The Trains Interview: Chris Koos

Man in blue shirt with brick building in background

Since 2003, Normal, Ill., business owner Chris Koos has championed downtown development as mayor of the Midwest college town situated on Amtrak’s Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service route. He was nominated on Friday by President Joe Biden for a spot on Amtrak’s board of directors, the second time he has been nominated. President Donald Trump nominated […]

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Biden to nominate five to Amtrak board (updated)

Man in coat and tie with gray hair and glasses

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will nominate five people, including current chairman Anthony Coscia, to the Amtrak board of directors, the White House has announced. Reuters initially reported the nominations, citing information from “an official.” Coscia been on the board since 2010, and was elected as its chairman in 2013. He would be joined by […]

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Atlas O Master line Trinity 25,500-gallon tank car

Black tank car in O scale

Scale: O (1:48) Price: $104.95 Era: 1986 to present (era varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com Trinity 25,500-gallon tank car features: Injection-molded plastic body with jacket seams Metal end sills, lower side safety rails, and safety rail support Prototype-specific detail fittings and components […]

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General Electric P40DC and P42DC locomotives from Athearn Genesis

Illustration of diesel locomotive black and yellow

Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $219.99 (direct current with 21-pin NEM connector), $319.99 (with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder) Era: 1992 to 2022 (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com General Electric P40DC and P42DC locomotives features: Four nose variations Newly-tooled illuminated number boxes Operating front and rear […]

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General Electric ES44DC diesel locomotive from Athearn Genesis

Illustration of CSX

Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $239.99 (direct current with 21-pin NEM connector), $339.99 (with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder) Era: Early 2000s to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com General Electric ES44DC diesel locomotive features: See-through dynamic brake intakes Illuminated ditch lights Tinted cab windows GPS […]

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Conrail locomotives remembered

Clean blue Conrail locomotives

Conrail locomotives: Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history, heritage, and style of Conrail all through April 2022. Enjoy this photo gallery of Conrail locomotives selected from the archives of Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. Conrail was formed in 1976 with the consolidation of several bankrupt Northeastern railroads: Penn Central, Central of New Jersey, […]

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American Z Line New York Central 20th Century Limited cars

passenger car

Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: 1940s-1950s Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016, 614-764-1703 New York Central 20th Century Limited cars features: Injection-molded plastic Metal wheels AutoLatch couplers Window glazing Car Types: Pullman Imperial-series 4-double-bedroom, 4-compartment, 2-drawing-room sleeper (six car names), diner (two numbers), River-series observation (two car names), and […]

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Modeling freight car loads — five different versions

Photo of flatcar painted Oxide Red with side stakes and pulpwood load.

Modeling freight car loads: Kalmbach Media will be releasing Keith Kohlmann’s new book Model Realistic Freight Car Loads at the end of June. The 112-page book will feature a variety of loads, including farm machinery, heavy equipment, steel and metal products, assorted vehicles, forest products, and building materials. Seeing the announcement for the book on […]

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Close clearance in yard led to 2019 NS conductor fatality

Photo of railcars on adjacent tracks, with notations showing details of fatal accident

WASHINGTON — A Norfolk Southern conductor killed in a February 2019 accident in Baltimore was riding on the side of a car in a close-clearance area — contrary to rules prohibiting such an action — when he was pinned between his train and a car on an adjacent track, according to a National Transportation Safety […]

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