Industries in northern Ohio

a model train on track on garden railway

Industries in northern Ohio: The track and buildings are relatively level, but the walking area follows the contour of the ground. The entrance at the east is the highest, with the track and buildings being about one foot higher than the path. As you proceed to the west end, the path descends a little, so […]

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Coral bark Japanese maple

miniature tree with yellow leaves on garden railroad

Common name: Coral bark Japanese maple Latin name: Acer palmatum ‘Sango kaku’ (syn. A.p. ‘Senkaki’) Plant size: 15-20′ high by 15-20′ wide, unpruned USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9 Plant type: shrubs and small trees Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, neutral or slightly acidic soil; full sun to part shade One of the most popular, semi-dwarf Japanese […]

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Kansas City Southern locomotives remembered

Red, yellow, and black streamlined diesel locomotive with passenger train

Kansas City Southern locomotives were full of surprises in both the steam and diesel fleets.     Steam locomotives saw a gradual evolution, from 2-8-0 to articulated 0-6-6-0s (an oddball in the industry for road service) and 2-8-8-0s and eventually the much-vaunted 2-10-4s of 1937. The 0-6-6-0s were the largest group of the type built […]

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Most versatile: Canadian National U-class 4-8-4 locomotives

Canadian National U-class 4-8-4 locomotives coming off lift bridge

Canadian National U-class 4-8-4 locomotives proved to be the most versatile of the type operated in North America.   It’s generally accepted that the ultimate in steam power was the 4-8-4 Northern type, if defined by criteria that includes speed, power, technology, and, perhaps most importantly, versatility. A lot of railroads capped off the steam […]

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Kansas City Southern passenger trains

GL140701-1

Kansas City Southern passenger trains All through April 2023, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the grit and grandeur that has been one heck of a railroad: Kansas City Southern. As KCS rides into history on the back of a new merger with Canadian Pacific, please enjoy this photo gallery of Kansas City Southern passenger trains […]

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Lionel heavyweight observation cars make their debut

Drumhead on rear of Lionel observation car

It’s hard to believe we’re just now seeing Lionel heavyweight observation cars from the 2021 Volume II Lionel Catalog. Such are the cycles of production! These models were cataloged alongside brass hybrid Strasburg Rail Road 2-10-0 No. 90. They resemble two different paint schemes on a prototype car that belongs to the Pennsylvania tourist line. […]

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Three U.S. senators introduce new rail safety bill

Overhead view of derailed train

WASHINGTON — Three Democratic Senators from Pennsylvania and Ohio have called for new rail safety legislation they say is intended to build on provisions of the Rail Safety Act introduced earlier in March by addressing wheel-related failures and enacting new inspection rules, among other provisions. The Railway Accountability Act was introduced Thursday by U.S. Sens. […]

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Builders of Colorado commuter lines file appeal over unrecovered costs

DENVER — The consortium that built commuter rail lines for the Denver-area Regional Transportation District is appealing a court decision that denied its effort to recover almost $112 million in costs because resulting from problems with crossing-gate technology. The Denver Post reports that Denver Transit Partners filed the appeal on Thursday over the decision regarding […]

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