Super Signals from Dallas Model Works

Three green signals and two red signals on signal stands

Super Signals Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: Single, $39.99; five-pack, $179.99; and 10-pack, $349.99 Manufacturer: Dallas Model Works, 6009 W. Parker Rd., Unit 149 No. 196, Plano, TX 75093; dallasmodelworks.com Super Signals feature: Hand-built with fine detail Tested multiple times during assembly Fully painted Copper tube and resin construction Red/green light-emitting diode provides two light aspects Necessary resistor included […]

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Athearn 48-foot intermodal containers

Drawing of six white and yellow intermodal containers

48-foot intermodal containers Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: $89.99 Era: 1990s+ Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features: New road numbers Injection-molded plastic construction Fully assembled Stackable Each container is individually numbered Release date: November 2023 Road names: Conrail (white with “Conrail Mercury” lettering); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (white with […]

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Carload Considerations: Railcars should make shippers’ lives easier

Freight train snaking through curves in mountains

CHICAGO – Railroading’s intricacies require shippers to get involved in the industry’s nitty-gritty details. A half-hour crash course on Railroading 101 is going to leave someone more confused than confident. It takes commitment to grasp, and predict, the vulnerabilities of railroad logistics. This is why shippers often employ individuals in rail logistics, fleet management, or […]

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CN, IBEW finalize new contract in Canada after arbitration

Canadian National logo

MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway announced Tuesday that it had reached a new three-year agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Canada after concluding arbitration with the union. The new contract, retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year and running through the end of 2024, includes 3% raises each year. The union represents […]

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ENSCO to test Stadler equipment at Pueblo facility

Illustration of diesel multiple unit trainset

SPRINGFIELD, Va. — ENSCO Rail will conduct operational testing on new Stadler diesel multiple-unit trainsets at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colo., ENSCO has announced. The new trainsets are being built for Dallas Area Rapid Transit for its Silver Line (also known as the Cotton Belt Corridor), a 26-mile rail line from DFW Airport […]

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News photos: Metra unveils first SD70MACH (updated)

Three-quarter view of locomotive in shop building

CHICAGO — Metra has provided a sneak peek at the first of its new SD70MACH locomotives, providing photos Tuesday on its social media channels of locomotive No. 500 being unwrapped by shop personnel. The locomotive will also wear the newest Metra heritage paint scheme, honoring the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Regional Transportation […]

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Lionel John Bull display set review

Lionel John Bull display set

The Lionel John Bull display set is a historical piece from the 2021 Volume I catalog. The company cataloged this in three versions: the “Display Set” which features the engine and one coach on two flatcars; a Camden & Amboy set with three coaches; and a “What-if?” Uncle Sam (John Bull’s cartoon U.S. counterpart) set […]

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City of San Francisco is the latest WalthersProto name train

Model train passing mountainous terrain during a sunset

City of San Francisco The City of San Francisco will be the next train in Walthers’ line of name trains. This offering will feature equipment from the various railroads that jointly operated this streamliner from Chicago to San Francisco, including Southern Pacific, Milwaukee Road, Union Pacific, and Texas & New Orleans. Electro-Motive Division E9A and […]

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In Memoriam: Iain Rice

Photo of man with beard and hat on boat

In Memoriam: Iain Rice. The hobby lost one of its most creative and prolific track planners with the passing of U.K.’s Iain Rice on October 8, 2022. Iain was a frequent contributor to Kalmbach Media’s Model Railroad Planning as well as to Model Railroader. He also wrote four books for Kalmbach: Small, Smart & Practical […]

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News photos: Cleanup continues from Sandusky derailment

Train with five locomotives passes cars waiting to be removed after derailment

SANDUSKY, Ohio — Cleanup continues but Norfolk Southern’s main line has been reopened though Sandusky following a derailment that led to reroutes and cancellations for Amtrak service. The Sandusky Register reports that the Columbus Avenue underpass, where derailed tank cars of paraffin wax fell to the railway below, remained closed as of Monday, Oct. 10, […]

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Waterloo Central operates steam for Canada’s Thanksgiving

Steam locomotive and passenger cars in front of trees with dramatic fall colors

ST. JACOBS, Ontario — Heritage operator Waterloo Central Railway operated its 0-6-0 locomotive No. 9 on Canada’s Thanksgiving weekend for the first time in two years, following a two-year retrofit and its 10-year boiler inspection from Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority. The locomotive, built in 1923 by the Montreal Locomotive Works for the Essex […]

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Building under construction from Custom Model Railroads

Model of a high rise building under construction

Building under construction Scale: HO (1:87.1) and N (1:160) Price: HO, $249; N, $127 Era: 1970s+ Manufacturer: Custom Model Railroads, 3937 Keswick Road, Baltimore, MD 21211; 410-889-0010; cmrtrain.com Building under construction features: Laser cut acrylic and 3-D printed parts Based on a high rise building under construction HO scale measures 8” x 6” x 17”; […]

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