After 18 years, rail group resumes RDC runs in Bellefonte, Pa.

RDC with puffs of white smoke in countryside.

BELLEFONTE, Pa. – After an absence of 18 years, the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Society will resume Rail Diesel Car public excursions over a branch of the Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad on Oct. 28-29. This was made possible by the return from Rail Mechanical Services of Columbia, Pa., of the group’s repaired RDC-1 car No. […]

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Broken rail caused March BNSF derailment in Minnesota, NTSB says

Firefighters watching burning railcars

WASHINGTON — A broken rail caused the derailment and subsequent fire involving a BNSF Railway train in Raymond, Minn., according to a National Transportation Safety Board memo in the investigation docket of the March 30, 2023, incident released Monday. Twenty-three cars derailed in the incident, 10 of which were carrying ethanol; material was released from […]

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MBTA unveils new look for Green Line equipment

Illustration of green and gray light rail trainset

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has unveiled the paint scheme for its next generation of Green Line light rail equipment, selected through an online survey of riders as well as employee feedback. The winning design was the third of three options in a poll conducted Oct. 2-13. It features a dark green and […]

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Union calls on FRA to impose 7,500-foot train-length limit

Logo of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has called on the Federal Railroad Administraton to issue an emergency order setting a 7,500-foot maximum length for trains on Class I railroads, the union announced today (Monday, Oct. 16). The BLET said in a press release that the union’s national president, Eddie Hall, had […]

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News & Products for the week of October 16th 2023

News & Products for the week of October 16th 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 October 16th […]

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Florida railroads adopt Seaboard Coast Line-inspired paint scheme

Black and yellow locomotive

APOPKA, Fla. — Regional Rail LLC’s Florida Central Railroad soon will receive two rebuilt EMD GP15-1s dressed in a black-with-yellow-stripes image reminiscent of the Seaboard Coast Line. Regional Rail, established in 2007 and based in Kennett Square, Pa., now has 13 operations throughout the eastern United States and in Saskatchewan, Canada. As a growing short […]

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Six new HO models from Rapido Trains

Color photo of room with display tables and people walking around.

Rapido Trains hosted a dealer open house at the Essex Steam Train & Riverboat on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023 in Essex, Conn. During the event, the manufacturer unveiled several new HO scale products. Here’s a rundown of some of the items announced. Locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD7, SD9, and SD10 diesel locomotives were among the six […]

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Creeping milkwort

plant with pink flowers next to figure in garden railway

Common name: Creeping milkwort, chapparal pea, box-leaved milkwort Latin name: Polygala chamaebuxus var. grandiflora Plant type: Perennial USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Plant size: 4″ (possibly mounding to 10″), spreading very slowly to 2′ wide Cultural needs: Well-drained, moist, acid soil; sun or bright shade; slow-release evergreen/acidic fertilizer If we didn’t wait so long to get […]

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How big are structural steel loads?

Black-and-white diesels pass a siding with a flatcar holding bundled steel plates

Q: I’m planning on making steel slab, H-column, and I-beam loads for my run through freight trains. What is the width, length, thickness and height of the load for these structural steel loads? – James Shepard A: Hi, James. You asked a similar question not long ago, which I answered in my January 2023 “Ask […]

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Steam locomotive tenders have a life of their own

Steam locomotive tenders It’s easy to forget that most steam locomotive designs are usually in two major parts; the locomotive itself and its tender dutifully hauling fuel and water. Take away one, and the other is useless. It seems reasonable to assume that a steam engine and its tender served together from the time they […]

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