The FreightCar America (FCA) 52-foot, 100-ton bulkhead flatcar with side stakes is the third HO scale freight car released by Otter Valley Railroad, a hobby shop located in Tillsonburg, Ont. Features on the newly tooled model include an injection-molded plastic body, die-cast metal underbody, and trucks with rotating bearing caps. The prototype We received two […]
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What industries would help me diversify a freight car fleet?
Q: I’m planning an HO scale switching layout designed to squeeze a maximum number of industries into a corner shelf. To capitalize on limited real estate, I intend to use low-profile backdrop buildings. I want to diversify a freight car fleet with a variety of freight cars, not just the ubiquitous boxcar. I’m looking at […]
An L shaped N scale track plan, the Copper Mountain & Western
This started out as an attempt to draw a simple L shaped N scale track plan and came out one of the most involved sketches I’ve ever drawn. In August 2008’s Model Railroader I wrote an article called “Three track plans for one sheet of plywood.” (All three of those plans are available on Trains.com.) […]
Amtrak officials outline new goals, initiatives at public board meeting
RICHMOND, Va. — Amtrak projects that it will surpass pre-pandemic figures for ridership and revenue in 2024, company officials said Friday as executives joined the board of directors for the company’s second annual public meeting, an event mandated by 2021’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law held this year at Richmond’s Main Street Station. This year’s gathering was […]
Hands-on ‘Expo’ a welcome preview to Amtrak board meeting
RICHMOND, Va. — Harking back to Amtrak’s yearly “National Train Day” events, the heads of various Amtrak departments and leaders of state passenger rail programs on Friday utilized the spacious halls of Richmond’s Main Street Station to explain capital investment, training, operations, and future goals. The “expo” was held in connection with Amtrak’s annual public […]
Classic Toy Trains new products for December 2023
Locomotives & rolling stock Metropolitan Division of the Train Collectors Association (METCA) has several custom-run products. The first is a Lionel 2-8-0 Consolidation in New Hope & Ivyland livery. They also have two Lionel Legacy engines, an SD50 Reading & Northern (red head paint scheme) and two SD70Aces, one in Lionel Lines and one with […]
Young Guns in Preservation: Kristen Fredriksen
Outreach is the name of the game for any organization in rail preservation looking to remain relevant. For Kristen Fredriksen, who serves as the Manager of Public Programs and Outreach at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington as well as being a board member of the HeritageRail Alliance, it’s about the storytelling and evoking nostalgia […]
Rapido Trains HO scale RS18u
A sample of the Rapido Trains HO scale RS18u diesel locomotive recently arrived at our offices. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor as he takes a closer look at CP Rail No. 1826. He’ll point out features on the model, demonstrate some of the sound and light functions, and use the locomotive to power a short […]
Rapido Trains HO scale RS18u
A sample of the Rapido Trains HO scale RS18u diesel locomotive recently arrived at our offices. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor as he takes a closer look at CP Rail No. 1826. He’ll point out features on the model, demonstrate some of the sound and light functions, and use the locomotive to power a short […]
Travel: Amtrak’s most unusual train
Amtrak’s most unusual train Dirk Nadon is a New Hampshire radio magnate who owns Lakes Media. He and I have worked together developing radio promotions for the Conway Scenic Railroad. At one point he said to me, “You’ll like this! A few years ago, I took this great train ride called the Auto Train — […]
Union Pacific service metrics show continued improvement
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific is touting service improvements in an update to customers. “We know that delivering consistent and reliable service is what you expect, and we continue to make improvements to our service product. I’m pleased with the progress that we have sustained over the past few months,” Kenny Rocker, executive vice president […]
The Green River layout in HO scale
The Green River layout is impressive. After all, at 33 x 44 feet, there’s a lot to be impressed with. Hilton Glavish, the owner of the layout, began modeling the Wyoming Division of the Union Pacific, from Echo Canyon to Green River in the 1950s, in 2012. “In 2008, I drove the road from Ogden […]