WASHINGTON — Chicago-area commuter railroad Metra has asked a federal court to review the Surface Transportation Board’s decision to approve the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger as well as a subsequent decision that covers post-merger oversight. Metra’s suit, filed on Sept. 29 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, was […]
Facts & features Name: Steel mill with a twistScale: N (1:160)Size: 3′-0″ x 6′-8″Prototype: FreelancedLocale: Upper MidwestEra: Mid-20th centuryStyle: IslandMainline run: 17 feetMinimum radius: 11.25″Minimum turnout: NoneMaximum grade: NoneBenchwork: Hollow-core doorHeight: Varies by venueRoadbed: NoneTrack: Kato Unitrack and Bachmann E-Z TrackScenery: Extruded-foam insulation boardBackdrop: NoneControl: Direct-current cab control with Bachmann Auto-Reversing Systems Download a […]
Locomotives with two diesel engines: The recent announcement by Union Pacific to donate a portion of its heritage steam and diesel fleet has lowered the number of Class I railroads owning double diesel locomotives to one. A double diesel locomotive features two prime movers on a single frame to increase the horsepower beyond what’s available […]
13 tips for storing your trains 1. Modern trains go in their boxes. Be sure you store them out of direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting in a cupboard, drawer, or other dark, dry area. A packet or two of silica gel inside the box helps keep moisture and humidity low so your boxes won’t get […]
Classic Toy Trains is updating our list of S, O, and Standard gauge of layouts open to the public. Do you know of a layout that’s not on our list in the link above? Please contact us at editor@classictoytrains.com and let us know. Requirements: Must be S, O, or Standard gauge Must be open the […]
Facts & features Name: Pacific Southern RailwayScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 46 x 96 feet Prototype: FreelancedLocale: GenericEra: FlexibleStyle: WalkaroundMainline run: 1,000 feetMinimum radius: 48″ (main), 36″ (branch)Minimum turnout: no. 4, some hand-laidMaximum grade: 1.3% (main), 3.1% (branch) Benchwork: L-girderHeight: 36″ to 60″Roadbed: Cork on 1⁄2″ plywoodTrack: Visible track: handlaid code 100 (main), code 83 (yards), code […]
CHEHALIS, Wash. — The Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum has reached an agreement with an short line in Oregon and Washington that will allow the Washington heritage railway to resume excursion operations, beginning with “Polar Express” trains starting in November. The Centralia Chronicle reports that the museum, which has been unable to operate trains since March […]
By Ken Kilby Tucked away in the northeast corner of South Carolina lies a stretch of coastline known as the Grand Strand. The Strand, as it is locally known, is roughly 90 miles of beaches, high-rise hotels, and condos. About a mile from the beach, you’ll find the Myrtle Beach Mall, home to the Grand […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has launched intermodal service linking Mexico with points in the Southeast via Memphis. “In tandem with our diverse customer base, including our private asset and rail container channel partners, this new service introduces the largest influx of intermodal capacity for the Southeastern U.S. market out of Mexico,” UP said in […]
RAVENNA, Ky. — The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. has received a $1.9 million grant to aid in the restoration of Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 No. 2716, as well as continue development of the railroad-centered attraction “The Yard” that includes the shop where the steam locomotive is being restored. The funds are in the form of […]
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday released a 20-year assessment of the transit system’s needs over the next 20 years, calling it an “unconstrainted view of the MTA’s needs, rather than constraining it to meet an arbitrary budget target.” The resulting document, entitled “The Future Rides With Us,” is available here. (A […]
MONTREAL — The Canadian National Railway computer outage that disrupted GO Transit and VIA Rail Canada trains on Tuesday was caused by a software upgrade, CN said on Wednesday. CN spokesman Jonathan Abecassis told CTV News that the railroad had determined the problem was because of “an internal systems upgrade, which affected CN’s ability to […]
