Where do the passenger cars in mixed trains go?

A steam-powered train stops at a small town station in the mountains

Q: Do the passenger cars in mixed trains go in front of the freight cars, or vice versa? — Stanley Lachac A: As is so often the case in questions about railroading, the answer is, it depends. As I wrote in my answer to Joe Mizell’s question in the February 2020 “Ask MR,” a mixed […]

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Celebrating “Flyer Fest”

vintage photo of train on track

Editor’s note: This manuscript was purchased in December 1990 for Model Railroader magazine. Over the years, it made its way around the office and finally landed in my hands last fall. Dave Ingles was a friend of mine, and with his passing and my becoming editor of CTT, it seemed fitting to finally share his […]

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Northernmost point on North American rail network to lose service

Map of northern Alberta and Northwest Territories

HAY RIVER, Northwest Territories — Canadian National Railway has begun the process of ending service to Hay River, which currently holds the distinction of being the northernmost point connected to the North American rail network. Cabin Radio reports the railroad filed in May to discontinue service on its Meander River Subdivision between mileposts 354 and […]

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Model Railroader Hall of Fame September nominees

The 90th anniversary logo of Model Railroader magazine

Over the course of the previous eight issues, the Model Railroader staff has advanced the names of 24 candidates whose contributions to the hobby warrant their inclusion in the Model Railroader Hall of Fame. These nominees have included writers, publishers, innovators, entrepreneurs, inventors, and more. But one word describes all of them: modelers. Each one […]

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DeLand, Fla., marks opening of SunRail station

Commuter train rounds curve with city skyline in background

DeLAND, Fla. — Ceremonies on Friday, Aug. 9, marked the opening of the DeLand SunRail station, the 17th station on the Orlando-area commuter rail line and the northern endpoint of a 12-mile extension that completes the system as originally envisioned. The West Volusia Beacon reports 300 or more people were on hand for the dedication […]

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Incoming Mexican government will need $4.4 billion to complete Maya Train, Interoceanic rail projects

Train passing through shower of confetti

XALAPA, Mexico — Mexico’s president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, said Thursday it will take an additional 83 billion pesos ($4.4 billion) to complete the Maya Train and Interoceanic rail projects begun under current President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Mexico News Daily reports that figure includes about 35 billion pesos ($1.86 billion) for infrastructure to make the Maya […]

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Illinois Railway Museum sets night steam photo shoot

Night photo of steam locomotive

UNION, Ill. — The Illinois Railway Museum will host a night photo shoot featuring Frisco No. 1630, its 1918 Baldwin 2-10-0, on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. The event begins at 5 p.m. Tickets are $100 and participation will be limited. No. 1630 will be staged at locations around the property with actors wearing period-appropriate attire. […]

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Lionel Base3 control system unboxing and reveal

man and woman behind counter looking inside of a box

Lionel has released their Base3 control system, and CTT unboxes and tests the product. Editor Rene Schweitzer and Contributing Editor Bob Keller offer some tips and tricks for operation, and demonstrate the Polar Express engine on the CT&T in-house layout. Read a review from Chris Montagna about the Base3. Learn more about this system at […]

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Chicago may ask Union Station to house Greyhound passengers

CHICAGO — The city of Chicago wants Chicago Union Station to provide waiting-room space for Greyhound bus passengers after the expected closure of the city’s Greyhound station in mid-September, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. But Amtrak — Union Station’s owner — says it hasn’t been contacted about any such plan and has reservations about the area’s […]

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