Buying new O-scale trains without putting a dent in your wallet

Model trains next to a wallet full of dollar bills.

I’ll admit in preaching to the choir that O-gauge model railroading can be an expensive endeavor. Newer, higher-end scaled products that can be either preorders or recent releases can cost many hundreds to thousands of dollars. My time at the Milwaukee Lionel Railroad Club (MLRRC) in New Berlin, Wis., has garnered friendships with fellow members […]

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A rail enthusiast’s top 10 hot spots

city buildings with train on bridge

Top 10 hot spots I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively during my almost 60 years of rail photography, and have been able to see and photograph railroads throughout the continent. In addition, I’ve lived in the Midwest, the Northeast, Texas, Georgia, and in Virginia for the past 25 years. Here are 10 of […]

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Tom Kaiser’s O gauge layout

overview of toy train layout

Name: Tom Kaiser’s O gauge layout Dimensions: 10½ x 11 feet Track: Lionel FasTrack (diameters range from 31 to 60 inches) Motive power: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel, MTH, Ready Made Trains, Williams Rolling stock: K-Line, Lionel, Menards, MTH, Ready Made Trains, Williams Controls: MRC transformers (2) Accessories: K-Line, Lionel, Marx Structures: Bachmann, K-Line, Lionel, MTH, Plasticville U.S.A., scratchbuilt   See more in the […]

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BNSF donates turntable to Railroad Heritage of Midwest America

Heavy equipment lifts turntable out of pit

SILVIS, Ill. — BNSF Railway will donate the turntable from its Cicero, Ill., yard to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America for use at the group’s Silvis, Ill., shop complex, RRHMA has announced. The 135-foot former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy turntable will become the largest preserved U.S. turntable in the U.S., and is needed to handle […]

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Amtrak North Coast Hiawatha service through the years

Multi-colored Amtrak North Coast Hiawatha service passenger train on curved track alongside river

Amtrak North Coast Hiawatha service joined the Chicago to Seattle market as an unnamed, triweekly train on June 5, 1971. It obtained the North Coast Hiawatha name, a combination of Northern Pacific’s North Coast Limited and Milwaukee Road’s Hiawatha fleet, and Nos. 9-10, with the first Amtrak timetable issued on Nov. 14, 1971. It operated […]

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CN, CPKC preparing to restart Canadian operations; union declines to return Sunday (updated)

Red locomotives of CN and CP in yard

Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City are moving toward restarting operations early Monday following a Saturday ruling by the Canada Industrial Relations Board ending the work stoppages at both railroads. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, however, continues to take issue with the CIRB decision sending the dispute between the union and railroads to binding […]

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Repairing an LGB Stainz locomotive

A toy train in an outdoor setting

LGB’s Stainz locomotive is an icon in the large scale hobby. Not only is it instantly recognizable, it also tugs at the strings in our modeling hearts. For many garden railway fans (myself included), the Stainz was most likely their first locomotive. When I found a milk crate full of used large scale items, including […]

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Make your layout tell a story

a steam engine pulls a short train around a curve past two workers conversing

If you want to fascinate visitors and draw their eyes into your layout, make your layout tell a story. Many modelers put a lot of effort into making their locomotives, track arrangements, and operating schemes as realistic as possible. But not all of us put the same amount of thought into the little plastic people […]

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What’s the best industry for a small shelf layout?

An overall view of a small shadowbox model railroad with autumn scenery

Q: I am in a decision mode as to what’s the best industry for a small shelf layout. I’m considering either lumber or grain. My shelf is 14″ x 6-0″. Also, what freight cars would be needed for each industry? Thanks. — Bill M. A: You didn’t say what scale you’re modeling in, but 14″ […]

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Union announces tentative deal for conductors with Amtrak

Passenger train at grade crossing

WASHINGTON — The union representing Amtrak conductors and assistant conductors announced it had reached a new tentative agreement with the passenger operator for a seven-year contract covering more than 2,100 employees. The agreement with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) will include a “substantial general wage increase,” the […]

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