East Broad Top Reborn DVD | 16112 Get an insider look at one of the most intact steam railroads in America! From the publishers of Trains magazine, East Broad Top Reborn DVD follows the rebirth of Pennsylvania’s East Broad Top Railroad from the opening weekend in 2020 through the return of steam locomotive No. 16 for […]
Type of Train: Short line regionals
Olympia & Sand Creek, Episode 13 | Passenger car modifications
David returns to the task of pulling the painted parts and pieces together…all in manner that ensures the passenger car will operate as well as it looks. But before he puts a lid on this project, David also shows how to add the most important component – the paying passenger figures! Before he gets away, […]
BNSF Railway sets date for taking control of Montana Rail Link
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway aims to take over Montana Rail Link operations on Jan. 1, 2024. Federal regulators in March approved the early termination of Montana Rail Link’s lease of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Although the Surface Transportation Board’s green light meant that BNSF […]
The MTH Baldwin VO1000 is a sturdy O gauge switcher
The MTH Baldwin VO1000 switcher has arrived. This Premier line model was announced in mid-April 2022. It’s a solid locomotive for any size layout with wonderfully detailed features. It’s not uncommon for MTH to put smaller locomotives like the VO1000 in its scale RailKing lineup; however, for this run we get a purple box and […]
Arson likely in fire that damaged short line bridge in Washington state
MALONE, Wash. — Arson is now suspected in a fire that damaged a wood trestle on the Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad last weekend, KLFD Radio reports. The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a fire on the trestle on Saturday, June 3, near Malone, an unincorporated community about 20 miles east […]
Aberdeen Carolina & Western E-unit No. 103 | NODA Express
It’s May 25th, 2023, and a test run of the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railroad’s new NODA Express is heading toward Charlotte, North Carolina. The Aberdeen Carolina & Western is a 150-mile short line, which hosts recently acquired E9A, No. 103, an EMD passenger diesel that was originally built for the Union Pacific Railroad. Come along […]
How to operate steam locomotives on your modern layout
If you model the modern era like me, you may still have some equipment in your collection that doesn’t fit the era. Maybe you are a fan of one of the famous steam locomotives operating today, such as Nickel Plate Road No. 765 or Union Pacific’s Big Boy. Or maybe you have another steam engine […]
Nickel Plate Road No. 765 debuts for 2023
ANGOLA, Ind. — Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 debuted for its 2023 operating season during the Memorial Day weekend with one-hour Indiana Ice Cream Train rides out of Angola. The 1944-built 2-8-4 officially kicked off the second year of the Indiana Rail Experience, a program of events and excursions in partnership with the […]
Great American Steam Locomotives: Geared and Logging DVD Trailer
Great American Steam Locomotives: Geared and Logging DVD | 16128 Geared engines were some of the most unique steam locomotives ever built. They were designed to go into the woods, over very steep gradesand questionable track to bring logs or coal out to either a mill or an interchange with a mainline. Join Trains magazine in […]
New locomotive emission rules put California short lines in a bind: Analysis
Rob Himoto’s Santa Maria Valley Railroad is the quintessential short line success story. His family bought the struggling 13.72-mile independent short line in 2006. Through hard work, they’ve been able to quadruple annual carloadings, diversify the railroad’s traffic base, and improve its track. Himoto is understandably proud of the turnaround and the role the railroad […]
Short Line Safety Institute adds Risdon as manager, program support
WASHINGTON — Ryan Risdon will become manager, program support, at the Short Line Safety Institute, a new position supporting the institute’s safety culture and hazardous materials training programs. Risdon brings more than 25 years of experience in railroad safety administration, compliance, and emergency response management to the institute, an educational, training, and research center for […]
Great American Steam Locomotives: Articulateds DVD Trailer
Great American Steam Locomotives: Articulateds DVD | 16126 The Articulateds are the largest steam locomotives ever built. Starting as slow speed monsters hauling heavy trains over mountain ridges, they became a regular feature of many of the largest Class 1 railroads, handling everything from slow drag freights, to fast time freights, and even were able […]
