News & Products for the week of June 17th 2024

A model locomotive in a yellow and gray paint scheme

News & Products for the week of June 17th 2024 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 June 17th 2024. […]

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Rapido Trains N scale Turboliner

Color photo of red, white, and blue streamlined locomotive on N scale layout.

The Rapido Trains N scale Turboliner, based on the Rohr Industries prototype from the mid-1970s, recently paid a visit to our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy State Line Route layout. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the RTL Turboliner, points out the details on a 5-car set, and demonstrates the […]

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Rapido Trains N scale Turboliner

Color photo of red, white, and blue streamlined locomotive on N scale layout.

The Rapido Trains N scale Turboliner, based on the Rohr Industries prototype from the mid-1970s, recently paid a visit to our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy State Line Route layout. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the RTL Turboliner, points out the details on a 5-car set, and demonstrates the […]

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Big Boy’s ‘Heartland of America Tour’ to begin Aug. 29

Large black steam locomotive with train against a dark blue sky.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has announced plans for its second tour this year with Big Boy No. 4014, which will cover 10 states in eight weeks beginning Aug. 29. The “Heartland of America Tour” will launch from Cheyenne on that date and also include Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, […]

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Eastern red cedar

Common name: Eastern red cedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, red juniper, pencil cedar, or aromatic cedar Latin name: Juniperus virginiana Plant type: Shrubs and small trees USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, neutral, or slightly acidic soil; full sun Plant size: 40′ unpruned but easily kept under 2′, with a width half […]

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Railfan Road: Chicago’s Cicero Avenue

Commuter train with city skyline as backdrop

Roosevelt Road used to be ‘the’ Chicago railfan road. On less than a mile of viaducts just south of downtown, fans could catch passenger trains to and from many of the great Chicago passenger stations and associated coach yards. But intercity trains now only call at Union Station, and while commuters still roll, several iconic […]

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TSB statistics show rail accidents in Canada declined in 2023

Bar graph showing Canadian rail accidents each year since 2013

GATINEAU, Quebec — Rail accidents and incidents in Canada were down in 2023, although fatalities were up slightly, according to final statistics released last week by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. The board received 1,235 reports of rail “occurrences” — 914 accidents (which involve a fatality or serious injury, or a derailment, collision, or […]

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How can I use an Arduino on a model railroad?

A small, square, blue circuit board labeled “Arduino Uno”

Q: In your Ask MR question “Is there a way to automatically slow DCC locomotives?” you mentioned Arduino, a DCC-connected programmable system. Is that like Java Model Railroad Interface (JMRI) software, and if so, how do the two compare? — Bruce Fogwell A: Hi, Bruce. Arduino isn’t software — it’s hardware. An Arduino is a tiny computer, […]

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