Explore Nevada Northern Railway’s rich heritage

Explore Ely, Nevada, and experience the rich history of the Nevada Northern Railway, one of the best-preserved tourist railroads in the United States. Originally built for copper ore transport, this 140-mile railway, now operating under the White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation, showcases various steam locomotives. With ongoing restoration projects and a recent $10 million grant, […]

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Milwaukee Road No. 261 makes second run in 2023

Steam engine, E unit and passenger trian

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Railroading Heritage of Midwest America’s Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261 made its second run of 2023 today (Thursday, Nov. 30) operating from its home base in Minneapolis to St. Paul Union Depot. Friday through Sunday, Dec. 1-3, the locomotive will run short “North Pole Express” trips at the depot in what […]

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CPKC Holiday Train, Holiday Express begin trips this week

Locomotive and railroad cars decorated with holiday lights

CALGARY — The CPKC Holiday Train and Holiday Express both are set to begin operation this week, with both the Canadian and U.S. trains beginning their trips on Tuesday, Nov. 21, while the Holiday Express launches its trip through the Southeast and Texas on Saturday, Nov. 25. The Canadian Holiday Train actually begins in the […]

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Amtrak Empire Service adventure along the Hudson River

Ride with Trains.com staffer Ben Lake as he enjoys the charm of regional passenger rail services through a scenic journey aboard an Amtrak Empire Service train. Departing from Penn Station in New York City, the train meanders along the Hudson River to Albany, N.Y., offering glimpses of iconic landmarks like the George Washington Bridge. Explore […]

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CPKC announces schedules for Holiday Train, Holiday Express

Train decorated with Christmas lights stopped near station at night

CALGARY — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has announced the schedule and lineup for the 25th annual Holiday Train begun by Canadian Pacific, which this year will expand its route to visit a number of communities on the former Kansas City Southern. Meanwhile, the Holiday Express train formerly operated by KCS will also visit 20 locations […]

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Amtrak Acela adventure along the Northeast Corridor

Join Trains.com staffers Kent Johnson and Ben Lake, as they explore Business Class and First Class experience aboard Amtrak’s Acela high-speed passenger service! From South Station (BOS) to Union Station (NHV), follow the duo as they take the train to work between Boston, Mass. to New Haven, Conn. in Business Class. Then watch as their […]

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Playmobil and kids in the garden railway

boy in red shirt smiling next to garden railway

The Oberammergau, Ogden & Olomana Railroad (a.k.a. the Triple O) operates across eras and continents on a small piece of land on Oahu’s windward coast (see Garden railroading in Hawaii – Trains). We have employed the German toy line Playmobile) to bring it to life in all its incarnations, whether European, Wild West, or Hawaiian […]

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Operation Toy Train sets schedule for 2023

Passenger cars pulled by black and white locomotive

DINGMANS FERRY, Pa. — New stops in western Connecticut, eastern Pennsylvania, and southern New Jersey will highlight the 15th season of Operation Toy Train, the special train collecting toy donations for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Foundation to benefit underpriviledged children. The train will operate for more than 200 miles across seven […]

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Playmobil in the garden railroad

two figures in front of black model steam engine

by Eric Mueller The Oberammergau, Ogden & Olomana Railroad (a.k.a. the Triple O) operates across eras and continents on a small piece of land on Oahu’s windward coast (see Garden railroading in Hawaii – Trains). We have employed the German toy line Playmobil to bring it to life in all its incarnations, whether European, Wild […]

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LEGO Brick cleaning basics

Trains.com staffers Bryson Sleppy and Rene Schweitzer explore the world of LEGO trains! In this video, the pair examine practices for keeping bricks of all sizes and shapes as clean as possible. Looking for more information on LEGO trains? Find additional videos under Classic Toy Trains’ LEGO trains category! […]

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How to calculate the speed of toy trains

train on layout, with hand holding a stopwatch near the engine

Have you ever been curious about how to calculate the speed of toy trains? Running trains over a layout, how can we know whether it’s moving at a realistic speed? Answering this question requires a bit of math. Speed, or velocity, is simply distance divided by time. In the United States, we are used to […]

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How to own and maintain a caboose

A red caboose sitting perpendicular over railroad track tied to a crane on an overcast day.

Privately owned caboose Welcome to the world of privately owned cabooses. The craving for a cab is a continuing urge for Americans. So, let’s probe this topic deeper. Matt Bumgarner, noted railroad author, publisher, and driving force behind the Southeastern Narrow Gauge and Short Line Museum in Newton, N.C., answers the following questions about his […]

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