BALTIMORE — Mark your calendar for 15 months from now. In February 1827 the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad became the first common carrier railroad in the U.S. February 2027 is the bicentennial of U.S. railroading and the B&O Railroad Museum plans to celebrate with renovated and expanded facilities now under construction. The $38 million project […]
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SAN FRANCISCO — “Operator fatigue” led to a September incident in which a San Francisco Muni light rail train ran through a stop and operated at high speed, jostling passengers who through the train was going to crash, the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency said Monday. The train did not derail , but one passenger […]
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In April 2024, Lionel announced a newly-tooled, ET44AC diesel-electric locomotive in a standalone catalog. This O-scale, 3-rail model was delivered in September 2025 and has received high praise. The ET44AC was produced by General Electric and is part of its Evolution Series. The locomotive is compliant with Tier 4 emissions standards, hence the “T” in […]
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Athearn Genesis HO EMD F45 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $219.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $319.99 Era: 1969+ to 2000+ (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn Genesis HO EMD F45 features: All-wheel drive and electrical pickup Body-mounted […]
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Trains Turntable: Commentary from Martin J. Oberman The proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger continues to dominate the news as well as conversation at all gatherings — formal and informal — in the railroad universe. Unfortunately, because of a few unrelated actions in the political world, along with repeated spin by self-interested parties, there is a […]
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Freight Car Class: Lesson 2, Upgrading Kits for Better Operation | In this lesson, David shares essential steps for upgrading your model’s operation and realism. First, you’ll learn how to use the NMRA recommended practice (ARP 20.1) to calculate the target weight for your car, and how to install a peel-and-stick weight to achieve that […]
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CLEWISTON, Fla. — U.S. Sugar’s Sugar Express will host a two-day photo charter in January featuring steam locomotive No. 148 in a recreation of 1950s-era railroading. The event on Jan. 17-18, 2026, will feature No. 148 — the Alco 4-6-2 built for Florida East Coast in 1920 and sold to U.S. Sugar in 1952 — […]
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OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has announced an agreement with the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers to ensure job security for members of the union if UP’s proposed merger with Norfolk Southern is approved. The agreement announced today (Nov. 10, 2025) commits that hundreds of NCFO members employed at the time of the merger […]
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News & Products for the week of November 10th 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of November 10th, […]
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KAMLOOPS, British Columbia — All railcars have been removed from the water and just one remains on the site as cleanup continues from the CPKC derailment on Nov. 1 that led to spill of aviation fuel on the shore of Kamloops Lake, raising concerns about some water systems supplied by the lake. In a Nov. […]
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NORTH WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Metro-North Railroad has introduced the eighth in its series of heritage locomotives, wrapping P32AC-DM No. 216 to honor U.S. veterans. The locomotive will be on display at Grand Central Terminal on Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Veterans Day — and Wednesday, Nov. 12. It will enter service […]
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PHILADELPHIA — The ongoing inspection process for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s fleet of Silverliner IV electrical multiple-unit cars has led to a significant increase in train cancellations as of today (Nov. 10, 2025). A SEPTA message posted on Sunday says Regional Rail service is “running with extremely limited vehicle availability” because of the inspections, […]
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