Carload Considerations: Filling Class I railroad jobs in rural locations will help customers everywhere

Freight train with two yellow locomotives rounds curve

CHICAGO — Class I railroads appreciate moving large volumes of traffic across long routes. There’s efficiency and carload profitability gains by running fewer trains for longer distances on relatively consistent schedules. When this is successful, customers see their shipments make great strides across chunks of a Class I railroad’s network. But some customers’ locations aren’t […]

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Center for Railroad Photography & Art to offer online preview of Steinheimer collection

Four people with boxes in truck

MADISON, Wis. — The Center for Railroad Photography & Art will offer an online look at its newly acquired collection of the works of rail photography legend Richard Steinheimer on Aug. 2. The event, free but exclusive to CRPA members, will be held on Zoom at 7 p.m. CDT, and will provide the first look […]

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Canadian government announces funding for Saskatchewan rail projects

Transport Canada logo

REGINA, Saskatchewan — The Canadian government will provide $18.3 million for four rail infrastructure projects in Regina and southern Saskatchewan, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced Thursday. Projects and funding planned include: — C$13.5 million for a grade stabilization project on the Canadian Pacific interchange near Eston, Sask.; Last Mountain Railway, an 85-mile short line between Regina […]

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Amtrak plans ‘statewide celebration’ for return of second Missouri River Runner

Amtrak logo.

The resumption of two daily round trips on the St. Louis-Kansas City, Mo., Missouri River Runner will be marked with ceremonies at cities along the route, Amtrak says. The second round trip, restored through funding approved by the Missouri General Assembly and Gov. Mike Parson, resumes Monday, July 18 [see “Second ‘Missouri River Runner’ to […]

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Electric Railways of North America in Color, Vol. 1 book review

Electric Railways of North America book cover

Electric railroads served a variety of purposes in North America: carrying commuters, industrial switching, and mainline freight and passenger service. From coal-hauling, six-axle, red-white-and-blue motors in British Columbia to plain green electric m.u. cars in New Jersey, there can be broad interest in electric railroads.   Noted railfan Matthew Herson has lended his photographic collection […]

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Atlas 50-foot plug-door boxcar

yellow boxcar illustration

50-foot plug-door boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $39.95 (undecorated, $33.95) Era: 1955 to 1984+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com 50-foot plug-door boxcar features: 8/8 panel, riveted sides Accumate couplers Blackened metal wheels Late improved Dreadnaught ends Overhanging diagonal-panel roof with or without running boards as appropriate […]

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Gulf Mobile and Ohio remembered

Overhead view of four Gulf Mobile and Ohio diesel locomotives with freight train on S curve with multiple power lines

Gulf Mobile and Ohio remembered: The “modern merger movement” is often said to have begun in 1957 when Louisville & Nashville absorbed the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis, in which the L&N had a three-quarters ownership. Some would argue that three similar 1947 mergers — Denver & Salt Lake into Denver & Rio Grande Western; […]

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Athearn 50-foot high-cube double-plug-door boxcar

red boxcar illustration

50-foot high-cube double-plug-door boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.99 Era: 1970s+ to 2000s+ (varies depending on paint scheme). Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com 50-foot high-cube double-plug-door boxcar features: Body-mounted McHenry scale couplers Injection-molded plastic body Machined metal wheels with RP-25 contours Minimum radius: 18” Separate, factory-applied brake wheel Underbody with brake system […]

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Three ways to entice viewers with storefront window displays

a storefront with shoes on display

Storefront window displays are one way a modeler can make a building on a layout look inhabited without having to detail the entire interior. It’s a way to simplify the process while engaging viewers and hobbyists. A building can look fabulous on the outside with eye-catching signs and prototypically weathered brick walls, but if the […]

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Menards Corrugated Auto Carrier – CTT review

Menards Corrugated Auto Carrier end view

Menards Corrugated Auto Carrier is an O gauge model of the modern 89-foot vehicle transporter so prevalent on today’s railroads. These are the most up-to-date versions of this type of car on the market in a traditional (non-scale) size. The car is named for its roof features. The sides of the car simulate the perforated […]

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Chuck Hitchcock’s HO scale Ottawa Junction Ry. layout

Ottawa Junction Ry. layout track plan

Facts & features Name: Ottawa Junction Ry. Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 28 x 30 feet Prototype: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Locale: Kansas Era: 1952 Style: walk-in Mainline run: 24 feet on Second District, 24 feet on main line through Ottawa Minimum radius: 30″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: 3/4″ plywood on […]

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Mike O’Connell’s O fine scale Pacific Railway & Navigation Co. layout

PR&N Spokane layout track plan

Facts & features Name: Pacific Railway & Navigation Co. Scale: Proto:48 (O fine scale) Size: 40 x 60 feet Prototype: Northern Pacific; Great Northern; Spokane, Portland & Seattle; and PR&N Locale: Pacific Northwest Era: mid-1950s Style: walk-in multi-deck Mainline run: approx. 1,200 feet Minimum radius: 84″ Minimum turnout: no. 7 (spurs), no. 8 (main) Maximum […]

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