Broadway Limited 70-ton four-bay hopper in N scale

Four black freight hopper cars with load against a white background

Broadway Limited 70-ton four-bay hopper in N scale Scale: N (1:160) Price: Six-pack, $139.99 Era: 1930s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com Broadway Limited 70-ton four-bay hopper features: Detailed bay interiors Removable coal loads Separately-applied details Compatible with code 55, 70, 83, & […]

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Alstom demonstrates autonomous operation of switcher in Europe

Two people in high visibility vests observing switch engine

BREDA, Netherlands — Alstom says it has demonstrated fully autonomous operation for a switching locomotive in the Netherlands — with starting, movement, stopping, and handling of unexpected obstacles without involvement of on-train staff. The company says this week’s announcement concludes a series of tests that are part of a partnership with Dutch infrastructure manager ProRail and […]

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Report from Ottawa light rail inquiry blasts city officials, transit consortium

Red and white light rail train

OTTAWA, Ontario — City officials and the companies that built Ottawa’s problem-plagued light-rail Confederation line were guilty of “egregious violations of public trust” that included instances of “deliberate malfeasance,” according to the 664-page report from a public inquiry into the light rail project released Wednesday. The CBC reports that the document from Justice William Hourigan, […]

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CN makes $100,000 donation to remote air-rescue service in Canada

Canadian National logo

REGINA, Saskatchewan — Canadian National Railway has made a C$100,000 donation to Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service, which provides emergency medical car to remote locations in Western Canada. The donation will help fund STARS’ operations in Saskatchewan, providing direct support to communities along CN’s network. “The service STARS provides often means the difference between life […]

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Holiday week sees significant drop in U.S. rail traffic

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity type plus total intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic showed a significant drop for the week ending Nov. 26, a week including the Thanksgiving holiday, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Overall traffic was 413,305 carloads and intermodal units, a 4.1% drop from the corresponding week in 2021. That included 206,792 carloads, a 1.1% […]

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IT firm CGI to manage new VIA Rail Canada reservation system

VIA Rail Canada logo

MONTREAL — Information technology and business consulting firm CGI will manage a new online reservation system for VIA Rail Canada to be launched in 2023, the companies announced Wednesday. Under a long-term agreement, CGI will manage critical business applications, building on the business relationship that began in 2020 when CGI was selected to build VIA’s […]

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Infrared photography makes your photos pop

Infrared photo of train and hills in background

Infrared photography Photography is a wonderful way to document your life. Whether you take pictures of your family, animals, landscapes, or trains, after a while the “seeing it like it is” or untouched photo can leave something to be desired. It may even eventually make you put the camera down. I was in such a […]

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Department 56 buildings on toy train layouts

Christmas scene on S gauge layout with Department 56 buildings

Department 56 on toy train layouts: Toy train enthusiasts enjoy using Department 56 buildings and accessories on their O and S gauge layouts. In the spirit of the holidays, we’re sharing this photo gallery of displays. We hope you enjoy it.   More holiday fun is in this holiday toy train photo gallery. […]

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What are those gray SPMX covered hoppers?

A new light gray, four-bay, cylindrical covered hopper is seen in a rail yard

Q: What are the gray SPMX covered hoppers for? I see them everywhere, but never moving. – Carol Schuler A: SPMX is a relatively new reporting mark – so new that it doesn’t show up yet on many of the websites I use for reference. But that reporting mark belongs to Shell Polymers. That’s a […]

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Broadway Limited HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD45

A green locomotive against a blue sky background.

Broadway Limited HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD45 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $399.99 Era: 1965 to present Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174 broadway-limited.com Electro-Motive Division SD45 features: Two prototype-specific short hood variations Separately-applied wire grab irons, lift rings, and other details Etched-metal radiator fans and grills Light-emitting-diode lighting with […]

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