MBTA completes Orange Line work, removing 10 more speed restrictions

Maintenance workers in subway tunnel

BOSTON — The latest Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service shutdown for track maintenance work led to removal of 10 speed restrictions on the rapid-transit Orange Line, the agency says. Service was suspended between the Wellington and Back Bay stations from May 28 through June 6. During that period, nine slow orders were addressed in the […]

Read More…

Canadian National tests DC-to-AC rebuild in ore service

red and black train on track with trees behind it

DC-to-AC rebuild During the middle of May, Canadian National tested its first modified DC-to-AC rebuild on an ore train in northern Minnesota. This is the first step to replacing a fleet of older General Electric locomotives that were built over three decades ago and currently handle the majority of the region’s ore. Canadian National’s Minnesota […]

Read More…

Two passengers injured when South Shore train hits truck

South Shore Line logo

GARY, Ind. — Two passengers were injured when a Chicago-bound South Shore Line commuter train hit a dump truck reportedly stalled on the tracks in Gary this morning (Monday, June 10), the Chicago Tribune reports. The collision occurred about 7:45 a.m. at the Rutledge Street crossing, west of the Gary Metro station. The driver of […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of June 10th 2024

A model locomotive in a red paint scheme

News & Products for the week of June 10th 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 June 10th 2024. […]

Read More…

From the Cab: One for the ages

weathered locomotive on track

My first regular assignment as a brakeman on the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1977 was one that no one else wanted. In accordance with my union’s working agreement, when a job could not be filled voluntarily, the most junior employee was “forced” to work it. The morning after being notified by the crew clerk, […]

Read More…

House subcommittee schedules hearing on California locomotive rule

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — A subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has scheduled a hearing this Thursday on California regulations that would require zero-emissions locomotives in the state beginning in 2030. The focus of the hearing by the Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee is clear from its title: “Environmentalism Off the Rails: […]

Read More…

Scratchbuild a pickle car

model pickle car on garden railway

Pickle cars have a unique look, and they served a unique purpose. Cucumbers brined onboard in vats as they traveled from farm field to processing plant. I thought a pickle car would look at home on my layout. My version is loosely based on period photos; it’s not a scale model of a specific car. […]

Read More…

Installing figures in Lionel’s 21″ passenger cars

Scaled figure being placed onto plastic molded seat with tweezers

Lionel Trains’ 21″ passenger cars have been a staple in the manufacturer’s lineup of O-scale, 3-rail products for some time. A common censure though has been the lack of previously installed passengers upon purchase, leaving empty seats that need to be filled. From disassembly to reassembly, this project is easier to accomplish than I initially […]

Read More…

Newest Norfolk Southern paint scheme salutes its railroaders

Front of red, white, and black locomotive with slogan "Thank you to our railroaders."

ALTOONA, Pa. — Norfolk Southern introduced a new specially painted locomotive saluting its railroaders at an NS Family Day event at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona on Saturday, June 8. NS CEO Alan Shaw was on hand and spoke, and the railroad’s Southern and Virginian heritage units were also on display. The front of […]

Read More…

Deteriorating CN track adds time to VIA’s Ocean: Analysis

Passenger train at station with large ship in background

MONTREAL — Beginning June 19, VIA Rail Canada is adding 90 minutes to the westbound schedule of its Montreal-Halifax, N.S. Ocean and 45 minutes to the eastbound train, “to provide passengers with a schedule which better reflects actual travel times,” according to a statement provided by VIA in response to a set of detailed questions […]

Read More…