Union Pacific and BLET reach tentative agreement on engineer scheduling

Two men standing by train watch as another train goes by

Union Pacific and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have reached a tentative agreement that will provide engineers with more predictable schedules. The deal, which the union and railroad called “historic,” will provide engineers with an 11 days on, four days off schedule. UP and the BLET said the tentative agreement announced today will […]

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Built by Others: Robert Mountenay’s HO scale Merkiomen Valley Branch

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated magazines. The Alkali Central was an HO scale project railroad built by the MR staff and featured in the December 1995 issue. Robert Mountenay adapted the track plan to fit […]

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Young Guns in Preservation: Jonathan Smith

Young individual working at an office.

It’s not uncommon to see individuals in railway preservation wear multiple hats, something 24-year-old Jonathan Smith has embraced during his young career. As Director of Sales and Marketing for the East Broad Top Railroad in Rockhill, Pa., Smith understands the importance of having a diverse resume within the industry. How did you get involved in […]

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Kettle Valley Steam Railway profile

Kettle Valley Steam Railway logo

The Kettle Valley Steam Railway operates over the only preserved portion of the famed Kettle Valley Railway, which was completed in 1915. Passengers can enjoy the rural landscapes of Summerland’s Prairie Valley, and take in the mountains and views of Okanagan Lake from the Trout Creek Bridge, a major feature of the original line. Choices […]

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Alberni Pacific Railway profile

Alberni Pacific Railway logo

The Alberni Pacific offers passengers a chance to visit the former McLean Paper Mill, 6 miles east of Port Alberni over the former Canadian Pacific Railway Port Alberni Subdivision. The mill is a National Historic Site that commemorates the history of logging and milling in British Columbia. Choices Trains to the mill are pulled by […]

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VIA Jasper-Prince Rupert Route profile

VIA Rail Canada logo

VIA Jasper-Prince Rupert Route between Jasper, Alberta, and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, is one of the scenic highlights of any trip to western Canada. The 2-day, 725-mile trip, which includes an overnight stop in Prince George, takes you from the Rocky Mountains in Jasper National Park to the Pacific coast. Choices On the VIA Jasper-Prince […]

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Heritage Park Historical Village profile

Heritage Park Historical Village logo

Discover what life was like in the Canadian West between 1864 and 1914 by visiting this re-created village framed by the Rockies. More than 150 exhibits, including many buildings transplanted from Calgary and other locations throughout Alberta, bring the past to the present. Choices The park includes a roundhouse and turntable with 30 locomotives and […]

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Hawaiian Railway Society profile

Diesel pulling passenger train next to the Pacific coast.

The Hawaiian Railway Society operates the only active train on the island of Oahu. It offers regularly scheduled 90-minute, fully narrated rides over 6.5 miles of track. Along the way, you’ll pass a variety of interesting and historical sites, including Fort Barrette. The train stops at Kahe Point, so you can take in the extraordinary […]

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Meet the Modeler: Chris Montagna of Chris’s Trains and Things on YouTube

Chris Montagna of Chris's Trains and things on YouTube

Chris Montagna of the Chris’s Trains and Things YouTube channel  is a contributing editor to Classic Toy Trains. He has done numerous reviews and how-to articles for Trains.com and the magazine. We asked him a few questions. My first train set (or locomotive) was…? My first locomotive was a Lionel Reading 4-6-2 (No. 6-18004) in […]

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Work in progress to upgrade BNSF’s old Sandpoint bridge

Train on bridge, with work in progress on adjacent bridge

SANDPOINT, Idaho — With BNSF Railway  and Montana Rail Link trains now using the new 4,873-foot long Lake Pend Oreille bridge opened in late November 2022 outside Sandpoint, Idaho, the adjacent bridge opened by Northern Pacific in 1904 is undergoing reconstruction. BNSF says the work involves “replacing all 59 of the remaining original 1904 bridge […]

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