CHICAGO — Amtrak continues to have difficulty operating its full slate of state-supported trains from its Chicago hub, although the reasons for the issues vary. On Sunday, train No. 364, the Blue Water to Port Huron, Mich., and Chicago-Pontiac, Mich., Wolverine No. 354 were combined between Chicago and Battle Creek, Mich. The trains departed Chicago […]
MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has begun service to its newest Regional Rail Station, at the same time it has introduced new schedules. The new Wawa Station at 1490 W. Baltimore Pike in Media, Pa., is the southwestern endpoint of what is now the Media/Wawa line (formerly Media/Elwyn), and carries the […]
KENT, Wash. — The opening of several Sound Transit light rail extension projects will be delayed a several months to more than a year because of various construction issues, the board for the Seattle-area agency was told last week. The Seattle Times reports the East Link project, a line from downtown to Bellevue and Redmond, […]
Thomas T. “Tom” Taber III, 93, of Muncy, Pa., author of numerous railroad books, died Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, at Hillside Senior Living Center in Montoursville, Pa. A Life Member of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, he had been active in the organization since his childhood when he accompanied his father, Thomas T. Taber, […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High-Speed Rail Authority has completed environmental clearance for the Northern California portion of its route — and for 420 miles of the entire 500-mile route from San Francisco to Los Angeles and Anaheim — after certifying the environmental documents for the San Francisco-San Jose section. The final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental […]
National Train Show 2022 Report | Following a two-year pandemic hiatus, Model Railroader Editor Eric White and Senior Editor Cody Grivno attended the NMRA Gateway 2022 National Convention and National Train Show in the St. Louis, Mo., area. In this post-show (August 12-14, 2022) report, you’ll hear their unvarnished impressions of both events, along with […]
UNION, Ill. — Under leaden skies, rainwater pools on the walkway of Progress Rail EMDX SD70ACe-T4 demonstrator No. 7723. On the passenger platform at the Illinois Railway Museum, a much earlier product of Electro-Motive Division rolls to a stop with the museum’s caboose train. Its rain-soaked carbody shining, SD24 No. 504, built in 1959 for […]
READING, Pa. — As promised, Reading & Northern’s restored Reading Co. T-1 4-8-4, No. 2102, saw action in freight service on Friday, Aug. 19, hauling a 28-car train (plus caboose) from Tamaqua to Reading after a light-engine move from Port Clinton, Pa., to Tamaqua. Photographer Gary Pancavage provides two shots of the action. […]
Siemens Venture-series passenger cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: To be announced Era: 2020s+ Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com Features: Detailed, illuminated interiors Road-specific exterior configurations E-Z Mate Mark II couplers Blackened machined metal RP-25 contour wheels Dual-mode horn, bell, brake sounds, headlights, ditch lights, and marker lights (cab […]
Transfer caboose Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: To be announced Era: Varies depending on paint scheme Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com Features: New and existing tooling E-Z Mate Mark II couplers Blackened metal RP-25 contour wheels Release date: 2023 Paint scheme: CSX (gray, blue, and yellow), Missouri Pacific (red […]
General Electric AC4400CW Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $204.99; with dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder, $299.99 Era: 1995 to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 7598 Highway 411, Benton, TN 37307; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com Features: Road-number-specific details Factory-installed wire grab irons, m.u. clusters, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, and more […]
52′-6″ drop-end gondola Scale: N (1:160) Price: To be announced Era: Varies depending on paint scheme Manufacturer: Bachmann Trains, 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; bachmanntrains.com Features: Positionable drop-end gates E-Z Mate Mark II couplers Blackened metal RP-25 contoured wheels Release date: 2023 Paint scheme: Great Northern (Vermillion Red), New York Central (black), […]
