Q: I’ve tried many methods to uncouple my rolling stock automatically rather than use a manual tool. Permanent magnets were far from satisfactory even when I devised a way to raise them at the appropriate time to a position closer to the couplers. I’ve modified an HOn3 electromagnet to fit between the rails, and this […]
Big Boy’s story We all know the old tried and sometimes true saying, “bigger is better.” Yes, a significantly enlarged bowl of ice cream on a hot summer day is better. Finding out that your car repair bill is larger than anticipated … well, not so good. In the eyes of the Union Pacific Railroad, […]
LONDON, Ontario — A two-year pilot program offering GO Transit commuter rail service between London and Toronto — hampered by its lengthy travel time — will not be renewed when the trial period ends in October, the London Free Press reports. The single round trip, which debuted in October 2018, is currently scheduled for exactly […]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Port workers in British Columbia went on strike Saturday, an action with the potential for impacts on the Canadian and U.S. economies and immediate significance for three Class I Railroads. Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada’s Longshore Division walked out at 8 a.m. Saturday. The move affects about […]
With Independence Day just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at some N and HO scale locomotive models in Bicentennial paint schemes. As the 200th birthday of the United States approached, numerous prototype railroads renumbered and repainted locomotives in patriotic schemes to pay tribute to the nation. […]
There were more than 200 red-white-and-blue Bicentennial diesel locomotives. Many “Bicens” were specially renumbered, but some (the 76s, 200s, 1776s, 1976s, etc.) were not. Bicentennials roamed the rails in every state (beyond the “lower 48” were two Alaska Railroad FP7s and a rail historical group’s tiny GE in Hawaii); in Panama (a 5-foot-gauge Alco RSC3); […]
HAMILTON, Ontario — About 1,500 workers are on strike at railcar manufacturer National Steel Car, the Hamilton Spectator reports. The workers, represented by United Steelworkers Local 7135, walked out on Thursday, June 29. Local president Frank Crowder told the newspaper via email that “significant issues,” including wages, remain on the table. The company’s latest offer […]
Tips for your right-of-way Easy tunnel liner When building tunnels, making a solid interior structure to maintain the tunnel’s structural integrity may be a challenge to those who may not know where to start. An old mailbox makes a perfect shell for a tunnel—just remove the flag, door, and end, and install it. The size […]
What was your first byline in Trains? Robert Scott: My first byline in Trains was in the May 2005 issue. I reported on the port expansion in Tacoma, Wash., which helped additional traffic for Tacoma Rail. Since that was more of a news story, it was a few more years before I had the opportunity […]
Steam locomotives are marvels of engineering that dominated the rails for more than 100 years. Check out this gallery of HO, S, and O scale steam locomotive model photos that were featured in Model Railroader’s Trackside Photos in 2023. […]
Delaware & Locomotive locomotives demonstrated some of the greatest variety for a railroad its size. Steam locomotives on the D&H were distinctive. Its roster was dominated by 2-8-0 and 4-6-0 types, but it also had notable fleets of 4-6-2s, 4-8-4s, and 4-6-6-4s. After World War I, the road stuck with the 2-8-0 long […]
If you’ve read stories about diesel locomotives on Trains.com or in Kalmbach Media’s railroad magazines and books, you’ve most likely seen references to diesel locomotives by generation. But what does generation mean? Unlike automobiles, locomotive manufacturers don’t bring out new models each year. The same basic locomotive model can stay in production for years – […]
