WASHINGTON — A rail labor union coalition has proposed that Congress require federal regulators to conduct an annual “stress test” that would determine whether the Class I railroads have enough people, equipment, and infrastructure capacity to meet freight demand. The recommendation, made Nov. 10 by the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, comes amid […]
HAMILTON, Ohio — The two structures of Hamilton’s historic railroad station will move in December, the Hamilton Journal-News reports. City Engineer Rich Engle said Wolfe House & Building Movers had scheduled an early December move, with a more detailed schedule still to come. The two structures — a one-story and two-story building — will be […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline will resume 110-mph testing of its passenger trains in Florida’s Martin and St. Lucie counties beginning this Friday, Nov. 18, the company has announced. Testing is scheduled Friday through Sunday, Nov. 20, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Flaggers and law enforcement officers will be present at five grade crossings during […]
A diminutive Porter 0-4-0T works in the great north woods of Minnesota. Although not powerful, small Porters like this one enabled small logging operations to get in business quickly and cheaply. Library of Congress photo […]
Acrylic paints for airbrushing While there are many different areas of the model railroading hobby that we can all explore, one common theme involved in almost all of these areas is paint. Whether you are painting entire backdrops, buildings, vehicles, or even figures, paint is a product that is necessary for model railroading. If you’re […]
Freelance Colorado narrow-gauge branch line The railway at a glance Name: Miller Creek & Moss Rock Railway Size of railroad: 30′ x 40′, approximately Scale: 1:24 Gauge: 45mm (no. 1) Era: Pre-WWII Theme: Freelance Colorado narrow-gauge branch line Age: 6 years Motive power: NiMH-battery-operated Delton Consolidation Length of mainline: 130′, (approximately) Maximum gradient: 3.5% Type […]
Dirt the Cat One of the world’s most famous cats is a railroader. Dirt, his fur coat stained by a lifetime amid the soot and grease of Nevada Northern Railway’s 114-year-old engine-servicing facility, is nobody’s pet and everybody’s friend. The people-loving shop cat has an international following thanks to a series of widely shared social […]
A 2022 holiday toy train photo gallery is just the thing to get you in the Christmas spirit. Please enjoy this selection of holiday-themed photos of toy trains from Lionel and American Flyer in O gauge, S gauge, and Standard gauge (with some bonus N and large scale trains). If you have a photo you’d […]
Chicago-area pedestrian crossing disappears I have no idea how long pedestrians have been crossing the railroad right-of-way at the gated crossing on BNSF Railway’s triple-track main line at Central Avenue in Western Springs, Ill., but it’s safe to assume it’s been quite a while. But the way that crossing quickly disappeared is another reminder of […]
I recently wrote “Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs” featuring five Electro-Motive Division diesels, including unique paint schemes, rebuilds, and test subjects. This time, I dug through my negative collection and found eight Burlington Northern freight car one-offs. Most of the photos are from family travels throughout northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota between the early 1980s […]
CHICAGO — Metra’s board of directors has voted to maintain its current special post-pandemic fare discounts — a $100 flat-rate “Super Saver” monthly pass and $10 and $6 day passes — through the end of 2023 as part of the operating budget for the coming year approved on Friday. The current fare structure was one […]
OREGON, Ohio — Ten railcars of corn from a CSX Transportation train derailed early Friday (Nov. 11) near the Port of Toledo, the Toledo Blade reports. The accident occurred at Ironville Junction, near Oregon’s border with Toledo, about 1:15 a.m. The derailment blocked CSX trackage on the Toledo Terminal Subdivision, the primary gateway to Michigan, […]
