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We pick up where we left off in part one. Having recently completed the roadbed, track, and wiring on our East Troy Industrial Park project layout, we advance now to… Digital Command Control Digital Command Control (DCC) is the best way to power and operate a brand-new model railroad. The biggest advantage of DCC is […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern will provide a $20 million grant toward construction and operation of a first responder training center in East Palestine, the railroad said on Friday (Nov. 21). Plans for the training center were first announced in the wake of the February 2023 derailment in East Palestine, and a groundbreaking was […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Commercial Railway has joined the growing number of railroads with locomotives commemorating the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence in 2026, introducing B36-7 No. 76 in red, white, and blue paint on Thursday (Nov. 25). The locomotive was built by General Electric in 1985 for Seaboard System. Before coming to Minnesota […]
Laura (Schlabach) Jacobson, co-founder of the Jerry and Laura Jacobson Foundation, which established the Age of Steam Roundhouse Museum in Sugarcreek, Ohio, died on Nov. 18, 2025, the museum announced in a statement today. Jacobson remained on the museum’s board of directors until her death. She was active in the organization’s leadership, helping ensure a […]
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The CEOs of BNSF, CPKC, and Union Pacific are among speakers scheduled to take part in the annual Midwest Association of Rail Shippers Winter Meeting, set for Jan. 13-15 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel. Registration is available here, and is $395 through Dec. 12, $450 thereafter, and $500 at the […]
E7 diesel 1101 leads Chicago & Eastern Illinois’ southbound Meadowlark at 63rd Street station (“Little Englewood”), Chicago, in the late 1940s. The obscure orange-and-blue streamliner terminated at the unlikely location of Cyprus, Ill. (population 300). William N. Clark photo […]
Welcome back to the East Troy Industrial Park Project – This episode is a scenic smorgasbord! Starting with the final touches on the weathered HO scale (1:87.1) bridge, you’ll learn the technique for affixing Monroe Models pastel weathering. Then, see how to populate the farm scene with cast-off details, like rusty barrels and a truck, […]
CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority has announced the schedule for its 2025 CTA Holiday Fleet, a specially decorated L train and bus that roam the system beginning in late November. The Holiday Bus begins operation on Tuesday, Nov. 25; train operations begin Friday, Nov. 28. Both are sponsored by Allstate. This is the 34th […]
WASHINGTON — A Union Pacific locomotive’s horn and warning devices at a grade crossing provided little advance notice before a fatal collision at a grade crossing in Elgin, Ill., according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the Oct. 23, 2025, incident. The accident occurred about 6:30 a.m., when a locomotive running light […]
Join Cody Grivno for the latest Sidetrack Series departure, as he dives into the detail work on his HO scale (1:87.1) depot structure roof and chimney! See how he uses paints to create realistic shingle highlights and weathering streaks. Then learn a handy trick for filling the gap between plastic parts. Cody also shares the […]
CHICAGO — Metra’s board of directors has approved a $1.2 billion operating budget for fiscal 2026, eliminating the commuter rail operator’s previously planned fare increase as well as a planned $60 million transfer of operating funds to its capital program. The capital plan for 2026 is budgeted at $515.3 million. The transit bill passed by […]
CHICAGO — Metra has been awarded $19.3 million in its suit against Union Pacific over UP’s decision not to collect fares on Metra trains during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a news report. The suburban Daily Herald newspaper reports a Cook County, Ill., jury delivered the verdict on Wednesday. Metra spokesman Michael Gillis told the […]
