News & Products for the week of July 21st 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 21st, […]
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A look back: CTT subscription ad from 1989
I found this Winter 1989 ad for a holiday subscription neat. Note the Milwaukee address for Kalmbach Publishing. Purchase a subscription for $14.95 and buy a second for only $9.95! […]
Grant from Norfolk Southern boosts efforts for Norfolk & Western No. 611
ROANOKE, Va. — Norfolk Southern Corp. has awarded a $40,000 grant to the Virginia Museum of Transportation as part of its Thriving Communities Grant Program, according to a July 23 post on the Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 social media pages. This funding will support the museum’s Rail Heritage Initiatives: Education, Engagement, and […]
CN contract proposal would have required Amtrak to pay $1.4 million for delaying freight trains in 2024
WASHINGTON — Amtrak would have owed Canadian National $1.4 million for delays its passenger trains caused to CN freights last year under the CN’s proposal for a new operating agreement, according to a document filed with the Surface Transportation Board on Tuesday (July 22, 2025). The CN filing and one from Amtrak are in response […]
Atlas Summer 2025 HO and N catalog
The Atlas Summer 2025 HO and N catalog was recently posted on the manufacturer’s website. The 60-page PDF includes new models and signals in both scales, as well several items in new paint schemes and road numbers. All of the offerings are scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2026. N scale In N […]
Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Eastbound coal train
With the eastbound loaded coal train clear of the Clay Siding switch, the engineer aboard Denver & Rio Grande Western GP30 no. 3007 is waiting for the dispatcher to give his westbound train permission to get back on the main. Mike Danneman of Arvada, Colo., took the photo on his N scale Rio Grande layout. […]
Add realistic finishes to figures
Adding scale people to your layout can be as simple as opening the box and gluing them in place. Manufacturers such as Preiser, Merten, Woodland Scenics, among others, offer a selection of realistic, factory-painted plastic figures for model railroads. However, if you have a railroad that requires a large population, it can be more economical […]
Crew member, firefighter hurt as SEPTA train catches fire
BREAKING: SEPTA train on fire at Paoli station. @NBCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/ciJ68Oq2eh — Matt DeLucia (@MattDeLucia) July 23, 2025 PAOLI, Pa. — A Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority employee and a firefighter were injured when a Regional Rail train caught fire late Tuesday (July 22, 2025). No passengers were on board at the time. WTXF-TV reports two cars […]
BLET, UP reach tentative agreement on interim pay raise
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and Union Pacific have reached tentative agreement on an interim 3% raise for BLET members while bargaining for a full contract continues. The union said in a press release that if ratified, the interim agreement would be effective Sept. 1 and provide the raise to […]
ScaleTrains HO Norfolk Southern AC44C6M
The ScaleTrains HO Norfolk Southern AC44C6M, a modern six-axle road locomotive, is the latest addition to the manufacturer’s Rivet Counter line. Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno provides a brief history of the full-size units and Norfolk Southern No. 4000; shows the many separate, factory-applied detail parts; and demonstrates the sound and light functions on […]
ScaleTrains HO Norfolk Southern AC44C6M
The ScaleTrains HO Norfolk Southern AC44C6M, a modern six-axle road locomotive, is the latest addition to the manufacturer’s Rivet Counter line. Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno provides a brief history of the full-size units and Norfolk Southern No. 4000; shows the many separate, factory-applied detail parts; and demonstrates the sound and light functions on […]
Florida’s Tri-Rail says it could run out of money in two years
MIAMI — Commuter operator Tri-Rail could run out of money within two years — earlier than previously anticipated — because of cuts in funding approved by the state legislature in June, according to the executive director of the service’s parent agency. The Palm Beach Post reports David Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional […]
