News & Products for the week of November 27th 2023 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 November 27th […]
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CSX unveils Atlantic Coast Line heritage locomotive
A tribute to Atlantic Coast Line is the latest heritage locomotive to emerge from CSX’s paint shop in Waycross, Ga. CEO Joe Hinrichs posted photos of the locomotive on his LinkedIn account this afternoon. “Here’s the new CSX Atlantic Coast Line Heritage Locomotive fresh out of the paint shop in Waycross, Georgia,” Hinrichs wrote. “We […]
Threadleaf heavenly bamboo
Common name: Threadleaf heavenly bamboo Latin name: Nandina domestica ‘Filamentosa’ Plant size: 1-2′ Plant type: Shrubs and small trees USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-11 Cultural needs: Sun or part shade, moist or dry soil The shrubby nandina belongs to the barberry family, not actually bamboo, but it mimics the willowy, grassy feel of bamboo. While the […]
Saving the San Francisco Belt Railroad
San Francisco Belt Railroad For those of us lucky enough to chase trains on the San Francisco peninsula when it was served by many railroads, life was good. Besides being able to see Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, and Western Pacific, there was the San Francisco Belt Railroad, a local switching operation that vigorously served the […]
CTA’s Yellow Line remains shut down after collision
CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority’s Yellow Line remains shut down today (Monday, Nov. 27) as the Thanksgiving holiday period ends, some 11 days after the Nov. 16 collision between a Yellow Line train and a snowplow that injured 38 people. WLS-TV reports that the CTA has not offered any estimate when the line will […]
Failed wheel bearing caused Kentucky derailment, CSX says
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX says a failed wheel bearing caused the Nov. 22 derailment that led to an evacuation of residents in Livington, Ky., on Thanksgiving. In a Sunday statement, the railroad said it has completed the removal of all 16 railcars involved in the incident that occurred about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and has […]
Amtrak trains handle holiday crowds with less capacity, steep fares
CHICAGO — Airports and highways generally get the most media attention at Thanksgiving because they accommodate the majority of the people on the move during the nation’s busiest travel period. Passenger rail did get rare coverage last week on “CBS Mornings” with coverage of Brightline including a live shot and an interview with Amtrak President […]
Competition heats up under the English Channel
LONDON — Since the Channel Tunnel connecting Britain and France opened in 1994, a high speed passenger service operated by Eurostar has connected London, Paris and Brussels (extended to Amsterdam in 2018). Although competition on the route has been theoretically possible for decades, none has started — but this may be about to change as no […]
Meet the Train Dads
A group of five young men, who had been on Facebook O gauge groups and other online groups, decided to form their own group called the “Train Dads.” As you can guess from the name, the group is made up of hobbyists of a younger generation, and who are proud fathers to amazing kids. This […]
Weaver Models Milwaukee Road 4-6-4 Baltic
Quality Craft’s Bob Weaver produced a lot of brass O gauge models in the early 2000s. One that had never been done up until the time it was released (and maybe not since) is Milwaukee Road’s F6-a Baltic in 2009. What’s a Baltic? It’s a 4-8-4, more commonly known as a Hudson thanks to the […]
What are some compact industries that receive coal?
Q: I need some ideas for compact industries that receive coal. Though modeling coal mines on a layout seems a popular topic, what about the coal’s destination? The coal needs to go someplace unless it just disappears into staging. Steel foundries, shipping ports, and power plants seem typical, but these require a lot of layout […]
Fairbanks-Morse Erie-Built diesel locomotives
Fairbanks-Morse’ distinctive Erie-Built diesel locomotives were the builder’s entry into the six-axle passenger locomotive market. FM sold 111 total units between December 1945 and February 1949. They were the best-selling FM cab unit models; second place went to the CFA/CFB-16-4 “C-Liners” with 90 units sold. FM’s big Erie-Builts were named for being assembled […]
