CSX Corporation profile

CSX_Blue_Island_Lassen

A CSX train passes through Blue Island, Ill., in September 2019. CSX led Class I railroads in operating ratio in 2019. TRAINS: David Lassen Read more CSX articles on Trains’ website. CSX summary CSX Corporation is a railroad holding company incorporated in Virginia. The company’s corporate headquarters are in Jacksonville, Florida. CSX Transportation Incorporated (CSXT), […]

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Norfolk Southern Corporation profile

A black and white painted Norfolk Southern locomotive leads a train along NS tracks through a slightly foggy winter afternoon.

A Norfolk Southern train storms eastward through Otis, Indiana. Trains staff Read more Norfolk Southern articles on Trains‘ website. Norfolk Southern summary Norfolk Southern Corporation is a railroad holding company incorporated in Virginia. The company’s corporate headquarters are in Norfolk, Virginia. Operations headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia. Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS), a large […]

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Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC profile (BNSF Railway)

An empty BNSF coal train passes through La Grange, Ill, on Oct. 27, 2019. TRAINS: David Lassen Read more BNSF Railway articles on Trains’ website. BNSF Railway summary Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC is a railroad holding company formed in 1994 and incorporated in Delaware that owns BNSF Railway Company, a Fort Worth, Texas-based railroad […]

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Canadian National Railway profile

A southbound Canadian National container train passes through Sussex, Wis., in 2015. TRAINS: Brian Schmidt Read more Canadian National articles on Trains’ website. Canadian National summary Canadian National Railway Company (CN) is a Montreal, Quebec-based railroad operating over approximately 20,000 route miles connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the Gulf of Mexico throughout Canada […]

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Canadian Pacific Railway profile

A Canadian Pacific heritage locomotive appears in Iowa in 2019. Steve Smedley Read more Canadian Pacific articles on Trains’ website. Canadian Pacific summary Canadian Pacific Railway Limited is a railroad holding company based in Calgary, Alberta. Its subsidiary Canadian Pacific Railway Company (CP) extends over about 12,700 route miles from British Columbia to New Brunswick, […]

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Union Pacific Corporation profile

An eastbound Union Pacific auto rack train passes through Lombard, Ill., on Nov. 16, 2019. TRAINS: David Lassen Read more Union Pacific articles on Trains’ website. Union Pacific summary Omaha, Nebraska-based Union Pacific Corporation is a railroad holding company for the Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP). It controls one of the largest railroads in the […]

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Parts of an Electro-Motive Division GP15-1 diesel locomotive

Photo of front of HO scale four-axle hood unit on white background

Parts of an Electro-Motive Division GP15-1 diesel locomotive Electro-Motive Division (EMD) produced the GP15-1 diesel locomotive from June 1976 through March 1982. During that time, 310 units were built. The four-axle road switcher was equipped with a 1,500hp 12-645E diesel engine, a D32 generator, and D77B traction motors. Original owners included Chicago & North Western […]

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An easy Halloween project for your O gauge railroad

Halloween scene on toy train layout

An easy Halloween project for your O gauge railroad is sprucing up a store-bought holiday item to add to your layout. With a few supplies, you can complete this project. It’s appropriate for all skill levels, too, so the kids can help! While browsing the Halloween section at Menards, my husband found some fun décor […]

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How to clean a dirty diesel locomotive

hands with toothbrush cleaning plastic model with water and soap

How to clean a dirty diesel locomotive Q: I just bought a 35-year-old Athearn HO SD45 painted as Electro-Motive Division’s demonstrator No. 4353. The old model has picked up a lot of dirt over the years, and I’m not sure how to go about cleaning it without damaging the paint job. Also, were the prototype […]

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Celebrate CTT’s 35th anniversary and the holidays

Celebrate CTT's 35th anniversary

Help celebrate CTT’s 35th Anniversary in the Nov.-Dec. 2022 issue! The cover features a specially painted set of Lionel F3s done by Len Carparelli. His business, L&L Model Train Restoration Co. celebrates a milestone anniversary of its own; we have a look at some of his work over the years. Of course, there’s also a […]

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Parts of an Electro-Motive Division F40PH diesel locomotive

Photo of front of HO scale cowl-bodied diesel on white background

Parts of an Electro-Motive Division F40PH diesel locomotive The Electro-Motive Division (EMD) F40PH diesel locomotive was the backbone of Amtrak’s fleet for many years. The four-axle unit earned its keep on several commuter lines, too. GO Transit (Toronto), Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (Boston), Metra (Chicago), and NJ Transit were just some of the places the […]

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Lionel F3 sets that never were

Lionel catalog page with train sets

Lionel F3 sets that never existed are a constant source of conversation among collectors. One area of focus is the late 1940s. Amid the ordinary items produced in vast quantities, there were some advertised that were probably never produced – but maybe they were. Lionel’s first O gauge F3 diesels came in freight sets with […]

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