Digest: CP announces Ballard fuel cells will power hydrogen locomotive

Canadian Pacific Railway beaver logo

Ballard Power Systems to provide fuel cells for CP’s hydrogen locomotive Fuel cells from Ballard Power Systems will be used in Canadian Pacific’s project to develop a hydrogen-powered road locomotive. The Ballard fuel cells will provide 1.2 megawatts of electricity, working with batteries to power the traction motors of the locomotive, being converted from diesel […]

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Build a large-scale shipping container for your garden railroad

Scratchbuilt large-scale container car load

Intermodal container cars are a staple of modern railroads. Anyone who models the current era on their garden railroad will want a number of these, both on the rails and waiting for shipment. While several commercial models are available, I found a less expensive way to make them. Standardized shipping containers are essentially rectangular boxes, […]

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General Electric B40-8 profile

Orange locomotive cabs side by side

  General Electric’s last high-horsepower, four-axle locomotive model was the Dash 8-40B or more commonly known as the B40-8. The B40-8 was GE’s refinement of the B39-8 which was first delivered in 1987 with production only lasting one year. Both models are indistinguishable from each other externally with the exception of the first few B39-8s […]

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How to visit the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

A steam locomotive-hauled passenger train navigating a rocky slope as seen from a car in the rear of the train.

Introduction to the Durango & Silverton A trip to Colorado to see and ride a narrow gauge railroad is essential for anyone with an interest in great steam railroading in the Rocky Mountains. Colorado has several railroads worth visiting (in fact, we offer, in conjunction with Special Interest Tours, a week-long trip to visit them […]

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Ballast track easily

Applying Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement with pipette.]

On Model Railroader’s Beer Line project layout, which was set in 1947 Milwaukee, I ballasted the track on the entire layout using a favorite technique. I used a 50:50 blend of Highball Products Light Gray and Dark Gray limestone ballast, which looks similar to ballast used by the Milwaukee Road [Highball Products ballast is no […]

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Digest: Delays add $300 million to cost of Gateway project

Amtrak train coming out of tunnel

Delays in start of Gateway project push cost to $11.6 billion Ongoing delays in beginning the Gateway tunnel project on the Northeast Corridor have pushed the estimated cost of tunnels under the Hudson river to $11.6 billion, a $300 million increase over the previous estimate. NJ.com reports Frank Sacr, interim executive director of the Gateway […]

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