The third run of Trinity 5,660-cubic-foot capacity pressure differential (PD) covered hoppers has been released by Atlas Model Railroad Co. The modern freight car, based on former BLMA tooling, features freestanding details, screw-mounted trucks with 36″ chemically blackened metal wheelsets, and body-mounted couplers. Prototype history The 5660 PD covered hopper was introduced in 1999 by […]
Nine years after Amtrak inked a $2.45 billion contract with Alstom, builder of France’s TGV, to build 28 trainsets in the U.S., the new equipment debuted on Aug. 27 with a media trip from Washington Union Station to Boston’s South Station. Beginning the next day, the five Next Generation trainsets that had been accepted began […]
News & Products for the week of December 29th 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 December 29th, 2025. […]
Alstom will build 47 new diesel multiple-unit passenger trains for use on passenger routes under construction in Mexico, the company has announced. The order of 33 long-haul and 14 short-haul trainsets will be built for the Mexico City-Querétaro-Irapuato and Saltillo-Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo corridors under a Dec. 15 decision by the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation. […]
Amtrak intercity trains carried more travelers at higher prices in 2025 than in previous years, but the company managed to set those records with a depleted, aging passenger car fleet, accompanied by numerous mechanical failures that caused lengthy delays and train cancellations. Here’s a review of key passenger news. Some topics will be examined in […]
THOMASTON, Conn. — Three former Santa Fe Hi-Level cars are in the consist of the Railroad Museum of New England’s Naugatuck Railroad’s Santa Express train. Built by Budd for Santa Fe’s Chicago-Los Angeles El Capitan in the 1950s, the three later were acquired by Amtrak. Naugatuck’s two parlors served as “Pacific Parlour” cars on Amtrak’s […]
Atlas HO REA steel express reefer Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $46.95 Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas HO REA steel express reefer features: 3/3 Improved Dreadnaught ends Arched roof Body-mounted Accumate couplers Metal wheels Separate, factory-applied ladders and grab irons Steam, air, and signal hoses Uncoupling levers […]
In this episode of The Roundhouse, Classic Trains editor Brian Schmidt sits down with David Popp to discuss his unique path into the railroad hobby. David shares how he started as a model railroader but developed a passion for railfanning after discovering 1:1 scale trains routing near his childhood home. This dual interest led him to incorporate prototype […]
The list of 2025 rail preservation happenings is long. There are many organizations working on numerous fronts and making significant progress toward preserving America’s railroad heritage. The past 12 months have seen new buildings open, steam locomotives fired up, and relics discovered. Narrowing down the list, here are 10 of the most significant 2025 rail preservation […]
News & Products for the week of December 22nd 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 December 22nd, 2025. […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak could face problems in operating its NextGen Acela and Airo trainsets because some new maintenance facilities will not be completed in time, the Amtrak Office of Inspector General says in a new report issued today (Dec. 22). According to the report, if current schedules for those facilities hold, Amtrak will only be […]
CHICAGO — Railcar manufacturer FreightCar America has acquired parts distributor Carly Railcar Components, the companies announced today. Family-owned Carly Railcar Components, founded in 1995, distributes original-equipment components and operates a core-exchange program for remanufactured parts. Headquartered in Irwin, Pa., it also has a location in Orange, Texas. FreightCar America says the acquisition strengthens its aftermarket […]
