Dubuque depot In 1916, the Illinois Central’s Dubuque, Iowa, freight house had three tracks, including one that passed through the building. Photo by Illinois Central […]
Dubuque depot
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Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range: Passenger trains
All through April 2021, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history and heritage of the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railroad. This week, we offer a photo gallery of the Missabe’s passenger trains selected from Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library files. Only from Classic Trains. […]
Digest: Amtrak service in Vermont to resume July 19
Vermont agency announces July 19 return for Amtrak service Amtrak service in Vermont will resume July 19, the state Agency of Transportation has announced. Intercity bus service will also resume on that date. “We are very pleased to announce the restart of these vital transportation services for Vermonters and those who wish to travel to […]
Intermodal gains help Class I traffic in first quarter
All of the big six Class I railroads notched volume gains in the first quarter as robust intermodal growth overcame slight declines in carload volume. Intermodal volume is on a tear as retailers aim to keep store shelves and online order fulfillment centers full due to consumers spending more on goods than services during the […]
The story behind developing smoke for toy-train locomotives
The evolution of miniature locomotives has been long and steady for more than a century. The beginning, of course, involved using electricity to enable them to move without being touched. Next came the introduction of functioning lights to models of steam and electric engines as well as to trolley and motorized units. Everything that had […]
Gregory Wiggins’ HO scale Bellows Falls Subdivision background images
Download this image to use as a background on your computer screen A Rutland freight led by Alco RS-3 no. 207 crosses over the Otter Creek Bridge on its way to Rutland while below a Delaware & Hudson crew picks up cars dropped off on the Clarendon & Pittsford RR interchange. Gregory Wiggins of […]
Designing a yard ladder
Sketching with Steve How you arrange the turnouts in your yards may be dictated by the prototype yard you might be modeling and at least in part by the shape of the benchwork at that location. But if you’re designing a yard that isn’t constrained by those factors – say, a staging yard on a […]
March statistics show rail traffic has ‘rebounded’ from pandemic slump, AAR says
WASHINGTON — While comparisons with 2020 are skewed because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Association of American Railroad statistics for March 2021 show that “rail traffic has clearly rebounded from last year’s depths,” an AAR official says. U.S. numbers for March 2021 show carloads up 4.1% and intermodal trailer and containers up 24% […]
Digest: RTD ready to revive planning for Boulder-Longmont commuter rail line
Denver RTD ready to revive planning for Boulder-Longmont commuter line The Denver-area Regional Transportation District is likely to restart planning on a commuter rail line to Boulder and Longmont, seeking to capitalize on funding that may become available from President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan. Colorado Public Radio reports the RTD board indicated at a meeting […]
News photo: Acela testing on North end of Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor testing for Amtrak’s new Acela trainsets continues, with the second of the new trains set for about two weeks of testing on the North end of the corridor, including operation at speeds up to 165 mph on high speed trackage in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.It will also spend time in Boston for maintenance […]
The Hole Yard
The Hole Yard Here’s how the Missouri Pacific’s Hole Yard lead at North Little Rock, Ark., looked in March 1921. The Fort Smith crossing is in the foreground, with the yard office at right and shops and roundhouses in the distance. Photo by Missouri Pacific […]
Construction on Brightline’s Orlando extension now 50% complete
MIAMI — As part of preparation for its extension to Orlando, Brightline has completed a second highway grade separation for its 125-mph right-of-way east of the Orlando Airport utilizing the box-jacking process, where pre-cast concrete boxes are pushed under a road to reduce extended auto traffic disruptions and construction costs. Brightline trains have not operated […]
