Dirt the Cat ELY, Nevada — Dirt, who became a celebrity in 15 years as the shop cat at the Nevada Northern Railway, has died, the railroad has announced on its Facebook page. The orange and white male cat was adopted as a stray kitten by shop crews in 2008 and became famous for his […]
In Memoriam: John Kunzie. John Paul Kunzie of Woodstock, Ill., passed away on November 29, 2022, at the age of 87. He founded John’s Lab, a model railroad supply company after working for Johns Mansville and R.R. Donnelley. In 1976 he purchased Castolite, Inc., a producer of liquid resin. He also became a great mentor […]
Erie-Lackawanna Alco PA1 from American Z Line Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: Late 1940s+ Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016; 614-764-1703; americanzline.com Erie-Lackawanna Alco PA1 features: Prototype specific details 7mm can motor Dual flywheels Directional light-emitting diode lighting Six-axle trucks with blind middle axle Blackened metal wheels Traction tires Optional snowplow and front coupler […]
It could have been a Trains News Wire headline: “Reading switcher shoves frozen Doodlebug.” You won’t believe the story. I awoke and gazed out the window of my home in Coatesville, Pa., to see a veritable torrent of fluffy snowflakes falling. They were burying the landscape of my hometown in a wonderland of whiteness. The […]
Using cosmetic applicators for weathering: When I asked my wife if we could walk through the cosmetic department at the local drugstore, she gave me a puzzled look. However, this part of the store is home to some fantastic weathering tools, including foam-tipped cosmetic applicators. I used the applicators to simulate rust and paint wear […]
Control cars Always looking for more effective ways to be a railroad, Union Pacific in the early 2000s experimented with what was perceived as a better method of performing switching using remote-control locomotives. Traditionally, a regular locomotive is outfitted with remote-control equipment and assigned to those duties. That’s all well and good until the equipped […]
It’s fitting that Union Pacific’s logo is a shield. The beleaguered railroad needs one given the barrage of arrows coming its way. UP has a long list of problems, many of them self-inflicted as a predictable result of its pursuit of a 55% operating ratio. There are so many issues confronting UP that it’s hard […]
Trailing ice plant Common name: Trailing ice plant, Cooper’s ice plant Latin name: Delosperma cooperi USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9 Cultural needs: Well-drained soil, sun or part shade Plant size: 3-inches high by 3-feet wide Sometimes called hardy ice plant or purple ice plant, this low succulent is not to be confused with the […]
BOONTON, N.J. — The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey has scheduled 48 departures for its Hudson River Rail Excursions between February and November, including the addition of special trips tied to Valentine’s Day and the 75th anniversary of the 1948 edition of the 20th Century Limited. The 48 trips is double the 2022 […]
ST. LOUIS — A U.S. appeals court appears to have concerns about reviving an effort by a Union Pacific engineer to bring his service dog to work, Reuters reports. Perry Hopman originally won the right to bring the dog to work to help prevent migraines and anxiety caused by his military service in a jury […]
CHICAGO —Metra on Tuesday began the rollout of a new live train-tracking website which the Chicago-area commuter rail operator promises will allow riders to see the exact location of their trains and their station arrival times. The new site, metratracker.com, is made possible by a wholesale replacement of the previous train tracking system. It also […]
LOS ANGELES — Extensive flooding and mudslides in the Santa Barbara area caused by more than a week of continuous rain pounding California’s coast have resulted in the cancelation of all Amtrak service north of Los Angeles through at least today (Wednesday, Jan. 11) The Coast Starlight had been cancelled north of Sacramento as a […]
