The Pullman-Standard (PS) 40-foot PS-1 boxcar, a staple on prototype railroads from the late 1940s through the 1980s, is now available as an easy-to-build HO scale kit from ScaleTrains. The injection-molded plastic model, which uses former MTH Electric Trains tooling, features a one-piece body, various modeler-installed parts, and a freestanding brake system. Prototype history Pullman-Standard […]
When you think of Burlington Northern, passenger service may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But from March 2, 1970 (Burlington Northern’s first day) to April 30, 1971 (the day before Amtrak started operations), the railroad offered passenger service. Among the name trains were the Empire Builder, Mainstreeter, North Coast Limited, and […]
PUEBLO, Colo. — The driver of a semi truck was killed when a bridge collapsed Sunday as a result of a BNSF coal-train derailment that has closed Interstate 25, Colorado’s main north-south highway, near Pueblo. An image from a Colorado State Patrol post on the social media site X, formerly Twitter, shows the train derailed […]
Walt Downer’s collection of Lionel Factory Layouts Ever since Walt Downer can remember, he has been fascinated by things that move. That desire to see something move explains the approach Walt has taken to collecting Lionel trains and accessories from the postwar era. Passionate about Lionel history, he set out to build a great collection […]
When you look at any model railroad, it’s the details that grab your attention—the people at the station, barrels by the wayside, or maybe a weathered locomotive or car. A recent trip to Sand Patch, Pa., inspired this small but important platform used by the maintenance-of-way department to unload materials for work along the line. […]
CHESTERTON, Ind. — The South Shore Line has released new schedules effective Oct. 25 for the resumption of train service between the Carroll Avenue station in Michigan City, Ind., and Dune Park in Chesterton, Ind., as well as continued bus substitution between Dune Park and the Gary (Ind.) Metro Center station. New schedules are available […]
The GMDH1 diesel-hydraulic locomotives led a short life with one staying near their birthplace of London, Ontario. Diesel-hydraulic railroad locomotives are just what they say they are: diesel engines connected to a hydraulic transmission via the same principle as you would in your automobile. They can be found in various parts of the […]
Erie Railroad locomotives included both oddball steam and diesels right out of a builder’s catalog. The Erie was a big user of the 2-8-0 Consolidation and 2-8-2 Mikado steam locomotive types. Going a step larger, the Erie experimented with articulated locomotives beginning with three Camelback 0-8-8-0s for pusher service in 1907. This evolved […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Railroader, historian, and painter John E. Bromley, 81, died Oct. 7. Bromley is best remembered in railroad circles as Union Pacific’s director of public affairs, the railroad’s media spokesman for 25 years. Upon his retirement in 2005, the railroad appointed him as its director of historic projects, a position created specifically for […]
OTTAWA — The Canadian government’s slow-moving process of developing its proposed High-Frequency Rail passenger route between Toronto and Quebec City is taking its next step. Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez announced Friday the start of the Request for Proposals process for the rail project, with a deadline announced only as “summer 2024.” Those proposals will come […]
Railroads have been around for almost 200 years, so there’s a lot of history we can choose from to model our favorite eras. While it can be hard to focus on just one era, we may find we gravitate to one favorite. For many modelers, it’s the era we experienced when we were first exposed […]
Ask Trains.com October 2023 compilation | Host Cody Grivno answers viewer questions regarding signs at railroad grade crossings and what they mean to the train operating crew; a long-forgotten Model Railroader article that offered a novel, “green” solution to modeling rocky cliffs; a plea for ideas in modeling industries and equipment supporting a layout based […]
