WASHINGTON — Almost a decade after Amtrak cancelled “National Train Day,” an outreach promotion launched in 2008 designed to familiarize potential customers with where its passenger trains go, organizations around the U.S. continue to use May 10 as a tentpole around which to generate interest. The date commemorates completion of the first transcontinental railroad at […]
DENVER — The state of Colorado and Union Pacific on Monday signed an agreement extending the railroad’s lease of Moffat Tunnel for 25 years, a deal that also allows for expanded passenger service on the route through the Rockies as soon as 2026. The 99-year lease on the state-owned tunnel signed was scheduled to expire […]
Atlas Trainman HO two-bay hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $26.95; three-pack, $80.85 Era: 1930s to 1970s Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas Trainman HO two-bay hopper features: Blackened metal wheels on plastic axles Body-mounted Accumate couplers Factory-applied brake wheel, chassis, and slope sheet covers Freestanding […]
WASHINGTON — Star America Infrastructure Fund GP II and Star America Rail Holdco have taken a controlling interest in Cathcart Rail, the Ohio-based company that operates a trio of short lines and is the largest independent operator of freight car repair shops in the U.S. Cathcart’s short lines include the 5-mile Bucyrus Industrial Railroad in […]
News & Products for the week of May 5th 2025 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 May 5th, […]
WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Patrick Fuchs has updated status of several long-running board proceedings as part of his effort to expedite their resolution. “The agency continues to make significant progress concluding outstanding proceedings to resolve disputes, facilitate efficient market entry and exit, and ensure a sound national supply chain,” Fuchs said in a […]
A hobby industry campaign calls for targeted tariff relief to “protect American small businesses, STEM education, and community-based creative industries.” The Hobby Industry Coalition represents a wide spectrum of the American hobby and toy industry, including model railroading, among others. Per the Hobby Industry Coalition, the industry supports over 600,000 U.S. jobs and includes thousands […]
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Paul Duncan is joining Cando Rail & Terminals as its new chief operating officer, the company has announced. Duncan, most recently chief operating officer at Norfolk Southern, has more than 22 years with Class I railroads. Prior to joining NS in 2022, he spent more than 19 years in roles of increasing […]
Seattle & North Coast GP7 no. 717, still in the colors of its previous owner, leads a string of recently painted ore cars past the mine at Marmot. The scene is on the Boeing Employees’ Model Railroad Club HO scale layout in Kent, Wash. Timothy Repp of Renton, Wash., took the photo. Introducing Model Railroader‘s […]
MTH has sold a “Bump-N-Go” trolley for many years, but I could not find evidence that CTT ever reviewed one. This version (No. 30-5249) was a custom-run for Dixie Union Station, as part of the RailKing line. The blue and yellow paint is well done. The Skyline Chili logo is on the lower center side […]
MEXICO CITY — Grupo Mexico’s transportation division — which includes Ferromex, Ferrosur, Florida East Coast Railway, and Texas Pacifico — reported sharply lower first-quarter revenue and profits as a plunge in automotive and minerals traffic drove an overall volume decline. For the quarter, GMXT’s operating income declined 18.5%, to $225 million, as revenue declined 12.1%, […]
For model railroaders choosing a separately applied roadbed for laying track, two popular options dominate: cork and foam. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as impacting factors such as ease of installation, durability, and realism. Let’s dive into the details and help you make an informed decision on cork vs. foam roadbeds. […]
