ScaleTrains HO Thrall 86-foot high-cube boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $55.95 Era: 1964 to 2010s Manufacturer: ScaleTrains.com Inc., 4901 Old Tasso Rd. NE, Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com ScaleTrains HO Thrall 86-foot high-cube boxcar features: 33” machined metal wheelsets All-new model Body-mounted die-cast metal semi-scale standard Type E couplers Double 10-foot plug doors with […]
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DC Metrorail gets go-ahead for expanded use of train automation
WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail has received the go-ahead to expand its use of Automatic Train Operation to its Green and Yellow lines as of this Friday, May 23. The independent Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, which previously had expressed concern about station overruns with ATO on the Metrorail Red Line, has concurred with the plan, the […]
What cliff? J.B. Hunt and Eastern and Canadian railways see steady intermodal volume
NEW YORK – The reduction in U.S.-bound shipments from China after steep tariffs were imposed in April has yet to show up in J.B. Hunt’s intermodal volumes. “Our volumes have been steady,” J.B. Hunt Intermodal President Darren Field told an investor conference on Tuesday. Importers rushed to beat tariff deadlines earlier this year, then paused […]
Trains.com Insider Interview | Rapido Trains Inc CEO Jason Shron Tariff Update
Trains.com Insider Interview | Jason Shron, Founder and CEO of Rapido Trains Inc., joins Director David Popp in a follow-up to his “Tariff Talk” interview, posted exclusively on Trains.com in March 2025. From the Rapido Trains UK office, Jason shares updates on how the company continues to navigate the fluctuating tariffs, including breathtaking revelations how […]
A look back: prewar American Flyer stations
The Winter 1989 issue featured an 8 page (!) article on prewar American Flyer stations (96, 104, and 237). This comprehensive article included variation charts for each of the versions, photos of the different bases, catalog art, and more. It’s a great reminder that CTT has been the authority for toy train history for more […]
MxV Rail ramps up its laboratory testing capabilities
PUEBLO, Colo. — MxV Rail is expanding its laboratory capabilities for rail component testing. The facility now has new machines and test capabilities available, with more laboratory test services rolling out soon, in order to promote safety advancements in the rail industry, MxV Rail said today. New capabilities include a bearing rig tester with a […]
Railroad executives question whether a transcontinental merger could clear regulatory hurdles
NEW YORK – Executives from Canadian National, CPKC, CSX, and Norfolk Southern poured cold water on talk about potential Class I railroad mergers during an investment conference this week. Mergers have become a hot topic in some railroad boardrooms in recent months amid stagnant rail volume, revenue, and stock prices. Some see a U.S. transcontinental […]
Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Chicago & North Western through rural Iowa
The quiet of rural Iowa is temporarily interrupted by the roar of a passing train. Here, a Chicago & North Western GP50 and two St. Louis Southwestern SD45s hustle a unit grain train across an HO scale module constructed by Bill Larsen for the Midwest Mod-U-Trak Club. Matt Kosic of Orland Park, Ill., took the […]
Amtrak’s Borealis marks first anniversary, sparking dramatic boost to Chicago-St. Paul ridership
CHICAGO — Amtrak says ridership on the St. Paul-Chicago route is up 227% since the introduction of the Borealis, which made its debut one year ago today, on May 21, 2024. Preliminary figures through the first 11 months of service show more than 205,800 riders on the Borealis, funded by the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, […]
Arizona community opposed to BNSF project considers cityhood
WITTMANN, Ariz. — Residents of the unincorporated community of Wittmann are considering cityhood, in part as a response to BNSF’s plans for a $3.2 billion logistics center in the area. The Arizona Republic reports an incorporation drive is under way as a method of giving the area, about 35 miles northwest of Phoenix, more control […]
Delaware governor seeks to preserve SEPTA rail service into state
DOVER, Del. — Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer is calling for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to continue service on a commuter rail line that reaches into the state, pledging to help find a method to keep the trains running. The Delaware News Journal reports that Meyer, a Democrat who took office this year, wrote the […]
Train-watching basics
Train-watching basics: Among the ways in which people participate in the railroad hobby, the simple act of watching trains is the most popular. Some railfans thrill to the power of thousands of tons of steel rushing by. Others watch for new locomotive types, or old classics running out their last miles. Many focus on […]
