ST. LOUIS — The suspension of Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner service has been extended to at least Sunday, June 2. Flooding elsewhere in the Midwest has led Union Pacific to divert freight traffic onto the route, leading to the suspension of the passenger service. Chartered bus service is providing substitute transportation, stopping at all stations […]
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Master of the E&W Turn
New York Central SW8 8626 stands at the road’s Avon Yard near Indianapolis in 1966. Another EMD switcher powered the E&W Turn some 140 miles to the north. Louis A. Marre As a struggling schoolteacher in northern Indiana in the early 1960s, I worked a few summers as a brakeman on a couple of local railroads, […]
DCC boosters for a model railroad – what to buy and how many
❶ Getting a boost. The Digitrax DB210 booster can supply 3, 5, or 8 amps depending on the power supply used with it. Note the toggle switch for selecting from three possible voltage ranges for N, HO, and O/G scales. ❷ Keeping cool. The Model Rectifier Corp. boosters are available in 3.5 and 8 amp […]
‘California Zephyr’ detouring because of flooding (updated)
CHICAGO — Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr is detouring between Chicago and Omaha today via the Union Pacific’s former Chicago & North Western mainline, as will the eastbound train that arrives Thursday and Thursday’s departure from Chicago. The detour off of the normal BNSF Railway route is because of ongoing flooding problems in the Midwest, according […]
Digital Command Control resources for model railroaders
Learn all about Digital Command Control (DCC) with the Model Railroader staff! Bill Zuback The July 2019 issue of Model Railroader magazine features a buyer’s guide for Digital Command Control (DCC) starter systems. To learn more about DCC, check out this DCC resources page. Below you’ll find links to reference articles, product reviews, and demo […]
Computer desktop wallpaper from the July 2019 Model Railroader
Click on the links at left to download the image sized appropriately for your computer screen. Rutland no. 208, an Alco RS-3, passes Duffy’s Coal as it approaches the north end of the Rutland, Vt., freight yard on Gregory Wiggins’ HO scale layout. This month you can download the trackside photo sized appropriately for your […]
New model trains for the week of May 30, 2019
Broadway Limited Imports HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD7 and SD9 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD7 and SD9 diesel locomotive. SD7: Chessie System (Baltimore & Ohio reporting marks); CSX (fictional scheme, dark blue and yellow with boxcar herald); Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (black and gray with “Way of the Zephyrs” slogan); Pennsylvania RR […]
May new large scale products from Garden Railways magazine
PIKO America US Army Humvee Transport flatcar PIKO America Beetle Wagon Auto Transport flatcar PIKO America Santa Fe ore car LGB Golden Spike Locomotive set LGB replica track spike box The Train Department Talyllyn No. 1 Engines & rolling stock Accucraft, 3260 Central Ave, Union City CA 94587, is selling an Adams 415 class radial […]
Selecting the right DCC system
❶ Introductory systems. Introductory systems like the Bachmann E-Z Command, left, and NCE PowerCab are inexpensive ways to get into Digital Command Control. Larry Puckett offers DCC shopping tips. I can’t even begin to remember how many times folks have asked me “which Digital Command Control system should I buy?” or “Which one is best […]
FRA withdraws proposed minimum crew size rule
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration will not implement a rule requiring a certain number of people in the cab of freight trains, the agency announced this week. On Thursday, the FRA withdrew a notice of proposed rulemaking that dated back to 2016, when the federal agency was considering requiring at least two people aboard […]
Ask Trains: Where are major flyovers on U.S. railroads?
A train-view of a flyover at Zoo Interlocking in Philadelphia. Brian Solomon Question: Where are some other mainline flyovers in the U.S.? — Frank Klos, San Diego, Calif. Answer: A flyover is grade-separated track arrangement used to keep busy lines fluid by avoiding the need for conflicting crossover movements, often built in conjunction with junctions […]
Ask Trains: What is the meaning behind Union Pacific steam locomotive code numbers?
Question: What do the numbers and letters mean on the side of the cab of Union Pacific Challenger 4-6-6-4 No. 3985? — Ben Fairbank, San Antonio, Texas Answer: 21 – 21 4-6-6-4-4-69 ————— 404 UP […]