Rapido Trains UK Titfield Thunderbolt deluxe train pack

A train set and packaging

Available at www.rapidotrains.co.uk in 10 road numbers and several paint schemes. List price: £399.95 (approximately $496.00 as of this writing) Item no. 922001 Pluses Accurate models of the equipment used in the 1953 Ealing Studios film, DCC sound fitted locomotive, detailed interiors, free-rolling metal wheels, NEM coupler pockets, 3D printed figures representing the actors Minuses […]

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The HO scale Missouri Pacific Joppa Subdivision layout

A model railroad trackplan displaying three different layers

Facts & features Name: Missouri Pacific Joppa SubdivisionScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 27′-3″ x 31′-6″Prototype: Missouri PacificLocale: southern IllinoisMainline run: 131 feet (visible), 222 feet (including helix and branch to start of Freeman mine)Minimum radius: 30″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: 2.5%     Download this trackplan! Buy the January 2023 issue of Model Railroader! […]

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What does all that freight car lettering mean?

A close-up of lettering on the side of a bright yellow Milwaukee Road covered hopper

Q: What does all that freight car lettering mean? For example, I have noticed build or rebuild dates and brake information. – Jack Pfleeger A: There’s a lot of variation in freight car lettering. It can depend on the type of car, the car’s owner, and the era, since regulations and practices changed over the […]

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Full list of passenger routes in FRA Corridor program released

Map of routes selected for FRA Corridor ID program

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has released its list of routes selected for the first step of its Corridor Identification and Development Program, a catch-all group of 69 potential future Amtrak routes, possible extensions to existing routes, efforts to increase service on existing routes, and future high speed rail systems. Thirty-three of these routes […]

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FRA announces $8.2 billion in Federal-State Partnership passenger grants (updated)

Passenger train with converted locomotive cab car leading.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has selected 10 projects for grants under its Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail grant program, according to a list released today (Friday, Dec. 8) on the FRA website. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the grants in a press release that linked those awards with the selection of […]

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Top 3 diesel prime movers of all time

Black and white image of a shell above a disassembled locomotive in a large workshop-warehouse.

The top 3 diesel prime movers will be instantly recognizable to long-time readers of Trains Magazine and its Locomotive special issues. But where do they rank? Well, that’s Mike Iden’s call. Iden spoke with Trains.com in June 2022 to assess his choice for the top spots. Here’s an edited version of that conversation. Top diesel […]

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Baltimore light rail line shut down indefinitely

Red, yellow, and white light rail trainset

BALTIMORE — The Maryland Transit Administration is halting service on its light rail line in Baltimore because of mechanical issues requiring immediate repairs, officials said at a Thursday press conference. The service suspension is effective today (Friday, Dec. 8) and will be in effect indefinitely. The Baltimore Sun reports that MTA Administrator Holly Arnold said […]

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NTSB recommends backup cameras for maintenance machinery as a result of fatal accident

Diagram showing position of spiking machine before and after fatal accident

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for backup cameras on maintenance-of-way machinery, as well as other safety recommendations, as a result of a fatal accident involving a Norfolk Southern track gang at Reed, Pa., in December 2021. The NTSB issued its final report on that accident on Thursday (Dec. 7). The probable […]

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Federal grant to upgrade Empire Builder route in Montana

BNSF Railway logo

WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway will receive a federal grant for $14.9 million toward infrastructure improvements in and around Malta, Mont., U.S. Sen. Jon Tester announced Thursday. The money, from the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program, is to improve service on the route of the Empire Builder. Specifically, it will help with final […]

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FRA proposes amendments to freight car safety rules

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration on Thursday announced a proposal to amend its Freight Car Safety Standards to place restrictions on newly built freight cars placed in service in the U.S. to address concerns over foreign parts and technology — rules essentially aimed at  China, although the regulation does not say so explicitly. The […]

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