1990s B units

Santa Fe management ordered 23 GP60B units in 1991 for road service. Today, these four-axle veterans still ply BNSF Railway rails, but mostly on local jobs. Bob Miller Q I was watching railroad videos of the 1990s and saw locomotives without cabs in various consists. I rarely see these units on the main lines of […]

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HO scale Santa Fe Eastern

Name: Santa Fe Eastern Layout owner: Les Illes Scale: HO Size: 25 x 35 feet Prototype: Santa Fe (BNSF Ry.) and Southern Pacific (Union Pacific) Locale: Cajon Pass in California Era: 1940s to present Style: walk-in Mainline run: 600 feet in three lines Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 (main), no. 6 (yards) Maximum grade: 2 […]

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New toy train products from the January 2017 issue

44 TONNER TIMES TWO: Williams by Bachmann has added two road names to its list of General Electric 44-ton locomotives: nos. 23106 Canadian National and 23107 Union Pacific. The O gauge diesels require O-27 or wider-diameter curves and feature die-cast metal trucks and frame, dual flywheel-equipped motors, scale dimensions, and the True Blast Plus sound […]

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MTH HO scale EMD GP38-2

MTH HO scale GP38-2 diesel locomotive The HO scale locomotive’s die-cast metal frame encloses the motor, flywheels, and gear towers. The printed-circuit board is attached to the top. The MTH Ready-2-Rail model’s molded detail is well-defined and matches the prototype. The handrails are flexible plastic to resist breaking. A four-axle road switcher that would look […]

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FRA will continue to push two-person crew rule, top safety official says NEWSWIRE

NEW YORK — The Federal Railroad Administration will continue to move forward with its proposed rule requiring two-person locomotive crews despite the changing political climate in Washington and mounting criticism from the rail industry. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to reduce government regulations. But elections don’t change the FRA’s mission of improving safety, Robert Lauby, […]

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Trainfest 2016 show report

Athearn Trains HO scale General Electric ES44DC HO scale locomotives General Electric ES44DC. BNSF Ry. (Heritage II and III schemes), CSX (primer gray and as-delivered schemes), Norfolk Southern (primer gray and horsehead silhouette). Four road numbers per scheme (primer gray in two numbers each). Detailed cab interior, illuminated ditch lights, and railroad-specific cab detail. Direct-current […]

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Last rotating Griswold signal mechanism removed NEWSWIRE

A Griswold mechanical stop signal in Minneapolis. Nick Benson MINNEAPOLIS — The last mechanically operable stop signs on a Griswold crossing signal were removed in late October, having protected a BNSF Railway grade crossing in northeast Minneapolis, just 2.5 miles from where they were manufactured by the Griswold Signal Company. While the stop signs are […]

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