Lionel porthole caboose origins Lionel’s designers and marketers took significant steps in 1953 to expand and upgrade its roster of O gauge rolling stock. They introduced near-scale freight cars, notably larger and more realistic boxcars and a flatcar. They brought out for the first time a triple-dome tank car. And they distinguished the line with […]
In the 1990s Amtrak managers sought to use mail and express business to bolster revenue. A byproduct of that initiative, which involved beefing up baggage handling facilities and acquisition of boxcars, was aggressively seeking ways to use equipment. New Hampshire-based motorcycle event promoter Charlie St. Clair was a member of Amtrak’s Customer Advisory Committee […]
Not in my backyard. The unofficial rallying cry of opposition— to anything from low-cost housing to a railroad line — has made NIMBY a familiar acronym and led to the expectation that someone, somewhere, will oppose almost every effort to build or expand. Railroads and transit agencies are well aware that if financial and environmental […]
Garden railroad workshops come in all shapes and sizes. What is important about the workshop is that the work surface be large enough to accommodate whatever it is you want to work on without knocking into your stash of tools, paint and glue bottles, or anything else. Make sure your workbench is sturdy. The height […]
Tuesday morning rail news: MTA to open subway for two additional hours overnight The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will increase overnight New York subway service, cutting the time the subway is closed nightly from four hours to two as of Feb. 22. The system, currently closed from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. for nightly cleaning, will […]
New trainsets and a new snow blower for the Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway in Colorado have begun their journey from Switzerland. The Stadler equipment, along with a snow blower built by Zaugg at its Eggiwil, Switzerland, factory, was taken by truck from Stadler’s factory in Erlen, Swtizerland, to Basel, where they will […]
In this video, Steve Tello tests Rapido’s new release of Pullman Standard 8600-series steel coaches on his HO scale Boston & Maine New Hampshire Mainline. […]
In this video, Steve Tello tests Rapido’s new release of Pullman Standard 8600-series steel coaches on his HO scale Boston & Maine New Hampshire Mainline. […]
RDC Deutschland, the German subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corp., has won a contract to operate brand new Stadler-built battery-electric multiple unit regional trains on five routes in the north German state of Schleswig-Holstein. RDC won the contract over German national rail company Deutsche Bahn, which currently runs the routes. RDC Deutschland’s “RDC Autozug […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has virtually frozen its entire intermodal network in the face of harsh winter weather. UP notified customers Monday night that, effective at 8 a.m. local time today, it would not accept loads at its intermodal terminals. The railroad expects the closures to last for 72 hours. Exceptions include international shipments […]
Tuesday morning rail transit news: Charlotte unveils preliminary Silver Line light rail plan, sets meetings Charlotte’s transit agency has unveiled initial plans for its 26-mile Silver Line light rail project, and is beginning a series of six public meetings to address the potential route. WCNC-TV reports the Charlotte Area Transit System project aims to be […]
Q: Have the model railroad manufacturers ever considered making the wheels on car trucks free-wheeling, or more specifically, independent of the axles? It seems to me that trucks would bind less on tighter radius curves if each wheel could rotate independently. – Wilt Nelson, Leesburg, Fla. A: Wheels and axles on model trains are solid […]
