John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch

Screen shot from a video of two maroon-and-yellow diesels pulling trains through a verdant HO scale landscape on John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch

John Callahan’s HO scale East Berkshire Branch was featured in Great Model Railroads 2023. This is John’s second New England-themed railroad with that name; the layout includes several segments salvaged from his previous version, which was published in the March 2013 Model Railroader. For another look at John’s layout, watch his video on YouTube. You […]

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Trains Live — Rochelle Railroad Park

Bob and Nastassia with train in background

Trains LIVE — 10-12-2022 — Imagine a place that sees the passing of dozens of trains each day. This place is a safe, welcoming location for railfans to watch the trains. Its elevated location provides great photo opportunities. There place offers amenities such as a shelter with picnic tables, plenty of benches, and restrooms. Such […]

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Trains Live — Rochelle Railroad Park

Bob and Nastassia with train in background

Trains LIVE — 10-12-2022 — Imagine a place that sees the passing of dozens of trains each day. This place is a safe, welcoming location for railfans to watch the trains. Its elevated location provides great photo opportunities. There place offers amenities such as a shelter with picnic tables, plenty of benches, and restrooms. Such […]

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Rapido Trains General Motors Diesel F40PH-2D

N scale model of passenger diesel locomotive in VIA Rail paint scheme

Rapido Trains recently released their General Motors Diesel F40PH-2D diesel locomotive. Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy hosts a Product Review video of this new N scale passenger locomotive. He demonstrates the details on the locomotive as well as lighting and sound effects from the dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder. Finally, he takes passengers on the […]

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Midday Modeler — 10-12-2022 — Illinois Railway Museum

In this episode of Midday Modeler — 10-12-22 The Crew is reporting from the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill. A tour of the museum and some interviews with staff ensue. Midday Modeler is a new, regular video segment, recorded on-site and unscripted from Kalmbach Media beginning in February 2022. The segment features Kalmbach Media […]

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Burlington Northern and the Grain Industry

A train going past a grain site

    Sure thing, Angela. Since the Baltimore & Ohio began hauling flour from Ellicott’s Mills to Baltimore in 1830 — grain, flour, and seeds have been an important part of railroading. Grain moved in boxcars for decades, but in the early 1960s, Southern Railway’s new, 100-ton — Big John — covered hopper revolutionized grain […]

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Transkentucky Transportation Railroad photo gallery

Transkentucky Transportation Railroad Inc. Mention Eastern Kentucky railroading, and what comes to mind may be coal trains and manifests threading their way through needle-like tunnels and across generous rivers on Norfolk Southern’s “Rathole” or CSX Transportation’s Corbin Division. Or you might think of spiderwebs of branch lines serving hundreds of coal producers. Eastern Kentucky was […]

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Midday Modeler — 10-05-2022 — recorded in Rochelle, Ill

In this episode of Midday Modeler — 10-05-22 Bryson Sleppy and Brian Schmidt are reporting from the Rail Park in Rochelle, Illinois. A tour of the park and layout discussions ensue. Plus, a special “drop-in” from another Trains.com staff member! Midday Modeler is a new, regular video segment, recorded on-site and unscripted from Kalmbach Media […]

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Trains LIVE — Joseph Lister

two men standing together

Trains LIVE — Joseph Lister Trains LIVE — 09-28-2022 — The Mayo Clinic ranks among the world’s preeminent medical facilities. As Doctors Will and Charlie Mayo expanded the care-giving clinic started by their parents in 1864, little did they realize that their reputation would draw people in need of help from all corners of the […]

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Midday Modeler — 09-28-2022 — recorded in the Workshop

In this episode of Midday Modeler — 09-28-2022 Bryson Sleppy shows off the new Blunami Bluetooth Decoder. Cody Grivno demonstrates how to jazz up your layout with a variety of signage. Midday Modeler is a new, regular video segment, recorded on-site and unscripted from Kalmbach Media beginning in February 2022. The segment features Kalmbach Media […]

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Halloween-themed toy train photos

Scene on Halloween-themed layout

To celebrate the season, enjoy a photo gallery of Halloween-themed toy train layout photos. While Christmas is king with many toy-train collectors and operators, Halloween isn’t that far behind. Manufacturers like Lemax and Department 56 sell fall and Halloween-themed buildings, accessories, and figures that work will on layouts. If you’d like to build a Halloween […]

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