Photography has been my hobby since I retired as Amtrak’s company photographer in December 2012. In addition to trains, I shoot events of all kinds. There never fails to be at least one self-deprecating soul who grins at me and says, “Careful, I might break your camera.” Imagine their surprise when I respond, “Someone already […]
WASHINGTON — Two workers struck and killed by a PATCO train on the Benjamin Frankin Bridge in Camden, N.J., had entered the right-of-way before a track outage for maintenance work had been established, the National Transportation Safety Board said in determining probable cause as part of its final report on the Oct. 14, 2022, incident. […]
I bought a set of Williams tinplate cars that duplicated scarce Lionel products from the 1930s in an online auction (photo above). I planned to run them on my period layout and was pleased to find the cars to be in like-new condition when they arrived. However, when I placed them behind my Lionel No. […]
Simulated concreted-block retaining wall In real life, large concrete blocks (2′ x 4′) are often used to build retaining walls above and below roadways. To represent such a wall, start with a 1″ x 5″ gray colored piece of Trex or similar “plastic” wood. Cut it to your required width and length. With a table […]
Cold weather and limited train events keeping you indoors running trains? Well, we can relate. If you choose to give your favorite pastime a break for the summer to enjoy the weather with friends and family, then we suggest doing the following to ensure a smooth transition back into the hobby come those chilly, fall […]
As part of our 90th anniversary celebration, we’re featuring never-before-published articles from our archives on Trains.com. This story is from 1994. Products mentioned in the article may no longer be available. I’ve had an active interest in model railroading for more than 45 years. My ultimate goal was to build a layout of my own […]
Although some units proved long-lived, the EMD NW5 sold just 13 copies. Although the pre-World War II EMD NW3 was not a stellar seller, after cessation of hostilities in 1945, the builder was keen on revisiting the idea in order to mine the light switcher market dominated by the Alco RS1 and Baldwin […]
Q: What causes a steam locomotive chuff sound? — Tom Huckaby A: Whether you call it a chuff (the railroader’s term), puff, or chugga-chugga, that distinctive sound is made by spent steam and exhaust smoke escaping through the smokestack of a steam locomotive. For a more detailed explanation of what’s going on in a steam […]
Indiana’s Valpo Dummy commuter train could not garner the public support and funding needed to survive into the modern era. In the 1890s, the Pennsylvania Railroad began operating commuter trains between Chicago and Valparaiso, Ind. Over the next century the service remained largely frozen in time, with operations changing relatively little as the trains passed […]
LaFOLLETTE, Tenn. — Cleanup continues after about 15 cars of a CSX Transportation freight train derailed Saturday after part of a bridge gave way, according to the city’s police chief. WATE-TV reports that LaFollette Police Chief Steve Wallen said the metal frame supporting the bridge had broken, leading to a derailment that destroyed about a […]
CHESTERTON, Ind. — South Shore Line commuter rail service has been experiencing some growing pains with its expanded schedule, to the point that Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District President Mike Noland on Friday issued a letter to riders vowing to do better. With the completion of its $378 million Double Track project between Gary and […]
EMMETT, Ark. —Ten cars of a Union Pacific freight train derailed Saturday afternoon, May 25, at Emmett, Ark., about 7 miles northeast of Hope, Ark. The track continued to be blocked Sunday afternoon as crews worked to remove cars and repair the damage, according to spokeswoman Meg Siffring. A second train had derailed a day […]
