Rapido Trains HO RS18u diesel locomotive

Color photo of HO locomotive painted red with black-and-white graphics.

Do you have a soft spot for railroad-rebuilt diesel locomotives? Then you’ll want to check out the HO scale Canadian Pacific RS18u from Rapido Trains. The model, designed from field measurements and a 3-D scan of a full-size engine, is offered in a variety of paint schemes from 1980 to the present. The prototype In […]

Read More…

STB names 21 to first Rail Passenger Advisory Committee

Passenger train rounds curve

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has named the inaugural members of its Passenger Rail Advisory Committee, which will help the board address issues affecting passenger rail service. More than 90 people had been nominated or nominated themselves to serve under a range of categories [see “STB passenger advisory committee has no shortage of nominees,” […]

Read More…

CN derailment reported in Sarnia, Ontario

Canadian National logo

SARNIA, Ontario — Fourteen cars of a Canadian National train, including three tank cars carrying liquified petroleum gas, have derailed this morning as the train entered the railroad’s Sarnia yard, CKNX Radio reports. No leaks have been reported. At least one grade crossing, at St. Andrew Street, has been blocked by the derailment. No other […]

Read More…

Siemens lands contract for Toronto-area passenger infrastructure maintenance

Metrolinx logo

TORONTO — Siemens Mobility has been awarded a contract by Ontario transportation agency Metrolinx to handle track, signal, and right-of-way maintenance for the Central Region of Toronto’s passenger rail infrastructure system, Siemens has announced. Siemens already has a similar contract in the West Region and handles signal and communications services at the Metrolinx Network Operations. […]

Read More…

CSX donates $10 million to Jacksonville museum campaign

CSX logo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp. will make a $10 million contribution to Jacksonville’s Museum of Science & History, or MOSH, and will be recognized as the presenting sponsor of the museum as it relocates to a new Northbank site on the St. Johns River in the city’s downtown. “We are immensely grateful to CSX for […]

Read More…

U.S. weekly rail traffic once again shows increase

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — Once again carried by intermodal traffic, weekly U.S. rail volume remained above 2023 levels for the ninth straight week, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending March 23, total traffic was 470,593 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.1% compared to the corresponding week a year earlier. The […]

Read More…

How do I add a sound module to a layout?

A small circuit board attached to a speaker, activation button, and battery pack

Q: I recently added a Faller carousel to my HO scale model railroad. It is lighted and motorized. Now I would like to add a sound module to the layout to play carousel sounds. Any suggestions where I might find one? — Larry Gaiardelli A:  I couldn’t find a sound module pre-recorded with carousel sounds, […]

Read More…

CPKC announces times, locations for Steam Tour stops

Steam locomotive with short passenger train in low angle sunlight.

CALGARY, Alberta — CPKC has released a more detailed schedule of dates, display times, and locations for its Final Spike Steam Tour, the three-nation trip featuring CP 4-6-4 No. 2816 to mark the first year of the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern. The trip begins April 24 in Calgary with a display […]

Read More…

New York MTA approves tolls for congestion pricing plan

Man speaking in meeting room

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board has approved toll rates for Manhattan’s planned congestion pricing program, which is intended to fund improvements to MTA transit programs. The board voted 11-1 at a meeting today (March 27) to approve tolls of $15 during the day and $3.75 at night in the congestion zone below […]

Read More…