Connecticut approves $1.1 billion in transportation bond funding

Amtrak high speed train meets Metro-North electric multiple-unit trainset

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut has approved more than $1.1 billion in state bond funding for transportation projects, Gov. Ned Lamont has announced. Funds will help meet matching requirements for federal money available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which could help the state land more than $2.5 billion in federal funding. “The $1.1 billion in state […]

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Metrolink to add service on Antelope Valley Line

Silver, teal, and black locomotive pushes train out of station

LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail operator Metrolink is expanding service on its Antelope Valley Line effective Oct. 23, adding more night service on weekdays and offering twice as many trains on weekends, KTLA-TV reports. Weekday service will see 15 round trips, up from the current 11. Inbound, the current earliest train of the day, which […]

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Stuart drawbridge schedule altered to accommodate repairs from barge strike

Boat approaches open drawbridge

STUART, Fla. — The operating schedule for the rail drawbridge over the St. Lucie River in in Stuart, Fla., has been revised to allow for repairs to damage sustained when one of the bridge’s bumpers was damaged by a barge on Sept. 30. WQCS Radio reports the new schedule approved by the U.S. Coast Guard […]

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News & Products for the week of October 9th 2023

Three model cabooses in various paint jobs

News & Products for the week of October 9th 2023   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of October 9th […]

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Lionel E8/E9 AA unit set

turquoise engine on layout

The Lionel E8/E9s were one of several amazing announcements coming out the Volume 1 2023 catalog.  If you’re into passenger trains, these engines are definitely for you!  With speeds of up to 117 mph thanks to 2,250 hp [2,400 hp for the E9s—Ed.] , these E units were a staple for leading passenger trains over […]

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Playmobil and kids in the garden railway

boy in red shirt smiling next to garden railway

The Oberammergau, Ogden & Olomana Railroad (a.k.a. the Triple O) operates across eras and continents on a small piece of land on Oahu’s windward coast (see Garden railroading in Hawaii – Trains). We have employed the German toy line Playmobile) to bring it to life in all its incarnations, whether European, Wild West, or Hawaiian […]

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Alco RSD15 road switcher: An imposing diesel locomotive for its day

Alco RSD15 road switcher Some locomotive models seem to come and go and hardly get noticed. Nobody can say that about the Alco RSD15. The six-axle mainline road switcher concept was still in its infancy in the mid-1950s, with many railroads sticking with various four-axle locomotive designs that had been popular for decades. But a […]

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Colorado considering legislation to limit train lengths, introduce other regulations

Freight train with three locomotives under dark clouds

DENVER — A Colorado legislative committee has advanced a bill that would limit train lengths within the state and draws other elements from the federal Railway Safety Act, which has failed to pass Congress, the website Colorado Newsline reports. If approved by the Transportation Legislation Review Committee, the bill will be introduced in the state’s […]

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Engineers’ union backs sale of Cincinnati Southern to Norfolk Southern

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen Ohio State Legislative Board is backing the proposed sale of municipally owned Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern. The board’s executive committee announced on Friday that it voted unanimously to back the $1.6 billion sale, which will go before Cincinnati voters on Nov. 7. Norfolk […]

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California governor signs legislation requiring LOSSAN agency to assess impact of climate change on rail route

Amtrak passenger train moves along tracks on coastal bluff in light fog.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation requiring the organization overseeing Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner trains to assess the effects of climate change on its operations as part of its annual business plan. SB677, introduced by state Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), requires the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency to identify projects to increase resiliency […]

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Why do the milk cans get jammed on my Lionel No. 3662 operating milk car?

I really enjoy using my Lionel postwar No. 3662 operating milk car, but lately I have found this great car is giving me some trouble. Specifically, the milk cans never come all the way down the chute. One or two of them get through before they get jammed. What do you suggest to fix things? […]

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