Alaska by Rail Day 8 — Seeking sunshine, sea lions

Blue-and-yellow freight locomotives in passenger service

Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail adventure. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. There was a beautiful sunrise in southern Alaska this morning — and we got to see it! Yes, after […]

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Take Amtrak to see a model railroad

A color photograph of the interior of a train station

If you’re like me and enjoy riding Amtrak, but also enjoy model railroading, you’ve likely asked yourself “can I take Amtrak to see a model railroad?” The answer is yes! Four model railroads call Amtrak stations their home Durand Union Station Model Railroad Engineers Inc. Durand Union Station 200 Railroad Street Durand, Mich. 48429   […]

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Kitbash a large-scale sand house

model sand house on garden railway

Wanting to expand the structures in my railway’s yard, I decided to build a sanding house and tower. I was inspired by the Tyco HO sand house and the large-scale Pola sand house.  As with most of my builds, I made it primarily from repurposed parts. I used a Pola Wells Fargo building and a […]

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Watercress

plant and rocks on garden railroad

Common name: Watercress Latin name: Nasturtium officinale, N. microphyllum Plant type: Water plant
Plant size: 4″ high and spreading rapidly USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10 Cultural needs: Moist soil or floating on water, sun or shade Watercress is a plant for many purposes in a garden railway. To quickly green up your pond, watercress, with its bright, […]

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Alaska by Rail tour Day 7 — Glaciers, ghosts, tunnels

A blue with yellow stripe diesel locomotive and short train next to a rain-soaked platform. Alaska by rail tour.

Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail adventure. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. This morning Anchorage experienced a sunrise as colorful as last evening’s sunset. The colors lasted for only a short […]

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Detroit commuter trains remembered

Steam locomotive with Detroit commuter trains under high-tension power lines

Detroit once had a robust passenger-train network that included two commuter routes that survived into the early 1980s. But when public funding of those trains ended, so did the Detroit commuter trains.     Grand Trunk Western began Detroit-Pontiac commuter service on Aug. 1, 1931. Steam locomotives pulled some of the three daily roundtrips until […]

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Alaska by Rail expedition Day 6 — An Alaskan sunset

Conductor next to blue and yellow diesel locomotive. Alaska by rail journey.

Welcome aboard the Trains–Special Interest Tours 2024 Alaska by Rail expedition. Please join us as we travel on the Alaska Railroad for 9 days from Sept. 8 to 17, heading south from Fairbanks to Anchorage, Alaska. Today we start with breaking Alaskan wilderness news! There has been a Denali sighting. The morning in Talkeetna began […]

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Railroading Heritage of Midwest America to host Tractors & Trains

Two steam locomotives in shop building

SILVIS, Ill. — Initially announced on Sept. 1, the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America’s (RRHMA) upcoming Tractors & Trains event, scheduled Oct. 18-19, now has a new layer of excitement brewing. A Sept. 13 announcement headlines plans for the non-profit organization to unveil its latest acquisition that’s touted as a rare piece of railroading history. […]

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