Having to disassemble a train layout is always frustrating, thinking about the time and effort I put into building it. But alas, many model railroads eventually run their course, and the space is needed for other uses. In my 40s, I began thinking about a layout that could be preserved yet be flexible enough to […]
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota’s Northstar commuter rail line, launched in 2009 with service between Minneapolis and Big Lake, Minn., made its final run Sunday (Jan. 4), with a special-event round trip to the Minnesota Vikings’ season-ending home game against Green Bay. The Metro Transit service was ultimately done in by low ridership along a shorter route […]
VOORHEESVILLE, N.Y. — The village of Voorheesville has dropped the remainder of its lawsuit against Norfolk Southern after a court ruling in December that allowed the railroad to proceed with construction of a crew-change facility. The Altamont Enterprise reports the attorney for the village informed Judge Paul Evangelista in a Dec. 30 letter that Voorheesville […]
HAMMOND, Ind. — Sometime in early 2026, passengers will be able to ride the Northern Indiana Commuter Transit District’s West Lake Extension, now designated by NICTD as the South Shore Line’s Monon Corridor. The 8-mile electrified, single-track route has been constructed mostly on former rail right-of-way that hosted trains of the Monon and later CSX. […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern today defended their merger application as complete. UP said the Surface Transportation Board should reject the efforts, primarily by “competitors who will experience increased competition as a result of the merger,” to delay and prolong the merger process. BNSF, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian National, and CSX all […]
At the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Aiden Drohr wears multiple hats. He serves as an exhibit tour guide and an operator of the 2-foot gauge railroad. The 42-acre facility also hosts the 21-year-old’s internship as he pursues his academics in history and museum studies. How did you get involved in rail preservation? […]
2025 marked another great year for new releases in model railroading. Whatever your scale or discipline in the hobby, odds are good that there was a new release that caught your eye and had you reaching for your wallet. As we look forward to 2026, Eric White, Cody Grivno, Lucas Iverson, and David Popp take […]
NORWOOD, Ohio — Genesee & Wyoming has marked the arrival of the semiquincentennial year of U.S. independence with the latest addition to its growing fleet of 250th anniversary locomotives. Indiana & Ohio Railway C44-9W No. 4445 joins earlier commemorative locomotives at the Arizona Eastern [see “News photo: Genesee & Wyoming’s latest …,” Trains.com], as well […]
The United States celebrates its semiquincentennial anniversary (250 years) in July 2026! Manufacturers have started announcing motive power for this notable event. The following is a list of what’s been announced; I will update this article as I receive more announcements. If you know of a locomotive not on this list, including S gauge engines, […]
KINGSTON, N.Y. — The cause is under investigation after an out-of-service locomotive of the Catskill Mountain Railroad caught fire early New Year’s Day. A fire involving Alco RS1 No. 400 was reported about 3 a.m.; the Kingston Fire Department said it took about two hours to bring the incident under control. No injuries resulted. The […]
OAXACA, Mexico — A 73-year-old woman died Thursday (Jan. 1) from injuries suffered in Sunday’s derailment of the Interoceanic Train, the Mexican Navy announced, raising the accident’s death toll to 14. The Dec. 28 derailment on the trans-isthmus service between Salina Cruz and Coatzacoalcos saw one locomotive and four cars of the northbound train derail, […]
NORTH BAY, Ontario — In another step toward restoration of Northlander passenger service, Ontario Northland has released a proposed timetable for the train, expected to resume this year. The timetable released in December calls for 10 hour, 40-minute service on the approximately 740-kilometer (460-mile) route between Toronto and Timmins, Ont. The trains will serve 13 […]
