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 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 […]
Remembering Seaboard Air Line locomotives
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! […]
Bachmann announces limited-edition Amtrak Charger locomotive
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 […]
In Memoriam: Donald E. Fiehmann, 1934-2020
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 […]
Broadway Limited announces dual-mode Paragon4 sound and control system
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 […]
ScaleTrains.com donates to CSX “Pride in Service” signature charity partners
ScaleTrains.com recently donated $30,000 to five of CSX Transportation’s “Pride in Service” signature charity partners. The money is from the proceeds of the sale of the company’s HO scale Rivet Counter line CSX General Electric ES44AH diesel locomotives decorated in the Spirit of our Law Enforcement, Spirit of our First Responders, and Spirit of our […]
Digest: Legislation would create permanent funding for Amtrak
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 […]
Nashville Steam facility, museum damaged by violent storm
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. […]
4-8-2 in an N&W lubritorium
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. […]
California high speed authority approves business plan, hears details of single-track proposal
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A year behind schedule because of three COVID-related delays, the board of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority voted 6-3 Thursday to send a business plan to the state legislature calling for an initial operating segment between Central Valley cities of Merced and Bakersfield, with the possibility of opening that segment as a single-track […]
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania to reopen April 30 (updated)
STRASBURG, Pa. — After a year of being closed due to the Covid pandemic, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, Pa., will reopen on Friday, April 30. The new normal days and times of operation for the museum will be Fridays through Sundays, with hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, […]