Going big: the MTH Premier SD24

MTH Premier SD24 side view of cab with crew figure

The MTH Premier SD24 is a massive model of a historic locomotive more widely used than its initial owners list would indicate. Many units found second and third lives on other railroads after their initial stints. Like all of MTH’s newer offerings this wasn’t in a catalog. Instead, it was announced in 2022 as a […]

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Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions profile

Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions logo

A trip aboard the Alberta Prairie conjures up visions of what a central Alberta wheat line must have been like 100 years ago. Traveling from the well-developed community of Stettler, it passes through stands of trees and fields before reaching Big Valley, where the ruins of a roundhouse and a restored depot remain. Choices The […]

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How do I replace snap-on trucks?

The underside of two passenger cars with rebuilt truck bolsters in white styrene

Q: I was recently given some older HO scale hopper cars that apparently had snap-on trucks. What method do you recommend to fill in the hole so I can replace snap-on trucks with the screw-on type? I gather I would use 2-56 screws? – Artie Krass A: What you use to fill in those holes […]

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When N scale modeling doesn’t work out

ThisNscalepackinghousebuiltfromaYesterYearkitlooksgoodbutisntappropriateforJimslayout

When N scale modeling doesn’t work out: I hate it when I’m working on some part of my N scale layout, and the further in I get, the more I want out. It can be most anything: a scenery feature, a turnout, weathering a car, whatever. The project just isn’t working, and the reali­zation that […]

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Brightline tickets now on sale for Miami-Orlando service

Passenger train at grade crossing

ORLANDO — Brightline’s Miami-Orlando schedule is out, and tickets are now on sale — even though an official start date has not yet been announced. Starting today, travelers can book tickets on Brightline trains between Orlando International Airport and South Florida destinations. Tickets are on sale for trips Sept. 1 through Jan. 7, 2024; however, […]

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Cincinnati Southern board delays decision on election

Map of rail line from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Chattanooga, Tenn.

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Southern Railway board of trustees will decide in July whether to place the proposed sale of the city-owned railroad on the November ballot, WVXU Radio reports. The city has agreed to sell the railroad, the nation’s only municipally owned interstate rail line, to Norfolk Southern for $1.62 billion. But city voters […]

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Metrolink awards Balfour Beatty $60 million signals contract

Metrolink_BurbankAirport_Lassen

LOS ANGELES — Metrolink has awarded Balfour Beatty a $60 million contract for communication and signal systems, continuing a 14-year relationship between the Southern California commuter rail operator and contracting and construction firm. The contract includes renovation and modernization of wayside signals and grade-crossing warning systems. It also includes installation, modification, and testing of wayside […]

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Alco PA to be publicly displayed at Steamtown

Blue and white vintage diesel locomotive

SCRANTON, Pa. — Genesee Valley Transportation’s historic American Locomotive Co. PA-model “Nickel Plate Road 190” locomotive will be temporarily displayed at Steamtown National Historic Site after its long-anticipated arrival from the West Coast, according to GVT President Michael D.  Thomas. Over the weekend, National Park Service staff and Steamtown volunteers repositioned GVT’s Lackawanna No. 426, […]

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Glossary of railroad signal terminology

Orange and green diesel locomotive passes under signal bridge. Glossary of railroad signal terminology

Basic railroad signal terminology Here is a glossary of railroad signal terminology. Signals are used for protection and control of train traffic. However, there is no national standard or system, so signals used by individual railroads may vary. Glossary of railroad signal terminology Absolute signal: A signal whose “stop” indication means “stop and stay.” Usually […]

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