Japanese railway considers bullet-train freight service

White high speed train in Japan

TOKYO — Japanese rail operator JR East is considering adding add freight cars to its Shinkansen trains, and may develop entire freight bullet trains, the Japan News reports. A host of issues remain before the launch of freight-only trains, however, among them facilities to handle the cargo and track space on some lines. But the […]

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Model railroads with multiple eras

A black model streamline locomotive on a model railroad layout

We’ve all been there before. Seated at the drafting desk, or perhaps the workbench, depending on how your layout room or workshop is set up, notebook open, pen in hand, writing out a list of desired traits for your soon-to-begin model railroad, maybe sketching possible track plans in the margins. A tale as old as […]

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Railroad names for a baby

A little boy in front of a Christmas tree holding a book about trains upside down

Okay let me be the first to say, I am childless. However when a friend of mine told me that he and his wife were expecting, I immediately started to wonder what they would name the child. The next day I brought up the idea to a colleague and said that I thought Norfolk would […]

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Classic Toy Trains new products for December 2024

red and white model boxcar

Locomotives & rolling stock MTH, 739 Washington Blvd., Ste. 101, Elkridge, MD 21075, has FM Erie-built Diesel Locomotives as part of the Premier line. Engines will operate on O-42 curves, feature Proto-Sound 3.0, and will be available in six paint schemes (20-21852 shown). The engines will be sold as unpowered A units or as an […]

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Baltimore & Ohio toy train display

Toy steam and streamlined passenger trains on multiple levels of Baltimore & Ohio toy train display

  Years ago, it was not unknown for railroads to promote themselves via railroad models. This actually began in the toy train sphere of model railroading. Scale model railroading as a hobby emerged from toy trains, which began to come to prominence in the early 20th century. As evidence, I’ll cite the fact that Al […]

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Burlington Route history remembered

Steam locomotives of Burlington Route history with train of coal

Burlington Route history begins with the Aurora Branch Railroad, chartered on Feb. 12, 1849, to build a line from Aurora, Ill., to a connection with the Galena & Chicago Union (forerunner of the Chicago & North Western) at Turner Junction (West Chicago). Service began with G&CU’s first locomotive, the Pioneer.   In 1852 the road […]

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Canada’s Unifor to vote on strike against CPKC

Logo of Canadian union Unifor

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian union Unifor will vote on a potential strike against CPKC, saying negotiations with the railroad have reached an impasse. The union’s 101R, which represents approximately 1,200 CPKC employees nationwide in mechanical trades, said in a Friday, Nov. 29, announcement that it would hold the strike vote “in the coming weeks.” The […]

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Pere Marquette No. 1225 sidelined from North Pole Express excursions

Steam locomotive rounding curve on a sunny day.

OWOSSO, Mich. — The Steam Railroading Institute’s Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 has been sidelined for the remainder of the organization’s North Pole Express excursion season, the organization has announced. The Lansing State Journal reports that the locomotive, built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1941, is not being run on the holiday excursions as […]

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Canadian government to help fund new Toronto subway cars

Logo of the Toronto Transit Commission

TORONTO — The Toronto Transit Commission will receive almost Ca$1.2 billion in federal funding, with more than half ticketed for 55 new subway cars, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announced on Friday, Nov. 29. Some $758 million of the federal funds, to be provided over the next decade from the […]

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