News photos: CSX Santa Train makes annual trip

Train with four locomotives on long trestle

For the 82nd year, CSX’s Santa Train made its journey over the former Clinchfield Railroad on Saturday, Nov. 23, traveling from Shelby, Ky., to Kingsport, Tenn., in an approximately 9-hour, 110-mile trip featuring a dozen intermediate stops in which Santa Claus and volunteers distributed gifts to those visiting the train at trackside. The train, operating […]

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Train-A-Palooza event keeps growing

group of people outdoors

Traditionally, the hobby we all know and love was typically sequestered to our basements, spare bedrooms, or the occasional pole barn. Publications like Classic Toy Trains began to bring those of us in the hobby together, allowing us to see layouts and collections from all over the country. While CTT continues to be a staple […]

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Build a small portable module

small layout module on tabletop

Perhaps you don’t have the space to build a layout but still want to build “something.” Maybe your layout is already built but you’re looking to renovate a scene or section. Or there might be a show coming up and you want to highlight a scene or show off an animated feature. The solution to […]

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‘Cameron Christmas Train’ to visit Ohio, Indiana, Michigan

Logo of Cameron Christmas Train

ANGOLA, Ind. — A three-day holiday train operation in northeast Indiana, southeastern Michigan, and western Ohio has been announced for next Monday through Wednesday. The Cameron Christmas Train, sponsored by Cameron Hospital, will be operated by the Indiana Northeastern Railroad, Little River Railroad, and Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society Nov. 18-20. “As the region’s healthcare […]

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Amtrak Borealis routes into the Upper Midwest

Amtrak Borealis Trains.com staffer Ben Lake, narrates his rides aboard Amtrak’s newest Midwest region trains, the #1333 (westbound) and #1340 (eastbound) Borealis! Since operations began in May 2024, the Borealis trains now provide a second daily connection between Downtown Chicago, Ill. (CHI), Milwaukee, Wis. (MKE), and St. Paul-Minneapolis, Minn. (MSP)…and have already surpassed the 100,000 […]

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Capturing reality in garden railway photographs

a figure of a child walks on the rails next to a boxcar on garden railway

Many of us started our love affair with model trains after getting Lionel or American Flyer items, perhaps to circle a Christmas tree. We might have gotten a toy plastic or metal station with people printed on the sides and some fake evergreen trees. It was all the excitement and the reality we needed. I […]

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10 must-see Colorado railroad attractions

A narrow gauge tank type steam locomotive in an earthen cut.

1. Take the train from Cripple Creek Our list of 10 must-see Colorado railroad attractions starts with a trip back in time. Railroads arrived in the mining town of Cripple Creek in 1893, and today the best way to see the “World’s Greatest Gold Camp” is aboard Colorado’s only 2-foot narrow-gauge steam railroad, the Cripple […]

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