BNSF’s Needles Division

TRN_locomotive_video_power_chapter_7_0121

This video was originally published by Trains as part of the Locomotive 2017 DVD. BNSF Needles Subdivision stretches from the Arizona/California state line at Needles west to Barstow, California across almost 170 miles of desert that tests man and machine every day in the struggle to keep the railroad moving. For the majority of its […]

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BNSF’s Needles Division

TRN_locomotive_video_power_chapter_7_0121

This video was originally published by Trains as part of the Locomotive 2017 DVD. BNSF Needles Subdivision stretches from the Arizona/California state line at Needles west to Barstow, California across almost 170 miles of desert that tests man and machine every day in the struggle to keep the railroad moving. For the majority of its […]

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BNSF/Florida East Coast and natural gas testing

TRN_locomotive_video_power_chapter_4_0121

This video was originally published by Trains as part of the Locomotive 2017 DVD. Natural gas as a locomotive fuel has been around for decades. Testing in the 1980s and 1990s on several railroads failed to yield the interest and scope of testing the fuel has enjoyed in the past several years. Six of the […]

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BNSF/Florida East Coast and natural gas testing

TRN_locomotive_video_power_chapter_4_0121

This video was originally published by Trains as part of the Locomotive 2017 DVD. Natural gas as a locomotive fuel has been around for decades. Testing in the 1980s and 1990s on several railroads failed to yield the interest and scope of testing the fuel has enjoyed in the past several years. Six of the […]

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Operations on the Delaware Lackawanna

TRN_locomotive_video_power_chapter_53_0121

This video was originally published by Trains as part of the Locomotive 2017 DVD.   The northeast United States continues to be an Alco and MLW stronghold. The largest percentage of active units from these two builders call many short line railroads in this region home. Two of these railroads, Western New York & Pennsylvania […]

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Operations on the Delaware Lackawanna

TRN_locomotive_video_power_chapter_53_0121

This video was originally published by Trains as part of the Locomotive 2017 DVD.   The northeast United States continues to be an Alco and MLW stronghold. The largest percentage of active units from these two builders call many short line railroads in this region home. Two of these railroads, Western New York & Pennsylvania […]

Read More…

Ontario Southerns FP9s and plowing snow

FP9 plowing snow on Ontario Southern

This video was originally published by Trains as part of the Locomotive 2017 DVD. Southwest Ontario’s rolling countryside is home to vast open stretches of fertile farmland. The gently rolling topography of the area forced the original builders of the rail lines in the area to employ a cut and fill approach to right of […]

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Ontario Southerns FP9s and plowing snow

FP9 plowing snow on Ontario Southern

This video was originally published by Trains as part of the Locomotive 2017 DVD. Southwest Ontario’s rolling countryside is home to vast open stretches of fertile farmland. The gently rolling topography of the area forced the original builders of the rail lines in the area to employ a cut and fill approach to right of […]

Read More…

Class One Motive Power–an overview

Class One Motive Power Review Chapter 1

Kansas City Southern hasn’t purchased new locomotives since 2014 as the company has had ample power for its traffic levels with coal deliveries down across its core north-south mainline south of Kansas City. The railroad continues to upgrade its existing power, converting six (confirm) GP38-2s and GP40-2s to GP32ECOs using kits supplied from EMD. KCS […]

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Class One Motive Power–an overview

Class One Motive Power Review Chapter 1

Kansas City Southern hasn’t purchased new locomotives since 2014 as the company has had ample power for its traffic levels with coal deliveries down across its core north-south mainline south of Kansas City. The railroad continues to upgrade its existing power, converting six (confirm) GP38-2s and GP40-2s to GP32ECOs using kits supplied from EMD. KCS […]

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Repair acetal handrails

Athearn HO scale National Railways of Mexico Alco RS-3 diesel locomotive with Loctite plastics bonding system activator and glue

Most recent ready-to-run locomotives use acetal (sometimes called ‘slippery’ or ‘engineering’) plastic handrails. These handrails feature a scale profile and fine detail, but they’re also prone to snapping. Traditional liquid plastic cement and cyanoacrylate adhesive will not bond acetal plastic, but Loctite’s Plastics Bonding System will. 1. This two-part system makes it easy to fix […]

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Clean locomotive wheels

Towel offset on rails with front truck of H-16-44 on clean section of towel wetted with isopropyl alcohol.

Over time, a locomotive’s wheelsets will gather dirt and other gunk that will affect its ability to run smoothly, but regular wheel cleaning keeps your steam or diesel locomotives running at their peak. By using 70 percent isopropyl alcohol and a paper towel, two items that you most likely have in your house, you can […]

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