CHICAGO – The first two of Metra’s 21 former Amtrak F59PHI locomotives have entered service this week. The units, which sport modified Pacific Surfliner paint, were spotted on the Metra-owned Milwaukee District North line leading train No. 2119 for Grayslake. Other recently acquired units will featured modified Amtrak Cascades paint, but those have not yet […]
Type of Train: Diesel Locomotives
Siemens to supply 75 new Tier 4 locomotives to Amtrak NEWSWIRE
A rendering of a new Siemens Charger locomotive ordered by Amtrak. The passenger railroad will receive 75 of the engines. Siemens Mobility WASHINGTON – With demand for Amtrak service at record levels, Amtrak will acquire new mainline passenger diesel locomotives from Siemens Mobility to replace its aging National Network locomotive fleet. These initial 75 locomotives […]
New model trains for the week of December 27, 2018
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP38-2 and GP38-2W diesel locomotive. GP38-2: Canadian Pacific (Action Red with Multimark herald in three road numbers, maroon-and-gray with script lettering in one number), Southern Pacific (scarlet-and-gray scheme with Roman lettering in four numbers, speed lettering in one number), and Southern Ry. (high short hood with paper or oil bath […]
Trucker with Monon 50 on board says pilot car took a wrong turn NEWSWIRE
Monon No. 50 after striking a bridge in Indiana. Don Nickel LOGANSPORT, Ind. — The trucker who was driving when Monon SW1 No. 50 struck a bridge says a misrouting and a pilot car that failed to call him when its over height pole contacted the bridge led to the incident last week that sheared […]
World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour kicks off soon!
On January 5th, the World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour kicks off its 2019 season. The show will visit 4 cities as follows: • January 5-6, 2019 – Schaumburg, IL – Schaumburg Convention Center • January 12-13, 2019 – Oaks, PA – Greater Philadelphia Expo Center • February 9-10, 2019 – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid-America […]
Brazilian group restores C30-7A in time for holiday train NEWSWIRE
A Brazilian heritage rail group saved and restored a C30-7A locomotive in time for holiday train duty in the South American country. Bruno Sanches ARARAQUARA, São Paulo, Brazil — A Brazilian preservation group that saved the country’s only surviving C30-7A locomotive made quick work of its restoration and is now taking it on a tour […]
Covered wagons center on Indiana for Christmas NEWSWIRE
The Polar Bear Express, using leased Iowa Pacific Holdings Co. equipment, departs North-bound from Kokomo, Ind., on Sunday, Dec. 16. Steve Smedley KOKOMO, Ind. — If you need a Christmas-time covered wagon fix, central Indiana is the place to go. Two holiday passenger operations there are featuring classic Electro-Motive Division cab units as power. The […]
CSX Transportation to further increase use of distributed power NEWSWIRE
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Distributed power will become an even more common sight on CSX Transportation tracks in 2019. The railroad, which has introduced distributed power in intermodal service over the past four months, aims to double its use of distributed power over the next year, says Jamie Boychuk, senior vice president of network operations. “We’re […]
UP confirms George H.W. Bush ‘4141’ unit to tour system NEWSWIRE
Nos. 4141 and 1943 on display at Proviso Yard near Chicago on Saturday. Lou Gerard OMAHA, Neb. – The locomotive that pulled the funeral train for former President George H.W. Bush will tour the Union Pacific system in the coming months. The SD70ACe, carrying a special paint scheme modeled after Air Force One and numbered […]
New model trains for the week of December 20, 2018
HO scale locomotives General Electric Dash 9-44CW. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (red-and-silver warbonnet, three road numbers); BC Rail (red, white, and blue and solid blue schemes, two numbers each); BNSF Ry. (Heritage II scheme, three numbers); CSX (yellow, blue, and gray scheme, three numbers); Norfolk Southern (red-and-gray scheme, one number); and Union Pacific (as-delivered […]
Monon’s first diesel decapitated in trucking accident
LOGANSPORT, Ind. — The cab of Monon’s first diesel, operational SW1 No. 50, was sheared off in a trucking accident Thursday night less than two miles from where the 76-year-old unit was to be offloaded at the relocated Indiana Transportation Museum. The truck moving the privately-owned unit from Noblesville, Ind., to the museum’s new home […]
Athearn HO scale SD70ACe with Tsunami2
Athearn HO scale SD70ACe with Tsunami2 A skew-wound motor with brass flywheels is secured to the center of the die-cast metal frame. Plastic driveshafts power all 12 wheels, which also pick up current. In 1943, employees of the Union Pacific RR agreed to an extra deduction in their paychecks to buy War Bonds during World […]
