STUART, Fla. — The city of Stuart, Fla., will receive a $130.5 million federal Mega Grant to help fund replacement of the Florida East Coast Railway/Brightline bridge over the St. Lucie River, a bottleneck for rail operations and a point of friction between the rail operators and the local marine industry. The TC Palm newspaper […]
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Behind the Christmas tree train set tradition
Christmas tree train set The history of the “putzen” In as early as the 18th century, Protestants immigrating to America were making miniature Nativity scenes in their homes around Christmastime. The Moravians, who at the time settled in the Lehigh Valley (eastern Pennsylvania), are recognized for consistently doing this activity. The term “putzen” is a […]
News & Products for the week of December 18th 2023
News & Products for the week of December 18th 2023 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 December 18th […]
BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt assist in Wreaths Across America
BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt To honor fallen veterans during the holidays a number of companies regularly partner with Wreaths Across America to deliver wreaths for placement on headstones. Among them are BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt Transport Services. This year the two transportation giants together moved 46 container loads of wreaths — that’s 314,000 […]
On the radar: Metra service to O’Hare airport
Metra It’s likely many passengers don’t realize commuter rail operator Metra serves Chicago O’Hare International Airport. But then, “serves” may be generous. What the commuter operator provides is more akin to a cameo appearance. In 2022, the airport handled almost 664,000 commercial flights and more than 68.3 million passengers. Metra addresses this with 12 trains, […]
Sweet alyssum
Common name: Sweet alyssum Latin name: Lobularia maritima Plant size: Under 6″ Plant type: Annual USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11; grown as an annual in colder Zones Cultural needs: Almost any well-drained soil; full sun to part shade Originally from southern Europe, sweet alyssum has naturalized throughout the US as a hardy annual, reseeding year after […]
Lionel’s perfect postwar train set
Lionel’s perfect postwar train set The perfect postwar Lionel train set should have a great locomotive, exciting and attractive pieces of rolling stock, and maybe an operating accessory. There would be plenty of track, too. Which engine and cars would you choose if you were able to assemble a perfect outfit from the post-World War […]
With two key Mexico rail gateways shut down, cross-border freight begins stacking up (updated)
WASHINGTON — The temporary shutdown of the U.S.-Mexico railroad border crossings at Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, has thrown a kink into supply chains that demand reliability. Eagle Pass and El Paso are the No. 2 and No. 3 rail gateways by volume, respectively. Union Pacific says the closure has prompted it to place […]
Build rocket component loads for your flatcars
Have you ever considered making rocket component loads for your flatcars? Over the years I’ve seen some interesting flatcar loads on full-size trains, but I wanted to build something I’ve never seen before. I’m interested in watching rocket launches, so I decided to scratchbuild SpaceX rocket component loads. The rocket I built isn’t modeled after […]
Fort Lauderdale officials set to meet on bridge-or-tunnel dispute for rail line
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Fort Lauderdale’s fight over whether to build a $500 million bridge or a $3 billion tunnel to handle rail traffic through downtown could heat up further on Tuesday, as city officials meet to vote on their preferred option — after the city’s mayor sent out an email newsletter to voters saying […]
Bill introduced in Parliament to give VIA trains right of preference
OTTAWA, Ontario — A member of Canada’s Parliament from British Columbia has introduced a bill to create a right of preference for passenger trains on the nation’s railroads — the lack of which has long hampered VIA Rail Canada operations. Taylor Bachrach, a House of Commons member of the New Democratic Party from the riding […]
Sound Transit to switch to flat-fee fares for light rail
SEATTLE — Sound Transit’s light rail system will begin charging a flat fare of $3 next fall for rides anywhere on the system under a plan approved Friday by the transit agency’s board. Riders currently pay fares ranging from $2.25 to $3.50 based on distance, with the majority paying $2.75 or less, the Seattle Times […]