Menards Cripple Creek & Western Cattle Car

model cattle car

The first patented stock car was developed in 1870 and used in shipments between Chicago and New York City. The cars were designed for 90 hours of travel, had water troughs fed from tanks under the car, and food troughs fed from hoppers in the roof. Over the years, other stock car designs were introduced […]

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Colorado’s San Luis Central shut down by washout

Collapsed irrigation canal

MONTE VISTA, Colo. — Short line San Luis Central Railroad embargoed its entire 13-mile line May 28 after its crossing of the Empire Irrigation Canal, one mile north of Monte Vista, collapsed. According to local farmers, the crossing, a series of culverts surrounded by cement walls, had been seeping water between the pipes for a […]

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8 guidelines for handicap accessible toy train layouts

overview of model train layout

Model railroading — in any scale — can be a challenging hobby for people with disabilities, whether caused by illness, accident, or age. In addition, visitors who use a wheelchair or walker may find it difficult to view distant points on a large layout. The pike shown here was built with such limitations in mind. […]

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Memorable train rides: Summerville Steam Special

steam locomotive on bridge

Trains Video Producer Kevin’s pick: Summerville Steam Special Name of Train: Summerville Steam Special The route: Chattanooga, Tenn. to Summerville, Ga, roundtrip excursion Duration: 9 hours and about 100 miles round trip The adventure: Departing from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s Grand Junction depot in Chattanooga, Tenn., this all-day steam excursion takes passengers over a […]

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Amtrak’s Gardner, Coscia to appear at House subcommittee hearing

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and board chair Anthony Coscia are scheduled to appear before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in a hearing this Wednesday, June 12. The Railroad, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee will hold the hearing, “Amtrak and Intercity Passenger Rail Oversight: Promoting Performance, Safety and Accountability,” […]

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Prominent Budd-built passengers trains, excluding Zephyrs

Diesel locomotive pulling a streamlined train

The Budd Co. and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy went hand in hand in building the streamlined Zephyr fleet, though the Midwestern railroad wasn’t the only customer to the car manufacturer. By 1941, the company produced nearly 500 stainless-steel passenger cars to more than a dozen railroads. The 1939 Silver Meteor and 1941 Empire State Express […]

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Are trains in Michigan Central’s future?

View looking up at front of Michigan Central Station.

DETROIT — The magnificent indoor space at Michigan Central Station that once hosted New York Central passenger trains has been brought back to life in spectacular fashion by the Ford Motor Company. It joins New York’s Grand Central Terminal, union stations in Washington and Chicago, and Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal as well-preserved classics built […]

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