2026 Trains tour of Colorado announced

Narrow gauge steam locomotive and train under blue skies

2026 Colorado Rockies by Rail tour Experience the rails of the west with our extensive tour exploring the best of Colorado railroads. This red and rocky historic setting provides the perfect backdrop for a specially curated, all-inclusive rail adventure of a lifetime. 7 days, 6 nights, June 2-8, 2026. Private Car Charters on: • Cumbres […]

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Rapido N Southern Pacific 3/4 dome lounge

Color photo showing end of N scale flat-side Southern Pacific 3/4 dome lounge painted aluminum, red, white, and blue on white background.

Rapido N Southern Pacific 3/4 dome lounge Scale: N (1:160) Price: $89.95 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido N Southern Pacific 3/4 dome lounge features: Body-mounted magnetic knuckle couplers Designed from original blueprints and field measurements of existing cars End doors with porthole windows Flicker-free, track-powered lighting (compatible with […]

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US weekly rail traffic is again down

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. freight rail traffic continued its recent downward trend during the week ending Oct. 18, 2025. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, total weekly traffic was 498,462 carloads and intermodal units, down 1.3% from the same week a year ago. it was the fifth time in the last seven weeks […]

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News photos: First Airo trainset visits Chicago on cross-country trek

CHICAGO — Its trials completed at the Federal Railroad Administration’s Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo., Amtrak’s first Siemens Airo trainset is now headed east to the company’s Philadelphia coach yard, where it will be based for Northeast Corridor testing and commissioning. That trip included a stop in Chicago today (Oct. 22, 2025). The train […]

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News photo: MBTA unveils retro-paint locomotive

Silver, purple, and yellow diesel at passenger station

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has placed a newly overhauled locomotive into service wearing the original MBTA paint scheme. GP40MC No. 1130, a rebuilt ex-Canadian National GP40-2LW, entered service on Tuesday, Oct. 21, wearing the scheme last used by the MBTA more than 20 years ago. It joins F40PH-3C No. 1030, painted to […]

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Pinsly Railroad CEO named to STB rail-shipper panel

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Pinsly Railroad Co. CEO Ryan Ratledge has been appointed to a three-year term on the Surface Transportation Board’s Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council. “I am honored to represent Pinsly Railroad Company and small railroads across the country on the RSTAC committee,” Ratledge said in a statement released on Wednesday. “I look forward to […]

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GATX says demand for freight car leases is holding steady

Black tank car

CHICAGO — Rail equipment lessor GATX Corp. on Tuesday reported lower North American profits as expenses grew faster than revenue during the third quarter. The North American rail segment profit declined 31%, to $70.7 million, as revenue increased 6.4%, to $296.5 million. The company said the decline in the segment’s profit was due to lower […]

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Build a simple Arduino-based DCC system

A steam locomotive sits on the track of a basic oval HO scale model railroad connected to a homemade DCC controller

This article will help you build a simple Arduino-based DCC system. Growing up in the 1980s I was living the dream. I had an HO layout on a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood in my parents’ basement in Reading, Pa., a soldering iron, a nearby RadioShack, and a subscription to Model Railroader. My favorite […]

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Scuff pads for scenery

Color photo showing scenicked section of model railroad with trees in foreground and scuff pad in background and sky blue backdrop

Q: I’ve been trying to find the video Cody Grivno hosted a few years ago where he showed how to make a low-profile forest background using, I think, a furnace filter. I’m not talking about making furnace filter pine trees. This was more like cutting a continuous row of tree tops out of filter material […]

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Wabtec earnings surge on higher freight and transit revenue

PITTSBURGH — Wabtec on Wednesday reported stronger earnings as the equipment manufacturer’s revenue and profits grew in both its freight and transit segments. “We delivered a very strong quarter evidenced by continued growth in our backlog, sales, margin, and earnings,” CEO Rafael Santana said on the company’s earnings call. The company’s operating income increased 17%, […]

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Officials approve feasibility study for Austin-San Antonio commuter rail

Passenger train in background with station in foreground

AUSTIN, Texas — Officials in Travis County have approved a contract for a feasibility study of a commuter rail operation between Austin and San Antonio, Texas. At a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a $124,953.50 contract with consultant HNTB Corp. for a “high-level engineering feasibility study” for […]

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