Santa Fe El Capitan of 1956

Santa Fe El Capitan train rounds curve in mountains

The 1956 Santa Fe El Capitan was a special train that deserves attention of its own merit.     Just say “Santa Fe” to anyone in the realm of railroading and they’ll likely think “Super Chief”! Truly, that Chicago-Los Angeles first-class-only streamliner was about as top notch as they got here in North America — […]

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How would small feed dealers receive grain?

An orange, wood-sided feed mill with attached grain bins is seen on an HO scale train layout

Q: I have acquired a vintage Suydam “Purina Chows” feed mill kit. What would be contained in the silo part of the building (grain or feed) and how did those feed dealers receive grain? Dumping grain from a boxcar seems a bit messy, and covered hoppers were not in use until the mid-1950s. I model the […]

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The Lionel Legacy H-15-44

Lionel Legacy H15-44 long hood and builder plate

The Lionel Legacy H-15-44 accurately captures in O gauge a transitional model for the locomotive builder. With help from industrial designer Raymond Loewy of Pennsylvania Railroad S1 and GG1 acclaim, Fairbanks-Morse built a road switcher that could, for a time, be found pulling passenger trains. The Wisconsin-based company would continue with this same profile through […]

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At CN, holding for tonnage is out; running to schedule is in

CHICAGO — Canadian National executives on Wednesday dissected the long-train strategy that the railway has cast aside in favor of an operating plan where sticking to schedule is gospel. “The plan is sacred” was a phrase CN officials used multiple times during the railway’s investor day presentations. “You have this phrase around here … ‘the […]

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The Lionel Sandy Andy gravel loader in action

Hal Miller with Lionel sandy andy gravel loader

The Lionel Sandy Andy Automatic Gravel Loader was one of a kind. This 1970s accessory didn’t last very long in the catalog and there might be a few reasons why. On the other hand, it’s an exceptionally engineered product in certain ways and takes full advantage of physics! It’s all plastic and free of batteries […]

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Twitter changes policy for transit updates, other public notifications

Electric multiple-unit commuter train at junction

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it is “assessing its options” regarding Twitter use after the social media site announced it would reverse a policy charging public agencies for automated warning such as transit status updates. The MTA said last week that it had stopped using Twitter for status updates because “the reliability […]

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Rail regulation bill advances in Pennsylvania legislature

The pennsylvania state seal

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A bill seeking to introduce a broad range of rail regulations in the wake of the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment easily advanced out of a Pennsylvania House committee on Wednesday, despite concerns voiced by some members that the matter is one for federal, not state, action. PennLive.com reports that House Bill 1028 […]

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April rail traffic remains below 2022 levels

Intermodal train passing brick passenger station

WASHINGTON — U.S. freight rail traffic in April was down 6% from the same month in 2022, a slight improvement over the previous month, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Traffic for the week ending April 29 was also down compared to a year earlier, showing a drop of 4.9% The figures […]

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