Winter weather stops Portland, Ore., light rail service

Man clearing downed tree from catenary

PORTLAND, Ore. — MAX light rail service remains suspended throughout the Portland area as of this morning (Monday, Jan. 15) as a result of winter weather that hit the area on Saturday — with more on the way. Transit agency Tri-Met says in an advisory on its website the light rail service is suspended “until […]

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Why are there no kits for modeling a glass plant?

Aerial photo of a prototype glass plant

Q: I’m slowly building the industries on my HO layout and can’t seem to find one in particular: a glass plant. I see all types of industries one can buy in HO scale, but no one seems to make a glass plant. Why not? I once worked for one of the largest glass container manufacturers […]

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Amtrak hit by yet more weather cancellations

Train in the snow

CHICAGO — As subzero temperatures blanketed the country’s mid-section following blizzard conditions that postponed an NFL playoff game in Buffalo, N.Y., travelers counting on Amtrak to provide all-weather transportation scrambled to alter their plans. Additional trains have been added to previously reported cancellations [see “Amtrak announces another round …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 10, 2024]. […]

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‘Lake Shore Limited’ dining car history, continued

Exterior of dining car at station platform

Lake Shore Limited dining car In profiling a train for Trains’ 1,000th issue whose New York and Boston sections average just under 1,000 miles, it isn’t possible to relate more than a fraction of what has made trips aboard the Lake Shore Limited so memorable through the years. [See “Lake Shore Limited: A Survivor,” Trains, […]

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MTH RailKing Pennsylvania Railroad L-1 2-8-2

Model steam engine on track

The Pennsylvania Railroad was a coal-hauling road if there ever was one. Lists of heavy trains were pulled by a major fleet of standardized freight locomotives. There were 475 of the 2-8-2 L-1 class erected and were a mainstay of the coal and general freight fleet for decades on the railroad. In 2014, MTH added […]

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The superb Owl and its unique route in SP history

Southern Pacific train 26, the southbound Owl, stops at Glendale, Calif., with 4-8-8-2 No. 4116 on point. H. Sullivan photo

  Almost every railroad has its “other” passenger train. You know, the lesser known one usually received far less press. The one that deviated here and there from the timetable of the premier train that plied the route.   Thumb through a company history and you soon realize Southern Pacific had lots of them. Almost […]

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Have layout, will travel – portable model train layouts

A man sits next to a nearly finished train layout outside.

Like several other model railroaders, I lost my “right” to more layout right-of-way within our house several decades ago. Nevertheless, building a layout is perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the hobby for me. Despite having two operating model railroads in the house, I still wanted to build more. At train shows I noticed many […]

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Wabash Railway passenger trains remembered

A black and white photo of a train on the tracks

Wabash Railway passenger trains: All through January 2024, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history and heritage of the Wabash.     Please enjoy this photo gallery of Wabash Railway passenger trains, originally published online in May 2019. […]

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Baldwin diesels scrapped in France

Predominantly yellow diesel locomotive with some visible rust

PARIS — Four nearly 80-year-old, Baldwin-built diesel locomotives have been scrapped in France after preservation efforts failed. Two of the units were scrapped in December, following the scrapping of two similar diesels earlier in 2023. The locomotives were part of the effort to resupply French Railways (SNCF) following World War II, when it lost more […]

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CN train derails in Manitoba

Canadian National logo

LA BROQUERIE, Manitoba — Twenty-seven cars of a Canadian Nation train derailed Thursday, Jan. 11, in rural Manitoba, CTV News reports. The derailment occurred about 7:15 p.m. No injuries were reported; CN told the network that there were no leaks or fires and the derailment posed no risk to the public. Cause of the incident […]

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