Why do toy trains have track with three rails? Q: Why are so many toy trains manufactured to use three rails? It seems to me that regardless of whether a train uses AC or DC, two rails are all that would ever be needed to deliver electricity to the locomotive. HO does just fine on […]
Can I buy a Flyer and Lionel crossing track piece? Q: Has anyone ever been able to develop a combination crossover to let two-rail American Flyer S gauge trains go through Lionel or other three-rail O gauge track without interrupting the current running through either track? – Dennis D. Orth, Burlington, Colo. A: Dennis, I’m […]
Should I quarter the drivers on my Lionel steam locomotive? Q: I have a Lionel No. 1615 steam switcher that runs well, but sometimes I wonder if the drivers are quartered correctly. They are not lined up together on opposite sides. What should I do? – James Thompson, Los Angeles, Calif. A: James, prototype steam […]
How do I add lighting to cabooses? Q: I have five modern-era cabooses, four Lionel and one Atlas O, and I would like to add interior lighting to them. How do I do it? A: The first consideration is finding bulbs that glow warmly without getting too hot for the plastic caboose bodies. This shouldn’t […]
What kind of transformer do I need to power 10 accessories? On my layout, I am adding a row of 10 operating accessories: nos. 164 log loader, 175 rocket launcher, 342 culvert loader, 345 culvert unloader, 352 ice depot, 397 coal loader, 445 switch tower, 456 coal ramp, 3356 horse car, and 3472 milk car. […]
The Lionel Brass Hybrid Challenger is the latest offering in this program for the train maker. First announced in the 2022 Vol. 2 catalog, it’s all-new tooling. This Legacy model is based on Union Pacific’s CSA-2-class 4-6-6-4s, which were the railroad’s earlier, lighter versions. When built in 1937, they were numbered into the 3900 series […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said this week it has been in “sustained compliance” with policy changes addressing time off and scheduling for workers at the Operations Control Center for its rail transit system, closing out directives issued by the Federal Transit Administration last year. The MBTA moves ensure that dispatching employees have […]
WASHINGTON — The independent organization that oversees DC Metrorail safety issues says the rail transit system is not yet ready to return to the use of its automated operating system. WRC-TV reports that the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission observed significant issues during recent overnight testing of Automatic Train Operation, which has been disabled on the […]
CROTON-ON-HARMON, N.Y. — The Metro-North Railroad has released the second in its series of heritage locomotives celebrating the railroad’s 40th anniversary and honoring its predecessors, this time with a scheme worn by Conrail FL9 units between 1976 and 1982. Conrail granted Metro-North permission to apply its name, logo, and colors to the unit in March. […]
NEW YORK — A misaligned switch — incorrectly shown to dispatchers as being correctly aligned for a straight-ahead move — was the cause of last week’s derailment of a Long Island Rail Road train at Hall Interlocking in Queens, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said today (Aug. 11). Thirteen people were injured, two seriously, in the […]
Railfanning in North Dakota North Dakota is usually synonymous with the high plains of flat, rolling fields of wheat, corn, and soybeans, not railroad infrastructure such as bridges. One may be surprised that in a few places around the state, railroads required impressive bridges to cross wide river valleys and coulees. These structures were constructed […]
STUART, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard has issued new rules for a Florida East Coast Railway drawbridge, removing a requirement to open the bridge for up to 15 minutes twice each daylight hour and striking a compromise between boating and rail traffic. The change is crucial for the planned start of Brightline passenger service […]
