The American Flyer Legacy 2-8-8-2 by Lionel

The American Flyer Legacy 2-8-8-2 by Lionel was first cataloged in S gauge in 2012. The current offering appeared in the 2022 catalog. This time around the train maker is offering locomotives decorated for Norfolk & Western, Santa Fe, Clinchfield, Baltimore & Ohio, Virginian, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Union Pacific, Pennsylvania, and Northern Pacific. […]

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Trade associations, shippers, and rail labor will participate in STB hearings on UP’s use of embargoes (updated)

WASHINGTON — Trade groups representing chemical manufacturers, mining companies, energy producers, and agricultural interests, plus several individual shippers, and railroad labor unions all plan to participate in next week’s Surface Transportation Board hearing on Union Pacific’s increased use of embargoes as a way to manage congestion. Trade groups including the American Chemistry Council, The Fertilizer […]

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Should you include graffiti on your layout?

Should you include graffiti on your layout? When we set out to build our model worlds, one of the questions we end up answering is how realistic we want to be. This answer is defined by what we decide to include, and what we chose to ignore. Most of these choices will create little controversy, […]

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Shareholder resolutions seek paid sick time for rail workers (updated)

NEW YORK – Investors who have launched shareholder resolutions seeking paid sick time for railroad employees say that the lack of paid sick days endangers workers’ health, threatens the economy, and has made it harder for railroads to retain their unionized employees. Activist investors today filed the non-binding shareholder resolutions requesting that Union Pacific and […]

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News photos: Siemens Amtrak car heads to Canada for testing

A single Siemens Venture car, part of the Amtrak Midwest operations, traveled over Canadian Pacific and Canadian National lines in Ontario on Saturday, Dec. 3., en route from Sacramento, Calif., to Canada’s National Research Uplands Campus in Ottawa for testing The special train, Union Pacific SD70ACe No. 8821 and the Siemens car, SIIX 4301, is […]

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Metra to add trains on three lines, adjust schedules on fourth

CHICAGO — Metra will increase service on three lines — including significant additions on the Milwaukee District North and Milwaukee District West routes — and adjust schedules on a fourth effective Monday, Dec. 12, the commuter operator has announced. In all, 28 trains will be added. The North Central Service will see one new round trip, […]

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GP15-1 locomotives: EMD workhorses

Starting its nearly half century of service, EMD GP15-1 locomotives are still going strong on regional short lines around the country as proof that old EMDs can still pull todays manifest traffic. Built by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division between 1976 and 1982, the four-axle GP15-1 was a way for railroads to purchase new power instead […]

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Electro-Motive Division tunnel motor diesels

Electro-Motive Division tunnel motor diesels Electro-Motive Division tunnel motor diesels solved a tricky problem. Locomotives operate in all climates, from scorching desert heat to frigid Canadian winters. An ample supply of fresh air is always required for cooling and combustion purposes but when trains operate through long tunnels or snowsheds at slow speeds, the ability […]

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Infrared photography makes your photos pop

Infrared photography Photography is a wonderful way to document your life. Whether you take pictures of your family, animals, landscapes, or trains, after a while the “seeing it like it is” or untouched photo can leave something to be desired. It may even eventually make you put the camera down. I was in such a […]

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Broadway Limited HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD45

Broadway Limited HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD45 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $399.99 Era: 1965 to present Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com Electro-Motive Division SD45 features: Two prototype-specific short hood variations Separately-applied wire grab irons, lift rings, and other details Etched-metal radiator fans and grills Light-emitting-diode lighting with […]

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The Missouri-Kansas-Texas logo’s heritage

Missouri-Kansas-Texas logo underwent subtle changes throughout the railroad’s history. But its origin is more interesting than these iterative changes. In his history of the Katy, J. Parker Lamb mentions the different incarnations of Katy’s corporate herald over the years, but where did the road’s uniquely shaped emblem come from? According to Freeman Hubbard in his […]

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