Nevada State Railroad Museum to host ‘Star Spangled Steam Up’

Steam locomotive operating on a summer day

CARSON CITY, Nev. — The Nevada State Railroad Museum will be hosting its “Star Spangled Steam Up” during the Fourth of July weekend, July 3-6, 2025. The headliner during the event will be a guest appearance by Nevada County Narrow Gauge 2-6-0 No. 5, Tahoe, returning to the museum for the first time since the 2022 […]

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The latest developments in United States tariffs and the model train industry

The following is a series of edited excerpts from an interview conducted by David Popp with Jason Shron, owner and CEO of Rapido Trains Inc. on May 20, 2025 on the subject of United States tariffs in relation to the model train industry. You can find the complete interview on Trains.com Video by clicking here. […]

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OmniTRAX named operator of the Port Muskogee Railroad

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — OmniTRAX has added a 30th railroad to its stable, the 8.1-mile Port Muskogee Railroad in the Sooner State. The short line holding company and Port Muskogee today announced that they have signed a railroad facilities operating agreement covering the inland port’s rail network. “OmniTRAX is excited to expand our Oklahoma rail service […]

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Opposition to high-frequency concept led to VIA affiliate’s shift to high speed rail

Logo of Canadian high speed company Alto

MONTREAL — A VIA Rail Canada subsidiary paid more than Ca$330,000 to a marketing firm to rebrand itself as part of the effort to shift its high-frequency rail project to high speed rail after discovering little support for the original concept, the Canadian Press reports. Documents obtained by the news service show that the VIA […]

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Lawsuit says Union Pacific seeks to more than double Metra access fees

Commuter train and freight train meet on three-track main line

CHICAGO — Union Pacific is seeking to nearly double track access fees for Metra commuter trains on lines in the Chicago area, according to a federal lawsuit. The costs would more than double when other fees are included. In an amended complaint filed Tuesday in a lawsuit filed earlier this year, Metra says it had […]

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Elevated crossing gate towers

An elevated crossing gate tower

Elevated crossing gate towers were once common sights at busy road intersections. The compact and fascinating structures faded from the railroad scene during the 1940s and 1950s as automatic crossing gates became more widely used. The role of the towers was simple, yet important. Keeping watch from his lofty perch, the crossing tender warned motorists […]

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Meeting set on latest options to reroute rail line through Del Mar, Calif.

Passenger train passing construction equipment along beach

SAN DIEGO — The effort to relocate the Surf Line rail route through Del Mar, Calif. — or not — is once again soliciting public comment. The San Diego Association of Governments will host a meeting on the latest set of proposals for line relocation — including one option that would leave the route where […]

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Maine legislators kill proposal seeking study of Portland-Orono passenger service

Maine state seal

AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s House of Representatives has killed a proposal to study passenger service between Portland and Orono, Maine, the second straight year that the legislature has opted not to study a potential expansion. LD 487 — presented in both houses by a mix of Democratic and Republican sponsors — called for the Northern […]

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Aurora Miniatures HO GMD SD50F

Title screen of product review video showing HO scale diesel in orange and gray paint on scenicked model railroad with title bar in lower left corner.

See the General Motors Diesel Ltd. SD50F from Aurora Miniatures North America in action our HO scale Winston-Salem Southbound in our latest product review video. Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno provides a brief history of the six-axle road locomotive and Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western 5454; points out the many factory-applied details on the […]

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Aurora Miniatures HO GMD SD50F

Title screen of product review video showing HO scale diesel in orange and gray paint on scenicked model railroad with title bar in lower left corner.

See the General Motors Diesel Ltd. SD50F from Aurora Miniatures North America in action our HO scale Winston-Salem Southbound in our latest product review video. Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno provides a brief history of the six-axle road locomotive and Dakota, Missouri Valley & Western 5454; points out the many factory-applied details on the […]

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