asked to be released from mediation with the coalition representing railroads, instead requesting to move to arbitration. In a letter dated Feb. 23, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters Rail Conference, and the […]
BNSF plans capital spending increase in 2022
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF will increase capital spending to $3.55 billion in 2022, after a spend of $2.97 billion in 2021, the railroad reported in its fourth-quarter financial summary. Of that $3.55 billion, $2.71 billion is budgeted for maintenance and replacement, including 14,000 miles of track surfacing or undercutting; replacement of 381 miles of […]
Canadian rail accidents showed slight increase in 2021
GATINEAU, Quebec — Rail accidents increased in Canada in 2021, while still remaining below the five-year average for such incidents, according to preliminary statistics released Monday by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Air transportation and pipelines also saw increases, while marine accidents decreased. The TSB suggested in a press release that the increases likely […]
‘Tracks to the Future’ program for high school students accepting application
HOUGHTON, Mich. — Applications are now being accepted for the Tracks to the Future Summer Program, which offers high school students a chance to learn about rail transportation and engineering, and why it could be an inviting career choice. Michigan Tech University, Penn State-Altoona, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are combining for the […]
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad history remembered
Is there a more dignified railroad name than “Lackawanna?” Certainly, Lackawanna history evokes many images. In the days of steam, the name meant meticulous track supporting well-proportioned, dual-service “Pocono” 4-8-4s, hefty hogs in the form of three-cylinder 4-8-2s and ponderous 2-8-2s, speedy commuter 4-6-2s, and gorgeous 4-6-4s that even long-time Trains Editor David P. Morgan […]
Broadway Limited Imports announces five newly tooled locomotives
HO and N scale locomotives: Broadway Limited Imports (BLI) recently announced five newly tooled locomotives in N and HO scales. The models are scheduled for release between August and December 2022. All of the locomotives will feature a dual-mode Paragon4 sound decoder. The first model due out is Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 4-6-4 steam […]
Athearn adds General Electric AC4400CW to Genesis 2.0 line
A General Electric AC4400CW diesel locomotive joins the rapidly growing Genesis 2.0 product line from Athearn Trains. The HO scale six-axle road unit is scheduled for release in April 2023. Road names in the first release will include The CIT Group (blue and white), Chicago & North Western (green and yellow with Operation Lifesaver logo), […]
Atlas announces Trinity 3,230-cubic-foot capacity Pressure Differential covered hopper
Following on the success of the HO scale version, Atlas is bringing the Trinity 3,230-cubic-foot capacity Pressure Differential covered hopper to N scale. The Master Line Plus model is scheduled for release in the fourth quarter this year. Chicago Freight Car, CIT Group, General American, Roanoke Cement, Trinity Industries Leasing, and TXI (with GBRX reporting […]
The Lionel no. 3429 helicopter car
The Lionel no. 3429 helicopter car was the company’s answer to get more kids to buy its products in the late 1950s. It was an attempt to get away from a product line the public regarded as old-fashioned. The company’s creative minds decided to make items Lionel could link the trains to popular military and […]
From the archives: The birth of Classic Toy Trains’ magazine
The birth of Classic Toy Trains magazine I was hired as copy editor for both CTT and Model Railroader in February of 1988, just a few months after the premier issue of CTT hit newsstands in the autumn of the previous year. To understand the origins of Classic Toy Trains, we need to turn our attention to […]
Ask MR: How can I build a layout if I know I’ll have to leave it?
Q: My wife and I are discussing purchasing our forever home and there are questions about including room for, and the cost of, a MRR layout. I have Parkinson’s Disease, so HO scale is the smallest I can imagine modeling. That scale (or larger) will require a good bit of layout space, plus working space. A […]
