The year was 1933, and the Great Depression was in full swing. Lionel was touting the new “Chugger” sound mechanism in its locomotives and still cataloging the landmark Nos. 396E Blue Comet and 411E State passenger sets. On the back page of the consumer catalog, Lionel introduced something new and unlike anything it had offered […]
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Only minor issues reported as DC Metrorail automation returns
WASHINGTON — The first day of automated operation on DC Metrorail’s Red Line went well, a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority representative told local news media. Sunday, Dec. 15, was the first day for use of Automatic Train Operation on any part of the system since it was disabled following a fatal 2009 collision [see […]
Midwest Mod-U-Track display in HO scale
Midwest Mod-U-Track display in HO scale | Gerry Leone, Trains.com Contributor, continued making the rounds of layouts on display at Trainfest 2024 event in Milwaukee, Wis. At this stop, he visited with Bob Kosic to take a closer look at the HO scale (1:87.1) Midwest Mod-U-Trak display presented by Chicagoland modelers. Bob shared plenty of […]
Mexican president opens final segment of Maya Train
CHETUMAL, Mexico — Saying that “only in Mexico can you build a train of more than 1,500 kilometers … in just four years,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Saturday and Sunday marked the opening of the final section of the Maya Train project on the Yucatan Peninsula, as well as the first anniversary of the […]
What S&P’s energy outlook for 2025 could mean for railroads: Analysis
NEW YORK — Energy demand is growing faster than clean energy’s ability to fulfill it. Data centers and artificial intelligence are exacerbating the issue. New liquified natural gas (LNG) exports from the U.S. could boost prices for domestic natural gas, possibly making coal more competitive for electricity generation. All of this and more has been […]
Comment period on Del Mar tunnel project shows continued opposition
DEL MAR, Calif. — Officials and residents of the San Diego County communities of Del Mar and Solana Beach continue to object to plans to relocate the Surf Line rail route along the Pacific Coast in their communities, a $4 billion proposal that would involve tunneling under the communities to move the tracks off the […]
BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt assist in Wreaths Across America, remembering fallen veterans
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — To honor fallen veterans during the holidays, a number of companies regularly partner with Wreaths Across America to deliver wreaths for placement on headstones. Among them are BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt Transport Services. Wreaths Across America has a mission to “Remember, Honor, and Teach,” and every year since 2007 the […]
News photo: Viewliner sleeper returns in new paint scheme
Amtrak has returned one of its stored Viewliner I sleeping cars to service — and introduced a new passenger-car variant of the Phase VII locomotive paint scheme at the same time. Sleeper No. 62032, the Iroquois River, was caught by photographer Nathan Richters on the southbound Floridian at Fredericksburg, Va., on Saturday, Dec. 14. The […]
Automatic Train Operation returns to DC Metrorail
WASHINGTON — Automated train service returns today (Sunday, Dec. 15) on one DC Metrorail line, the first time in 15 years the Automatic Train Operation system will be used on any portion of the six-line, 129-mile system. Initially, the ATO system will be used only on the Red Line, the roughly U-shaped route between the […]
Port Authority approves fare discount for PATH riders with disabilities
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Port Authority Trans-Hudson rail passengers with disabilities will receive a 50% fare discount beginning in 2025, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey board of commissioners has decided. The board on Dec. 12 approved the program, which had been proposed in November by the governors of the two states […]
ChatGPT use cases for the model railroader
Whether we like it or not, AI isn’t going away. The adoption of this technology across all major tech companies and many industries has cemented its place in our contemporary culture, at least for the time being. We as modelers may as well make our peace with it, and learn how to make it work […]
Reminiscing on five prolific narrow gauge railroads in Colorado
The silver and gold bonanza of the late 19th Century led to a boom in narrow gauge railroad startups across Colorado. But out of the plethora that’ve come and gone, which left an impact in the Centennial State and sparked our enthusiasm to visit what’s left today? Let’s find out by reminiscing about five prolific […]
