David Bontrager of Elnora, Ind., died on Feb. 24. He was 74 years old. David penned more than 130 articles for Model Railroader, Mainline Modeler, and Model Railroading magazines between 1988 and 2001. Among his contributions to MR were several HO scale diesel locomotive articles, including detailing a Burlington Northern General Electric (GE) C30-7, a […]
Section: News & Reviews
In Memoriam: Robert C. Kingsnorth, 1945 – 2018
Robert “Bob” Kingsnorth of Medford, Ore., died on Oct. 8. He was 73 years old. Bob’s journey in model railroading began when he received a Lionel set at age 6. He made the switch to HO scale when Kix breakfast cereal began giving freight cars as a promotion. Bob’s first byline in Model Railroader came […]
Alaskan Senate asks President for new rail border crossing with Canada NEWSWIRE
SEATTLE — The Alaska Senate has approved a resolution asking President Trump to approve a border crossing for a rail line to connect the state with the North American rail network via Yukon Territory and Alberta, in Canada. The line is seen as a way to give petroleum products a way to reach Alaskan terminals, […]
Coos Bay railroad operator say it can have a swing bridge operating in less than two weeks NEWSWIRE
Coos Bay, Oregon Google Maps SEATTLE — The Oregon International Port of Coos Bay believes it can have a swing-span bridge on its rail line back to normal operation by the end of this month. That will come too late to save a Georgia-Pacific lumber mill, the closing of which was announced earlier this month […]
Durango & Silverton to repair Southern Pacific 4-6-0; locomotive to stay in Colorado until fall NEWSWIRE
Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad DURANGO, Colo. – The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and the Carson & Colorado Railway are working together to repair Southern Pacific 4-6-0 No. 18 after it blew a cylinder during an excursion earlier this month. On Tuesday, the railroads announced that while they are confident the locomotive […]
Massachusetts commuter rail project clears funding, permit hurdles NEWSWIRE
Inbound and outbound trains on the MBTA’s Middlesborough/Lakeville line meet in Braintree, Mass., in 2010. A project to extend the line to New Bedford and Fall River, Mass., has cleared major funding and permitting hurdles. Scott A. Hartley BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has committed more than $1 billion in state bond funding for […]
MBTA to tackle derailments, fare evasion NEWSWIRE
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is taking new steps to try to identify hot axles after they were identified as a factor in two recent derailments. The MBTA has applied heat-sensitive tape to axles on the commuter railroad’s passenger coaches in hopes of spotting problems before axles fail, the Boston Herald reports. Keolis […]
Moynihan Train Hall to offer dramatic change for Amtrak passengers in New York NEWSWIRE
A rendering of Moynihan Train Hall, looking east, shows the open central area with skylights providing natural light for above-ground spaces. Architecture and Interiors: FXCollaborative The 10,000-square-foot Metropolitan Lounge will provide fresh food and a bar with a large assortment of beverages, among other improvements over its predecessor at Penn Station. Architecture and Interiors: FXCollaborative […]
Portion of Oregon Zoo train route could be turned into trail NEWSWIRE
The Washington Park & Zoo Railway, shown in June 2017, is a 0.5-mile, 2.5-foot gauge railroad at the Oregon Zoo that opened in 1958. The primary equipment, dubbed the “Zooliner,” is a 5/8 scale replica of the Aerotrain, constructed by Northwest Marine Iron Works and H. Hirschberger Sheet Metal Co., both of Portland. Scott A. […]
Purple Line subway extension tunnels under Los Angeles NEWSWIRE
Side-by-side Tunnel Boring Machines begin their work from the La Brea station site on LA Metro’s Purple Line Extension on Oct. 15, 2018. Photo courtesy LA Metro LOS ANGELES — Sometime in June, the first of two giant tunnel boring machines will be lifted out of the ground under Wilshire Boulevard, having chomped through almost […]
New model trains for the week of April 25, 2019
Wm. K. Walthers Inc. HO scale Electro-Motive Division Phase II GP9 with low short hood HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division Phase II GP9 with low short hood. Chicago & North Western, Burlington Northern, Milwaukee Road, Canadian Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and Wisconsin & Southern. Four road numbers per scheme (two each in direct current and Digital […]
Twin Cities Hiawatha is Walthers’ next name train
The latest name train from Wm. K. Walthers is the HO scale Milwaukee Road Twin Cities Hiawatha. Walthers HO scale Milwaukee Road 63-foot Railway Post Office Walthers HO scale Milwaukee Road 75-foot express car Walthers HO scale Milwaukee Road 498-series 52-seat coach Walthers HO scale Milwaukee Road 535-series 52-seat coach Walthers HO scale Milwaukee Road […]
