What was your first train set (or locomotive)? Dad and I set up my first train set on a sheet of plywood in the basement when I was 9. We rolled out “grass” paper over the plywood–it had the texture of sandpaper–and then we set up a figure eight over and under trestle set. We […]
Train City, Inc. is closing its doors after 40 years in the model train business. Charles Siegel, owner, announced that he was retiring on his website, traincity.com. Train City, Inc. specialized in buying model train collections and estates. “To our customers everywhere, thank you for your business. You kept us in business a long time, […]
This is the one I’ve been waiting for: The Lionel VisionLine Big Boy. Anyone in model railroading knows that the Big Boy is an incredibly popular model. Only 25 of these 4-8-8-4 steam locomotives were built by The American Locomotive Company (Alco) with a primary purpose for high-speed freight and climbing grades over the Wasatch […]
Battery-operated kids train runs on Lionel FasTrack: Want to share your love of toy trains or even your layout without fear of little ones harming your prized possessions? Look for near-O gauge trains that may be compatible with O-gauge track. My kids received this battery-powered Caterpillar Construction Express train set that their older cousins had […]
WASHINGTON, Pa. – Capping a seven-year campaign that was delayed and made 40 percent more expensive by the pandemic, the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum opened its $15 million, 21,000-square-foot Welcome and Education Center here last week. Featuring history exhibits, interactive kiosks, a theater, a classroom, a store, offices and event rooms, the facility is the centerpiece […]
WINDSOR, Ontario — The mayor of Windsor, Ontario, released a “fact sheet” to local media last week which outlines a $44 million plan to convert a daily Wolverine Corridor Amtrak round trip and a Southwest Ontario VIA Rail Canada round-trip from Toronto into a Chicago-Toronto train. First reported in an interview with radio station CKLW […]
RIO NEGRO, Argentina — Four tourists were reported to have been injured — including a British passenger who is now described as “fighting for his life” — when a remote narrow-gauge, steam-powered heritage passenger train derailed Saturday in Argentina’s Patagonia region. The train was operating on the 750mm (2-foot, 5½-inch) gauge La Trochita Railway, which […]
BILLINGS, Mont. — The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority has received a $150,000 grant to support its efforts to revive Amtrak service on Montana’s “southern tier” route, as well as other rail projects in a five-state region in the Pacific Northwest. The Missoula Current news site reports the grant was awarded by the Pacific Northwest […]
PINECLIFFE, Colo. — Fifteen cars of a BNSF freight train derailed early today (Sunday, Nov. 12) in the Rocky Mountain foothills west of Denver, leading to a closure expected to block Union Pacific’s main line for 36 hours, according to preliminary estimates. KCNC-TV reports the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office was informed of the derailment at […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak service, between New York City and Albany today (Sunday, Nov. 12) because of structural issues regarding a building adjacent to the line between Penn Station and the connection to Metro-North’s Hudson Line, will see that extension continue into Monday, Amtrak has indicated in an updated service advisory. WABC-TV reports the problem […]
Even if the shoe doesn’t fit, wear it! This is the sort of story that often leads to the most frequently asked question posed to me after speaking publicly, or having written a humorous story: “Did that really happen?” Yes, it did. To quote my favorite locomotive engineer school instructor, “If you tell me that […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Rail Development Commission has approved grants to support a pair of rail infrastructure projects in the state. In a Nov. 9 meeting, the commission approved $1 million in support for $5.1 million in rail projects at the JSW Steel USA facility in Mingo Junction, Ohio, and a $125,000 grant for […]
