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Cowl locomotives: Six-axle cowl locomotives purchased for freight service have been rostered continuously on Class I railroads since Santa Fe first purchased EMD’s F45 model in 1968. More than a half century later, the industry is down to a single Class I railroad operating this locomotive design, Canadian Pacific. Although cowls have been hauling freight […]
Two more new trainsets to support Brightline’s expansion of service to Orlando, Fla., are on their way to the passenger operator. The Bright Pink 2 and Bright Green 2 trainsets, which departed Siemens’ Sacramento factory on July 8, were photographed Saturday, July 16, on CSX Transportation’s Henderson Subdivision (Evansville, Ind.-Nashville, Tenn.). Brightline had said it […]
Large-scale rolling stock decals: Unlike modeling scales with specific definitions like HO scale (1:87.1) or N scale (1:160), the term “large scale” actually encompasses a variety of modeling proportions (generally from 1:13.7 down to 1:32). This segments the market into small pieces. Because of the limited customer base, there are few commercially made decal options […]
The Lionel Santa Fe F3 is a colorful O gauge icon. Roger “Professor” Carp is here to share with you what many consider the greatest post-World War II locomotive, the no. 2333 Santa Fe F3 cab unit. Interestingly, prior to its production, Lionel reached out to the manufacturer, Electric Motive Division of General Motors to […]
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Norfolk Southern train that derailed Monday in Columbia struck an already derailed industrial switcher on a track adjacent to its main line, according to NS. The newspaper The State reports it was told by NS spokesman Connor Spielmaker that the locomotive — a yellow end-cab switcher visible in some photos of […]
Six axle comfort cabs on shortlines: Comfort cabs took North America by storm in the late 1980s with the introduction of the design on EMDs’ SD60M and GE’s C40-8W. While Canadian operators had been using the design since the early 1970s on both four and six-axle locomotives, it wasn’t until the SD60M and C40-8W arrived […]
PADUCAH, Ky. — Two Paducah & Louisville Railways locomotives have been repainted and numbered to reflect the 35th anniversary of the 280-mile short line, formed from former Illinois Central Gulf lines in 1986. The locomotives, seen on July 8, 2022, were repainted by Progress Rail in Mayfield, Ky., to reflect the original P&L paint scheme, […]
Lionel LionChief Amtrak Genesis locomotives represent the engines that, for years, were the backbone of Amtrak’s long-distance fleet. After some initial teething problems, the fast, powerful prototype General Electric P40 and P42 units have proven to be reliable and capable for more than two decades. Lionel has released a traditional sized LionChief Plus 2.0 version […]
L&N freight No. 66 is just two miles out of its initial terminal at Norton, Va., as the Interstate Railroad’s First Hill Crew, using diesels from parent Southern Railway, waits in the clear at Dorchester Junction, Va., on May 10, 1967. When the L&N train clears, the Southern EMDs will cross over to pull the […]
Former Santa Fe bicentennial diesel No. 5704 is on its way to its new home in California. Photographer William Tollett caught the SD45-2, restored to its mid-1970s paint scheme earlier this year, on Thursday, June 23, at Panhandle, Texas, on BNSF Railway train ZPLKLAC6-22. The locomotive was donated to the Southern California Railroad Museum in […]
Changing a locomotive headlight: Everything we do on the railroad is guided by FRA standards and practices. According to the portion of federal law that governs railroads – 49 CFR § 229.125 – every lead locomotive used in road service shall illuminate its headlight while the locomotive is in use. If a road unit is […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has finalized an order for 50 additional Siemens Charger locomotives for long-distance passenger service. The deal was originally reported by Trains News Wire in February [see “Amtrak to order 50 more …,” News Wire, Feb. 8, 2022]. The latest order will bring to 125 the number of ALC42 locomotives purchased by Amtrak. […]
