Bill Neale’s PRR Panhandle Division in HO scale

Follow Model Railroader Editor Eric White on a journey into the thick of operations on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Panhandle Division, as replicated on Bill Neale’s HO scale (1:87.1) model railroad! As feature in Great Model Railroads 2010, Bill’s 200-foot multi-level layout captures a vital stretch of mainline serving the coal and steel country of western Pennsylvania […]

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CSX celebrates reopening of Blue Ridge Subdivision

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX today officially celebrated the reopening of the Blue Ridge Subdivision, nearly a year to the day after Hurricane Helene destroyed large portions of the former Clinchfield Railroad main line in rugged eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. CSX restored the key 60-mile corridor damaged by Hurricane Helene within the Blue Ridge […]

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East Troy Industrial Park Sidetrack | Building a glass plant, Part 5

In this Sidetrack Series departure from the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad, you’ll learn how to use brass wire and flat bar to create durable, small-diameter brackets and tension wires for the scratchbuilt generator structures. Throughout the demo, Eric shows viewers how to use specialized tools, including wire nippers and metal-bending […]

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Primus challenges his dismissal from the Surface Transportation Board

Man in gray suit speaking at podium

WASHINGTON — Robert E. Primus filed a federal lawsuit today challenging his dismissal from the Surface Transportation Board. President Donald Trump fired Primus on Aug. 27 without giving a reason for the decision. The president has sought to exert greater control over independent agencies like the STB. He has ousted Democratic members of the Federal […]

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Angel could be CSX’s final CEO: Analysis

Two blue and yellow locomotives leading train of tank cars

Steve Angel joins CSX Transportation as its eighth chief executive in the railroad’s 45 years, and the Tarheel native could well be the railroad’s last CEO if the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger prompts a BNSF-CSX allegiance. As the industry possibly faces its final round of consolidation, CSX has to do something. While it may seem […]

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Walthers HO 40-foot double-sheathed boxcar

Color photo showing B end of of brown HO scale boxcar with red, white, and black graphics on white background

Walthers HO 40-foot double-sheathed boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO 40-foot double-sheathed boxcar features: 5-5-5 Murphy steel ends 33” turned-metal wheels on plastic axles Detailed AB brake gear Andrews trucks Based on later rebuilds and upgrades of older, wood […]

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VIA Rail delays test of nonstop Montreal-Toronto service

trains under bridge

VIA Rail Canada has postponed its plan to test nonstop service between Montreal and Toronto, CBC reports. VIA Rail had sought to test express train service between Canada’s largest cities beginning Sept. 29, but said it would have to hold off due to “operational constraints” on Canadian National. The express service would shave 30 to […]

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ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car

Color photo showing B end of S scale wood refrigerator car painted orange, brown, and black with white graphics on white background

ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car Scale: S (1:64) Price: $59.99 Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Road NE Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car features: Detailed brake system Equipped with American Flyer-compatible wheels and operating couplers Fish-belly underframe Freestanding vertical brake staff Injection-molded plastic body Metal handrails and grab irons […]

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BNSF to shippers: Speak up about UP-NS merger (updated)

Train rounding curve in mountains

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway says Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern will reduce rail competition, raise rates, curtail service, and likely lead to an operational meltdown. BNSF unveiled a position paper on the UP-NS combination yesterday while encouraging customers to voice their concerns with the Surface Transportation Board, which will review the […]

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