MBTA board votes for electrification of some commuter rail lines

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BOSTON — The board that oversees the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has outlined its vision for the future of the agency’s commuter rail service. At a Monday meeting, the Fiscal and Management Control Board unanimously approved a series of resolutions supporting a plan to electrify some MBTA commuter lines and offer greatly increased train frequencies. […]

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Video: Fleischmann/Roco Z21 WLANMaus throttle

Fleischmann/Roco Z21 WLANMaus throttle

The WLANMaus is an easy-to-use wireless WiFi throttle from Roco/Fleischmann that works with the firm’s Z21 Digital Command Control (DCC) system. Model Railroader senior editor Dana Kawala shows you some of the features of this DCC throttle in this quick demo. […]

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New model trains for the week of November 7, 2019

Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale Electro-Motive Division GP38-2 diesel locomotive

Atlas Model Railroad Co. HO scale Electro-Motive Division GP38-2 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP38-2 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes: Reading & Northern (green and yellow), GATX Locomotive Group (blue and black), Providence & Worcester (brown and orange), Kansas City Southern (Southern Belle scheme), and New Hampshire Northcoast (green, black, and yellow). New […]

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Remembering the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad

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There is no mistaking Atlantic Coast Line boss Champ Davis’ favorite color — Royal Purple — as E6 No. 518 nears Cascade Road leaving greater Atlanta for Waycross, Ga., with local train 101 in Oct. 1958. David W. Salter The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was true to its name: it linked an important string of […]

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J. Parker Lamb–A Witness to Transition

Check out a FREE feature from our Winter 2000 issue: J. Parker Lamb-A Witness to Transition. Learn more about Parker’s outstanding photography and its place at the Center for Railroad Photography & Art in our Winter 2019 issue. Click here to download the pdf. […]

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Jack Varadi’s HO scale Greenville & Ohio

  Please enjoy this photo gallery of Jack Varadi’s HO scale Greenville & Ohio, firmly planted in Appalachia. Photographs of this 13.5 by 23-foot layout are by Bruce Gathman. A full article on this railroad appeared in the December 2019 issue of Model Railroader. […]

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Smoldering embers of a different age

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A passenger for the New Haven’s Owl checks in at the gate for track 21 in Grand Central Terminal. This photo, from March 1957 Trains magazine, was author Gwyer’s introduction to the train. Don Wood I was first introduced to the New Haven Railroad’s Owl by a photo in the March 1957 issue of Trains magazine. The picture, made […]

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Plans for a rural rail-served dairy

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Frequent Model Railroader contributor Brooks Stover built this small rail-served dairy for his S scale Buffalo Creek & Gauley model railroad. It’s based on a compact trackside industry found on the prototype. Learn more about the project in the December 2019 Model Railroader. You can also download a PDF of drawings of the structure, including […]

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Regional Rail to acquire Pinsly’s Florida railroads

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KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — Shortline holding company Regional Rail will expand its operations through acquisition of three Florida short lines currently owned by Pinsly Railroad Co. Regional Rail announced this morning (Oct. 29, 2019) that it had reached agreement to acquire the Florida Central, Florida Midland, and Florida Northern railroads, which operate a combined 208 […]

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Video: Atlas HO scale EMD GP7 diesel

Atlas HO scale EMD GP7 diesel

Watch as we put this HO scale Electro-Motive Division GP7 diesel locomotive to work on the Model Railroader staff layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. This Atlas Classic series locomotive is factory-equipped with an ESU LokSound Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder. Check out the realistic effects in this locomotive demo. […]

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