Montana’s Isaak Walton Inn is sold

ESSEX, Mont. — The Izaak Walton Inn, the trackside property along BNSF main line adjacent to Glacier National Park that is a longtime railfan destination, is under new ownership. The Daily Inter Lake reports that Brian Kelly, who has owned the property since 2006, has sold it to Loge Camps, a hotel marketed toward outdoors […]

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Lionel ES44AC locomotive personifies modern power

The O gauge Lionel ES44AC locomotive is a release that really captures the essence of modern rail power. This Legacy model has returned rather quickly to the train-maker’s catalog in 2022 with new road names. Those include several heritage paint schemes, like the Canadian National’s Elgin, Joliet & Eastern livery shown in this video. With […]

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Traveling through the mountains via rail

Traveling through the mountains Having never visited Canada before September and thus never having an opinion of the Canadian Rockies, except visualizing something like Colorado, my first brush with Canada revealed I frivolously misperceived the legitimacy of its mountain railroad scene. New realizations Prior to several realizations, this experience brought me to Calgary on Canadian […]

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The O gauge Lionel ES44AC locomotive personifies modern power

The O gauge Lionel ES44AC locomotive is a release that really captures the essence of modern rail power. This Legacy model has returned rather quickly to the train-maker’s catalog in 2022 with new road names. Those include several heritage paint schemes, like the Canadian National’s Elgin, Joliet & Eastern livery shown in this video. With […]

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Autoflood III coal hopper in N scale from Rapido

Autoflood III coal hopper in N scale from Rapido Scale: N (1:160) Price: Single car, $38.95; six-pack, $233.70 Era: 2004+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Autoflood III coal hopper features: Die-cast frame and floor Full interior rivet and K-member details […]

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Empire Builder fights weather, congestion, track issues

MINOT, N.D. — With winter storm warnings in effect across the northern plains from a windy, frigid blast that has already barreled through the Sierra Nevada and Colorado mountains, there is always the possibility that service on Amtrak’s long-distance network will be disrupted. As was the case during a blizzard last month [“Westbound Empire Builder […]

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HO scale Autoflood III coal hopper from Rapido

HO scale Autoflood III coal hopper from Rapido Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $59.95; six-pack, $359.70 Era: 2004+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Autoflood III coal hopper features: Die-cast frame and floor Full interior rivet and K-member details Detailed […]

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Athearn HO scale General Electric Dash 9-44CW

Arriving in hobby shops now is the Athearn HO scale General Electric Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive. The newly tooled model features a variety of railroad-specific details. Road names offered on the first run of the six-axle road locomotive are Canadian National (red, white, and black with “wet noodle” herald); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (warbonnet); […]

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South Dakota seeks funds to upgrade deteriorating short line

SISSETON, S.D. — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s proposed state budget includes $6.25 million to help upgrade the Sisseton-Milbank Railroad, a 37-mile line serving a grain elevator which has deteriorated to the point that traffic can only creep along at 5 mph or less, and averages about one derailment a year. The Mitchell Republic reports […]

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