Storage & transloading: How shortline railroads find income

red and yellow locomotive

Shortline railroads Today, shortline railroads scattered around America continue to survive. Even though many “brick and mortar” customers have closed, and their spurs and industry tracks have been pulled up over the last several decades, Class IIIs continue to find additional sources of revenue. Car storage and transloading are two such sources that are popular […]

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Stuart, Fla., says it will be site of new Brightline station

High-angle view of long narrow building

STUART, Fla. — Brightline will build a new intermediate station in Stuart, Fla., the TC Palm newspaper reports. Stuart City Manager Mike Mortell informed employees on Monday that the passenger operator had selected Stuart’s downtown site near the Martin County Courthouse. Brightline did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment. At least two other […]

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Amtrak Inspector General report shows how parts shortages impact service

Passenger cars at yard with dusting of snow

WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General has released a report explaining how the company’s lack of effective parts inventory management is responsible for numerous service failures. The 62-page report released Monday, “Asset management: Company has opportunities to more effectively manage and safeguard maintenance of equipment inventory,” asserts a lack of key parts to keep […]

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MTA details projects at risk without congestion pricing funds

Long Island Rail Road train arrives at station

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which had previously announced it was placing much of its capital spending on hold because of uncertainty over implementation of Manhattan’s congestion pricing plan, on Monday detailed the projects at risk while the lawsuits against congestion pricing are pending. Congestion pricing, intended to discourage driving in Manhattan below […]

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What to expect at a Day Out With Thomas event

Day Out with Thomas event What to expect Fun in the sun. This is an outdoor festival of sorts. The Day Out With Thomas theme changes annually to keep families coming back year after year. Each event location will vary, offering different attractions like live entertainment, lawn games, carnival rides, museum access, train rides, photo […]

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NJ Transit unveils locomotive wrapped for Black History Month

Multicolored locomotive and bus

NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit has unveiled a locomotive wrapped to commemorate Black History Month, featuring historical contribution of African Americans to American history and society. The unveiling today (Monday, Feb. 26) of wrapped dual-mode Bombardier ALP-45DP No. 4508 at Newark Penn Station was accompanied by the release of two NJ Transit buses also wrapped […]

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T-TRAK Project Part 5: Beginning Scenery

three tan boxes with gray model train track and pink foam hills.

Modelers David Popp, Brian Schmidt, and Bryson Sleppy begin the scenery process on their T-TRAK modules by looking at photos of the Colorado plains. T-TRAK is a modular N scale railroading system that uses foot-wide boxes plugged together to build tabletop layouts. In this fifth installment, the three modelers explain how to build hills and […]

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News & Products for the week of February 26th 2024

A collection of several model freight cars in different paint schemes

News & Products for the week of February 26th 2024   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 26th […]

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American Model Builders announces closure

After over 40 years of business, American Model Builders Inc. has announced their closure via their website. A statement posted to laserkit.com reads: “American Model Builders is now closed and the LASERkit product line has been discontinued. The family of the late John Hitzeman, founder and owner, and the extended AMB family, would like to […]

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Use Lionel’s Bluetooth Radio Tower on your layout

photo of toy train layout with tower

One of the joys of modern model railroading is incorporating new technology. Using a familiar mobile device, for instance, can add more life and realism to a layout. About five years ago, as I was building my 4 x 8 O gauge layout, I read about Lionel’s No. 84611 Bluetooth Radio Tower and its functionality […]

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