EMD F unit in local service EMD F unit in local service: Back in the 1950s and ’60s, it was not unusual to see a freight cab unit switching an online yard or working a branch line, although they were built to run on main lines, not secondaries or as switchers. But when a local […]
PORTLAND, Ore. — Genesee Valley Transportation has agreed to acquire the Alco PA locomotive restored by preservationist Doyle McCormack and will run the unit on main line passenger excursions, the short line company announced today. McCormack and GVT Rail President Michael D. Thomas finalized the agreement in a meeting Wednesday at the Oregon Rail Heritage […]
Improve ready-to-run freight cars: A few weeks ago I bought an N scale freight car at my local hobby shop. The car was a bright yellow Milwaukee Road covered hopper by Trainworx, and besides the marvelous detail, it had two other features I’ve come to look for on cars: metal wheels and body-mounted Magne-Matic couplers. […]
Canadian National set a grain volume record for February by moving 2.4 million metric tons out of Western Canada for the month, topping the record set last year by 200,000 metric tons. CN attributes February’s performance to increased collaboration between supply chain partners, which helped the railway bounce back from a period of extreme cold. […]
DALLAS — Saying the city of Dallas has cost her agency more than $80 million through delays and changes to its planned Silver Line commuter rail project, Dallas Area Rapid Transit CEO Nadine Lee said Tuesday that DART may retain that amount out of some $111 million in excess sales tax revenue the transit organization […]
BOSTON — The family of a man dragged to his death by a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train last year after his arm became caught in a closing door has sued the transit agency. The Boston Globe reports the family of Robinson Lalin, killed in the April 10, 2022, accident on the Red Line, alleges […]
BERLIN — About 80% of the display area for InnoTrans 2024 has already been booked — a record for this stage in the booking process, the director of the international rail trade show said Wednesday. The biennial event will be held Sept. 24-27 at the Messe Berlin exhibition grounds. “We are delighted with the consistently […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was down again for the month of February, showing a 5.2% decline compared to figures for the same month in 2022. The overall drop included a 1.6% decrease in carload traffic and an 8.4% decline for intermodal volume, according to the Association of American Railroads. It followed a 3.2% drop […]
If you are in the Midwest, visiting the Monticello Railway Museum is a great idea. The Midwest is often overlooked when it comes to railway preservation. The Monticello Railway Museum is located in central Illinois about 20 miles west of Champaign. Overlooked, it should not be. Here’s why. First off, at every turn are volunteers […]
If you’ve ever tried to run a big locomotive around a small radius curve of track, you probably realized that the minimum recommended track radius is still too small for a lot of rolling stock. Long-wheelbase steam locomotives, in particular, have trouble staying on the rails when the curve is too sharp. Model railroad manufacturers […]
Q: I want to run six-axle power and trains of 15 cars or so around a return loop without any tight curves to it. What would be the recommended curve radius I should use, and how much space for a loop of track do I need? – Mike Bailey A: The flippant answer is, how […]
Q: Interesting article on removing the flanges from steam locomotive drivers. So, what about those long diesel engines like the General Electric C44-9W or EMD’s FP45s or SD40? Could removing flanges from diesel wheels help my HO scale Athearn Blue Box diesels go around 19” radius curves? If so, the question becomes what’s the easiest way […]
