“F” stands for Front

A close-up image of the side of a yellow and black disel switch engine, showing the letter F stenciled on the frame

If you look closely at a diesel locomotive, you’ll see the letter “F” stenciled near the stairs. As obvious as it seems, the “F” stands for Front, and it’s required under the Railroad Locomotive Safety Standards section of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Title 49 CFR Part 229.11 reads, “The letter “F” shall be […]

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Atlas N scale GE B23-7

Title screen of product review video with N scale diesel locomotive on model railroad.

The Atlas N scale GE B23-7 is back in new paint schemes and road numbers. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the four-axle road unit and Conrail 1948; highlights the molded and factory-applied parts on the locomotive; and demonstrates the sound and light effects on the B23-7, […]

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Atlas N scale GE B23-7

Title screen of product review video with N scale diesel locomotive on model railroad.

The Atlas N scale GE B23-7 is back in new paint schemes and road numbers. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the four-axle road unit and Conrail 1948; highlights the molded and factory-applied parts on the locomotive; and demonstrates the sound and light effects on the B23-7, […]

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Built by Others: Dustin Whitten’s Norfolk & Western South Branch

A model railroad layout with lush green sceneery and an industrial line in the center of the image running from top left to bottom right

Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated products. The Virginian project layout first appeared in the pages of Model Railroader in January of 2012. Dustin Whitten’s Norfolk & Western South Branch layout took inspiration from this project […]

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Construction begins on Manly Junction Railroad Museum

Exterior illustration of station-like building

MANLY, Iowa — Construction has begun on the new Manly Junction Railroad Museum just north of the community of Manly. The $7 million museum, the brainchild of Iowa Northern Railway Chairman Dan Sabin, is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2025. The museum is designed to look like a railroad station and also […]

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News & Products for the week of November 18th 2024

A black and green model locomotive

News & Products for the week of November 18th 2024   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of November 18th […]

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General Electric’s U23B: Where are they now?

Two yellow locomotives leading freight train

General Electric’s U23B General Electric broke into the domestic road-switcher locomotive market over six decades ago with its U25B model in 1961. The U-series line would continue to evolve and grow, laying the foundation for the company’s ascent to becoming the No. 1 locomotive builder in North America in later decades. The U23B was essentially […]

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Illinois Terminal locomotives remembered

Diesel Illinois Terminal locomotives pull maroon passenger cars

  Illinois Terminal locomotives included steam, electric, and diesel over its existence.   The Illinois Terminal was an electric interurban line serving western Illinois down to the St. Louis area. In the mid-1950s the railroad abandoned its electric operations, moving to all-diesel operation — the last steam ran in 1950, and dieselization had begun with […]

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Caltrain equipment is bound for Peru

Diesel power commuter train under overhead wire

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Caltrain’s diesel-powered commuter rail trainsets will find a new life in Peru. The commuter rail operator announced that it has completed an agreement to send 19 locomotives and 90 gallery commuter cars to Lima, Peru, for some $6 million, a deal which also involved the U.S. State Department, Department of Commerce, […]

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Notable model train products from the early 1960s

Black, white, and blue vintage advertisement page with a large toy train diesel locomotive photo at the top, a white and black box of inset text and sales points, and a blue band at the bottom with black and white text and two gray illustrations of speeding trains heading in opposite directions.

One of my favorite things to do while eating lunch is to pull out an old volume of Model Railroader magazine and page through it. Lately, I’ve been working my way through the decade of the 1960s, often posting things I’ve rediscovered to MR’s Facebook page under the heading of “Lunchtime Reading.” Editor Linn Westcott […]

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