Swiss freight wagons face new rules: What it means

Derailed train inside tunnel

BERN, Switzerland — The Swiss Federal Office of Transport has announced new regulations for freight wagons in the country. The new regulations include measures such as minimum wheel diameters, more frequent maintenance schedules, and optimized wagon inspections. Operators and fleet owners have until the end of 2025 to comply with the new rules. The regulations […]

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ScaleTrains HO Trinity 7500 high-cube boxcar

Color photo showing B end of modern HO scale boxcar painted yellow, black, and aluminum with black, blue, red, and white graphics on white background

ScaleTrains HO Trinity 7500 high-cube boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $54.99 Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Road NE Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com ScaleTrains Trinity 7500 high-cube boxcar features: 36” machined metal wheels with .110” wheel tread ASF Motion Control 110-ton trucks with raised foundry data; rotating Timken three-sided bearing caps (blue or black as […]

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Model Railroad Open House visit etiquette

A couple of visitors admire a layout.

Open houses, whether at model railroad clubs or private home layouts, offer fantastic opportunities to connect with fellow modelers and share the hobby. It’s also a joy to see what makes a layout tick and how one differs from another. While hosting an open house requires careful planning — as Arlan Tietel thoroughly explains in […]

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Savage Tooele Railroad becomes Utah’s newest short line

GRANTSVILLE, Utah — Savage Tooele Railroad held a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday to celebrate the opening of the 11-mile short line, which revived a dormant Western Pacific branch line southwest of Salt Lake City. “This new railroad is a major step forward for Utah’s economy,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said in a statement. “The Savage Tooele […]

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Big Boy No. 4014 scheduled for another run to Denver

Big Boy rounding a curve on a cloudy day

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Big Boy No. 4014’s 2025 season isn’t over yet! The Union Pacific Railroad announced to Steam Club members (Sept. 18) that the 4-8-8-4 will make another overnight visit to Denver in late September-early October.  The locomotive is scheduled to travel from Cheyenne (11:00 a.m. departure) to Denver on Sept. 30, and return […]

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CN adds supply chain executive to its board of directors

MONTREAL — Supply chain executive Madeleine Paquin will join the Canadian National board of directors effective Oct. 29, the railway announced today. “Madeleine is an accomplished logistics and supply chain executive with deep, hands-on experience in international trade and shipping. Her business accomplishments, customer insights and experience with complex capital-intensive transportation infrastructure including port terminals, […]

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Illinois Railway Museum to restore ‘Centennial’ diesel to operation

Yellow diesel locomotive on display

UNION, Ill. — The Illinois Railway Museum has announced ambitious plans to restore its Union Pacific DDA40 “Centennial” No. 6930 to full operational status. The “Revive the Centennial” campaign was publicly unveiled on Sept. 17 via the museum’s social media channels. This significant undertaking will involve extensive upgrades and repairs, including the crucial acquisition and […]

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Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Essex Junction & Monadnock RR

A model steam locomotive on a model railroad layout

A Maine Central 2-8-0 leads a two-car local on Don Virtue’s HO scale Essex Junction & Monadnock RR. The model railroad is loosely based on the B&M’s Cheshire Branch in New Hampshire. Lou Sassi took the photo. Model Railroader‘s Photo of the Day features images from our archives, celebrating decades of model railroad heritage and […]

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U.S. rail traffic declines for week ending Sept. 13

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic declined 1.6% for the week ending Sept. 13, the Association of American Railroads reports. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending September 13, 2025. Total carloads for the week ending September 13 were 231,237 carloads, down 0.5% compared with the same week […]

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