Coal is the No. 1 rail-shipped commodity by tonnage in the U.S., and power plants consume most of it. Three key characteristics shape this map (see June 2002 Trains for the East, and January 2003 for the South): Population is concentrated in cities; most plants are mine-mouth or near the mine; and its most populous […]
Fox Valley Models N scale ES44AC diesel locomotive A General Electric ES44AC is the debut locomotive from Fox Valley Models. The direct-current ready-to-run N scale model, based on GE’s Evolution Series locomotive, uses a split-frame mechanism and features numerous railroad-specific details. A package of modeler- installed etched-metal and wire details is also included. The GE […]
BNSF 9801 led this coal train through Willow Creek, Ind., on Jan. 1, 2009. DETX 994336 is one of 5,700 coal cars owned by Detroit Edison Co. Kathi Kube It’s easy enough to identify reporting marks for Class I railroads, as well as a multitude of short lines and regionals, but the reporting marks on […]
When the TRAINS staff began preparing its April 2010 report on obscure coal moves in North America, we got more photos than we bargained for. In no particular order, here are five more cool coal moves. Two SD90MACs on lease to Wheeling & Lake Erie lead two run-through Union Pacific diesels on a Powder River […]
This Map of the Month appeared in the January 2006 issue of Trains magazine. Pick up any state highway map and the multi-lane roads are shown prominently. Most railroad maps don’t distinguish between single and double track, however, so to compile this map of U.S. multiple-track main lines, a variety of other sources had to be […]
Jeff Wilson and Robert Wegner This Map of the Month appeared in the February 2007 issue of Trains magazine. Twenty-five years separate these two maps showing the busiest freight railroad lines in the United States. The 1980 map depicts American railroads at the end of regulation — the Staggers Rail Act of 1980 was signed […]
Robert Wegner This Map of the Month appeared in the January 2003 issue of Trains magazine. This is the second in our series of coal-fired power plant maps of the U.S. The first, showing the Northeastern quadrant of the U.S., appeared in June 2002 Trains. Electrical generation in the South obeys a much different pattern […]
A westbound loaded BNSF Railway coal train exits Montana Rail Link’s 3,986-foot-long Mullan Tunnel on Sept. 16, 2006. Tom Danneman As detailed in the February 2010 issue of TRAINS, ventilating exhaust from Mullan Pass tunnel has been a challenge since its completion in 1883. This sequence of photos, taken by TRAINS Art Director Tom Danneman, […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD70M and SD75M diesel locomotives. Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Canadian National, CSX (SD70M), and Ontario Northland. Three road numbers each. Five-pole skew-wound motor with dual flywheels, cab interior, and directional lighting. $149.98. April 2010. Ready-to-run. Genesis series. Athearn Trains Electro-Motive Division SW9/1200 diesel locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Chessie […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division F7 A-A and A-B diesel locomotive sets. Atlantic Coast Line, Kansas City Southern, Minneapolis & St. Louis (A-A set), New York Central, and Southern Pacific (Daylight paint scheme). Powered lead unit with dummy trailer; all are A-B sets unless noted. Metal wheelsets and McHenry scale magnetic knuckle couplers. $89.98. March […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD40T-2 diesel locomotive. Denver & Rio Grande Western (with 88″ nose), Ohio Central (88″ nose), R.J. Corman RR (81″ nose), and Southern Pacific (123″ nose). Three road numbers available. Upgraded tooling, prototype-specific details, and McHenry scale magnetic knuckle couplers. $109.98. March 2010. Ready-to-Roll. Athearn Trains General Electric U23B diesel locomotive. […]
GENERAL ELECTRIC’S FOUR-AXLE VERSION OF ITS POPULAR DASH 8 LOCOMOTIVE SERIES was selected by the Santa Fe for high-speed freight operation. The locomotives proved reliable enough for the Santa Fe to acquire more than 80, and 20 years after they were produced Santa Fe successor BNSF still rosters most of them. Standing by for our […]
