Trains’ Top 10 railroad stories of 2014 NEWSWIRE

Once known for mainline steam excursions, the NRHS has struggled to find relevance in the Internet age. David Honan 10. The once-mighty National Railway Historical Society appears to be running out of steam. A hotly contested election and a failed reorganization plan brought attention to the venerable organization, but in the end the status quo […]

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Hazardous materials to return to Lac-Mégantic’s rails NEWSWIRE

LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec – Fifteen months after an oil train derailed and exploded in the heart of Lac-Mégantic, city officials have come to an agreement with the Central Maine & Quebec Railway to allow hazardous materials through the community by rail. The new agreement, passed unanimously by the city council earlier this week, puts various restrictions […]

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Atlas N scale Electo-Motive Division SD60 diesel locomotive

Atlas N scale EMD SD60 diesel locomotive A popular modern-day Electro-­Motive Division workhorse is being offered in new paint schemes by Atlas. The 6-axle, 3,800-hp SD60 was the replacement for EMD’s aging SD40 and less than successful SD50. ­Atlas’ version is an accurately scaled, finely molded, and crisply painted N scale model. History. In the […]

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MTH O gauge TRAXX F14 Electric

Let’s face it. Electrified mainline railway operations in the United States have been small potatoes on the world scene. Sure, the Pennsylvania, New Haven, and Virginian lines were neat and functional, but the rest of the globe embraced electric traction far more extensively than did the United States. Innovation in the realm of electrics belongs […]

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New products for March 15, 2012

Bachmann HO scale Alco S-4 diesel locomotive HO scale locomotives Alco S-4 diesel locomotive. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (zebra stripe paint scheme); Erie RR; New York Central (Pittsburgh & Lake Erie reporting marks); Southern Pacific; Union Pacific (“Dependable Transportation” slogan); Western Maryland (speed lettering). Directional headlights; die-cast metal chassis, fuel tank, gear tower, and […]

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Micro-Trains N scale heavyweight coach

Micro-Trains N scale heavyweight coach A paired-window steel coach built in the 1930s is the latest Pullman heavyweight car modeled in N scale by Micro-Trains Line Co. Though less glamorous than Pullman’s many types of sleeper cars, 78-foot coaches like these were common on railroads across the country in the steam era. A heavyweight champ. […]

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Hardiness Zones for mapping plant survivability

Hardiness Zones are the answer to the question, “Where can I grow this plant?” If you’re planting strictly native plants, you won’t need to worry. On the other hand, your nursery plants were originally plucked from all over the world and then researchers tried to grow them in every imaginable climate. The USDA (US Department […]

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Atlas HO scale 73-foot center-beam bulkhead flatcar

Atlas HO scale 73-foot center-beam bulkhead flatcar Price: $46.95 (undecorated, $39.95) ManufacturerAtlas Model Railroad Co.378 Florence Ave.Hillside, NJ 07205www.atlasrr.com Era: 1986 to present Comments: A center-beam bulkhead flatcar based on a Gunderson prototype is now available from Atlas. The full-size flatcar, designed for carrying building products, was introduced in 1986 and is still in production […]

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Rapido Trains Inc. HO scale Wide-cupola caboose

Rapido Trains Inc. HO scale Wide-cupola caboose A superb model of CP Rail’s all-steel wide-cupola caboose is the first freight train car produced by Rapido Trains. It’s an all-plastic model that comes ready-to-run with interior lighting and marker lights that function on direct current and Digital Command Control layouts. The prototype. Nearly 500 similar steel […]

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Railroad bottlenecks in 2035

What will railroading look like 27 years from now? Will yards be jammed, main lines clogged, and trains backed up from terminals for 30 miles or more? Or will routes be fluid, with freights roaring by every 8 to 10 minutes on main lines three, four, and even six tracks wide? Either future could happen, […]

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Micro-Trains’ Z scale EMD SD40-2 diesel locomotive

Micro-Trains’ Z scale EMD SD40-2 diesel locomotive This SD40-2 from Micro-Trains Line Co. has an impressive amount of accurate detail, especially considering that it’s a 1:220-proportion model. This diminutive diesel also has one of the quietest, smoothest running mechanisms of any locomotive that I’ve encountered in any scale. Prototype. General Motors Electro-Motive Division built the […]

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