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While at the TCA Eastern Division York show in April, I learned about a group of four younger men who had started a YouTube channel to talk about the O gauge hobby. Like the Train Dads I wrote about recently, these are also men who love toy trains, and are also dads. The group’s goal […]
FAIDO, Switzerland — Repairs to the Gotthard Base Tunnel remain on pace for a full reopening in September, according to a project update on the Swiss Federal Railways website. The lane-change gate at the Faido multifunction point — which seals off the two bores of the tunnel at a crossover, to prevent the spread of […]
HAMILTON, Ontario — Canadian National Railway, the Southern Railway of British Columbia, and a consortium including several short lines in Saskatchewan and Alberta are among recipients of up to C$51.2 in funding from the Canadian government for digital infrastructure projects under the National Trade Corridors Fund. A total of 19 projects will receive funding, announced […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain will suspend service between San Francisco and San Jose this coming weekend, June 8-9, for testing of its new electric fleet. It will be the last in a series of weekend service disruptions prior to the planned September launch of electrified service on the San Francisco-San Jose corridor. Limited-capacity replacement […]
What was your first train set (or locomotive)? My big present for Christmas 1958 was a Lionel train set pulled by a Santa Fe F3a. It spent most of the time under my bed in an old suitcase. My brother and I would set it up and run trains in circles until we got bored […]
Trackage rights are one of the main reasons you may see a train from one company operating on tracks belonging to another company. Geography, for example, played a role in the long-standing agreement governing Union Pacific’s crossing of California’s Tehachapi Mountains. When this line was built by the then-Southern Pacific, there was no room for […]
What is an operating session? Operating sessions attempt to mimic the activities we see on a full-size railroad. To support a successful operating session, a garden railroad must have certain characteristics. There must be multiple industries where cars can be spotted. The more unique industry locations on the railroad, the better. These car spots must […]
STOCKTON, Calif. — Amtrak’s San Joaquins will once again add a special stop at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park for the annual Junteenth event, set this year for June 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In connection with the event, trains will offer half price “Allensworth fares” for those attending the Juneteenth celebration at […]
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit car inspectors, mechanics, and coach cleaners have ratified a new three-year agreement with the transit agency, the Transport Workers Union of America announced. Some 80% of members of TWU Local 2001 — which represents 180 workers — voted in favor of the new agreement, which takes effect July 1. The […]
WEST MANSFIELD, Ohio — Twenty-eight cars of a CSX train carrying grain derailed Saturday afternoon (June 1), the Mercer County Outlook reports, leading to the closure of an adjacent county road. No injuries were reported in the derailment that occurred about 5:15 p.m. The Logan County Sheriff’s Office reported County Road 142 was closed Saturday […]
Regardless the size, model railroads require regular maintenance. Cleaning track, dusting scenery and structures, and maintaining equipment are just some of the things that require attention. Not keeping up on these tasks will lead to a layout that runs poorly, looks tired, and potentially cause you (and/or members of your operating crew) to lose interest. […]
Q: I’m considering converting my N scale diesel fleet to DCC. I have a concern about getting realistic sound in N scale locomotives. On videos of model railroads I have watched, the diesel acceleration and running sound seems to feature the high-pitched whine of the diesel generators. When I railfan real diesels around the Pittsburgh […]
