Part two of a two-part update on the East Broad Top Railroad ROBERTSDALE, Pa. – Building on the 2020 rebirth of the historic narrow gauge East Broad Top Railroad, the Friends of the East Broad Top nonprofit auxiliary group is beefing up volunteer work, raising unprecedented amounts of cash, and penciling more projects onto its […]
Part one of a two-part update on the East Broad Top Railroad ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — For the first time since 1956, the narrow-gauge East Broad Top Railroad ran a steam locomotive over a newly restored portion of main line south of this town, signaling the railroad’s intent to reopen all of its 20-mile route […]
In late September 2023, Norfolk & Western steam locomotive No. 611 operated on the Buckingham Branch Railroad, in preparation for its fall excursions. The J-class 4-8-4 is scheduled to run the Shenandoah Valley Limited as part of the Virginia Scenic Railway, a passenger excursion operator for the short line railroad. […]
13 tips for storing your trains 1. Modern trains go in their boxes. Be sure you store them out of direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting in a cupboard, drawer, or other dark, dry area. A packet or two of silica gel inside the box helps keep moisture and humidity low so your boxes won’t get […]
THOMASTON, Conn. — The Railroad Museum of New England is launching a fundraising campaign to restore Sumter & Choctaw Railway 2-6-2 No. 103 to service. No. 103 has been part of the RMNE collection since 1986 and was one of the first heritage steam locomotives to operate in the Northeast, from 1962 to 1975. No. 103 […]
SALT LAKE CITY — Today, at the Kentucky studio of sculptor Douwe Blumberg, a crane gently lifted a gold spike measuring 43.3 feet long and weighing just under 7,000 pounds, onto a decorated semitrailer. The spike, commissioned by Utah’s Golden Spike Foundation, is a new memorial commemorating the workers who built the Transcontinental Railroad. Starting […]
CHAMA, N.M. and ANTONITO, COLO. — The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has named Steven Butler as its new general manager. Butler takes over from Scott Gibbs, one of the railroad’s Colorado commissioners, who had temporarily stepped in to run day-to-day operations. A life-long rail enthusiast, Butler’s family owned a tourist railroad in the Midwest. […]
RUSSIAVILLE, Ind. — For the first time since 1940, Union Traction Co. of Indiana interurban car No. 429 has moved under its own power. The 83-year-old vehicle is currently being restored by the Hoosier Heartland Trolley Co. No. 429 was built in 1925 by the St. Louis Car Co. and designed to hold 44 passengers. […]
The scenic town of Osceola, Wisc., recently hosted the inaugural Trains Magazine diesel photo special, attracting rail enthusiasts and photographers. The Osceola and Saint Croix Valley Railway typically offers passenger services along a former Soo Line branch, owned by Canadian National. However, special events extend the experience to other tracks, including the line’s northern terminus […]
In the toy train world, it seems that each year or so there is a common theme among manufacturers. 2022 seemed to be the year of Amtrak. With the 50th anniversary paint schemes announced on Amtrak’s P42s it was fitting for Lionel and Atlas to lean into these announcements with a few of their own. […]
Though multiple manufacturers offer power packs meant for model railroads, three main companies currently offer the packs as separate-purchase items: Model Rectifier Corp., Kato USA, and Bachmann Trains. If you choose to use direct-current control instead of Digital Command Control (DCC) on your layout, buying a DC power pack (or power supply) that fits your […]
WASHINGTON – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been awarded up to $5,000,000 by the Federal Railroad Administration to establish the National University Rail Center of Excellence. The Center would be dedicated to developing a future railroad workforce while advancing research to enhance the safety, efficiency, and reliability of passenger and freight rail transportation. […]
