WASHINGTON — In the latest setback for the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority’s troubled Metrorail system, 72 train operators have been removed from service for failing to receive mandatory retraining for at least year, and the agency has acknowledged that at least half its 500 operators lack the requiring recertification testing and training. Those removed […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — The engineering and construction teams have been selected for Utah’s Uinta Basin Railway project, parent Rio Grande Pacific Corp. has announced. Companies selected to take part in development of the 85-mile railroad in northeastern Utah are: — AECOM, which will design the railroad, except for its tunnels; — Skanska-WW Clyde Joint […]
2.0 Electro-Motive Division SD70M-2 diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current with 21-pin NEM connector, $249.98; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami 2 sound decoder, $339.98 Era: 2005+ to 2019+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com 2.0 Electro-Motive Division SD70M-2 diesel locomotive features: All-wheel drive and electrical pickup […]
Rail labor leaders have given mixed reviews to a call from CSX Transportation CEO Jim Foote for railroads to mend fences with their unionized employees and negotiate new contracts, with the union officials saying the relationship with management is the worst it has been in decades. Foote has called for a change several times in […]
5 tips for moving a layout Many people spend years building their dream layout in their home, building it in permanently, thinking they will never move. But we know that life happens, and things change. When building your dream layout, even though you’re not planning on moving, build it in sections, so that it can be […]
Facts & features Name: “The Loop” City Belt Line Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 9 x 14 1/2 feet Theme: industrial switching Locale: Midwest Era: 1950s-1960s Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 30 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: none Name: “The Dogbone” Canis & Ossa RR Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 9 x 14 […]
Facts & features Name: MHO Junction Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 25 x 38 feet Prototype: 80 percent freelanced, 20 percent prototype (Canadian Pacific and Ontario Northland) Locale: Ontario and Quebec (between Ottawa and Montreal) Era: 1970s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 170 feet Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: Peco large radius (SL-88 and SL-89) Maximum grade: […]
Packing up a model train layout: There are many reasons for packing up a model train layout. For John Lehnan of Pewaukee, Wis., the reason was to rebuild. His first layout had reached a point that the best way to improve it was to replace it, so the old layout had to come down. One […]
IHOP restaurant Price: $110 Manufacturer: Summit USA LLC, 512A Ford St., Lake Charles, LA 70601, 337-436-8481, summit-customcuts.com IHOP restaurant features Unpainted milled styrene, laser-cut acrylic, and self-adhesive micro-plywood parts Parts may require light sanding in joints for cosmetic reasons Photo-illustrated instructions Measures 11½” x 7-3/8” x 3¾” Available now Company Information: Summit Customcuts is a […]
Facts & features Name: Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers’ O gauge layout Dimensions: 35 x 80 feet Track: GarGraves flextrack (maximum diameter is 120 inches) Switch: Curtis Hi-Rail, Ross Custom Switches Motive power: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel (postwar and modern), MTH, Weaver, Williams Rolling stock: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel (postwar and modern), MTH, Weaver, Williams Accessories: […]
The Professionals filming location. The Professionals is a perfect Saturday afternoon popcorn picture. Four mercenaries in the waning days of the wild American West dive deep into Mexico to rescue the abducted wife of a multi-millionaire railroad tycoon. Along the way are bandits, memories of yesterday’s glory days, and plot twists that make what looks […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has modified its controversial Hi-Viz train crew attendance policy in response to employee feedback, but officials at two unions say the changes fall far short of what is needed. The changes, which take effect June 1, were announced in a video released on Friday. BNSF launched the policy in […]
