Looking for interesting uses for cabooses? If you’re of a certain age (myself included), you remember when a caboose was on the end of almost every train. Then, in the 1990s, cabooses began to disappear. Instead of a friendly wave at the end of a train, you were greeted by a blinking red light on […]
Type of Train: Rolling Stock
Model modern Amtrak passenger train consists
If you love traveling around the country on the rails like I do, you probably want to know how to model modern Amtrak passenger train consists. Amtrak’s consists vary between regions and train-by-train. For instance, there is a height limit in the New York City area so any train going in or out of New […]
Lionel heavyweight observation cars make their debut
It’s hard to believe we’re just now seeing Lionel heavyweight observation cars from the 2021 Volume II Lionel Catalog. Such are the cycles of production! These models were cataloged alongside brass hybrid Strasburg Rail Road 2-10-0 No. 90. They resemble two different paint schemes on a prototype car that belongs to the Pennsylvania tourist line. […]
Cheyenne receives passenger cars, caboose from UP for tourism project
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The City of Cheyenne has accepted a donation from Union Pacific of three passenger cars and a caboose for the city’s planned 15th Street Railroad Experience tourism project, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports. Two of the cars — a former Southern Pacific heavyweight observation car later used in maintenance-of-way service and a […]
How many Amtrak cars do you need for a prototypical train?
If you’re like me, you love riding Amtrak and modeling the trains you have ridden. But scale passenger equipment can get expensive, especially if you add lights and figures. The first two Amtrak cars that I got were Superliner coach and diner cars; I thought I needed to save up for a whole train. This […]
Cheap O gauge train collecting on Bob’s Train Box 88
Many of us are on the hunt for a cheap O gauge train. On this episode of Bob’s Train Box, Bob and CTT editor Hal Miller are out to save you some money! They’re always looking for deals and will show you a great and inexpensive way to start collecting Lionel trains. They’ll also give […]
Cheap O gauge train collecting on Bob’s Train Box 88
Many of us are on the hunt for a cheap O gauge train. On this episode of Bob’s Train Box, Bob and CTT editor Hal Miller are out to save you some money! They’re always looking for deals and will show you a great and inexpensive way to start collecting Lionel trains. They’ll also give […]
Federal agency issues advisory calling for shippers to stop using DOT-111 tank cars
WASHINGTON – A federal agency has issued a safety advisory recommending that shippers and tank car owners stop using DOT-111 tank cars in the wake of the February derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio. “The safety advisory re-emphasizes concerns with the survivability of DOT-111 tank cars and encourages tank car owners […]
Swiss gauge-changing trains temporarily restricted to narrow-gauge operation
MONTREUX, Switzerland — Concerns over excessive track wear have led the innovative Swiss Golden Pass Express trains that switch from meter gauge to standard gauge to be temporarily restricted to meter-gauge operations. The Golden Pass Express, or GPX, trains, began operating late last year on the route between Montreux and Interlaken [see “Swiss gauge-changing Panoramic […]
Emery Trust announces 2023 preservation grant winners
The John Emery Rail Heritage Trust has announced the award of 19 grants totaling $250,000 for rail preservation projects as part of its annual award program, after considering some 29 applications seeking a total of almost $875,000 in funding. The Emery Rail Heritage Trust was founded by longtime Chicago resident John Emery, an avid rail […]
NTSB focusing on performance of wheelsets in NS derailment in Springfield, Ohio
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the March 4 derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train in Springfield, Ohio, is focusing on the performance of wheelsets, the board said in a preliminary report. Four days after the derailment NS began removing from service 517 steel coil cars made by National Steel Car […]
TTX begins equipping boxcars and auto racks with GPS tracking devices
CHICAGO – TTX is beginning to equip its boxcar and auto rack fleets with GPS-based telematics so that railroads and shippers can monitor car location and status in real time. The car pooling company, which is owned by the Class I railroads, aims to equip 1,700 new and existing boxcars by the end of the […]