Digest: CSX train derails in Nashville

No injuries reported as CSX train derails in Nashville Sixteen cars of a CSX Transportation train derailed early this morning in Nashville, Tenn., leading to a brief shelter-in-place order from authorities until it was determined there was no hazardous-material threat. A statement from CSX reports the derailment occurred about 3:07 a.m. CDT near West Due […]

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Streamlined steam locomotives

A steel gray streamlined steam locomotive in a rail yard.

  A new aesthetic — “streamlining” — took hold in the 1930s. Objects from telephones to ocean liners were designed to be unified in appearance instead of collections of parts. Curves replaced square corners, and horizontal lines replaced verticals. Streamlining burst upon the railroad scene with the 1934 introduction of two sleek internal-combustion-powered passenger trains. Steam […]

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Remembering Seaboard Air Line locomotives

Diesel locomotive in a yard at the head of a train.

  All through March 2021, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the stylish passenger trains, gritty freights, history, and now, hard-working locomotives of the Seaboard Air Line. Please enjoy this photo gallery of SAL images selected from Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. Only from Classic Trains! […]

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Bachmann announces limited-edition Amtrak Charger locomotive

Side of an Amtrak train

Bachmann Trains announced that it will be releasing a limited-edition HO scale ALC-42 Charger locomotive decorated as Amtrak no. 301, wearing the passenger carrier’s 50th anniversary “Day 1” paint scheme. The model, item no. 68303, will be available only by pre-order through Bachmann retailers. The ALC-42 will feature a dual-mode TCS WOWSound sound decoder with […]

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In Memoriam: Donald E. Fiehmann, 1934-2020

Model Railroader placeholder image

Donald E. (Don) Fiehmann of San Jose, Calif., passed away from complications due to heart failure in December. He was 86 years old. Don wrote more than 60 articles for Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman magazines. In addition, he was the author of three Kalmbach books: Basic Electricity for Model Railroading (1988), The DCC […]

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Broadway Limited announces dual-mode Paragon4 sound and control system

Santa Fe train

Broadway Limited Imports announced its new Paragon4 sound and control system with Rolling Thunder. The first two models with the new technology will be an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 2-8-2 steam locomotive and Electro-Motive Division (EMD) GP20. Features of the dual-mode Paragon4 system include a built-in GoPack capacitor that’s automatically disabled on the programming […]

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Digest: Legislation would create permanent funding for Amtrak

Amtrak logo.

Senator, Congressman introduce bills to create dedicated funding source for Amtrak U.S. Sen. Richard Blumental (D-Conn.) and U.S. Rep Danny Davis (D-Ill.) have introduced legislation to provide permanent, dedicated funding for Amtrak. The Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund Act would create a fund providing approximately $5.4 billion annually for repairs, service improvements, fleet modernization and […]

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Nashville Steam facility, museum damaged by violent storm

Building with part of wall missing, surrounded by debris

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A violent storm Thursday damaged the shop facility where the Nashville Steam Preservation Society is restoring Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis locomotive No. 576, as well as the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. Nashville Steam reports there were no injuries, but high winds and debris destroyed a portion of the structure housing No. […]

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4-8-2 in an N&W lubritorium

Worker lubricating steam locomotive

Norfolk & Western K2 4-8-2 117, just in from Lynchburg with the Tennessean, is prepared for its next assignment in the lubritorium service building at Shaffers Crossing terminal outside Roanoke, Va., in 1954. A. Akin Jr. […]

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