Can railroad materials be reused?

Ask Trains.com: Just back from a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer and noticed lots of old concrete and wood ties stacked in piles in many places and lots of rails resting along the active track and large quantities of tie plates and spikes stacked near the active track. Does the railroad intend to reuse this material or do they recycle it?

Cody addresses applicable cases for railroad track material reuse. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where editors answer the questions readers and […]

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How railroads transport different types of steel

Ask trains.com: What are the rules and regulations for hauling steel beams, sheet metal and rolled steel? In dealing with the steel beams, do they go by the weight of the beam or by the thickness of the beam? In dealing with sheet metal loads do they go by thickness or quantity of the sheet metal load? In dealing with the rolled steel how wide is the metal, thickness and number of feet in the roll? - James Shepard

Cody discusses the rules and regulations around the transport of steel products by rail. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where editors […]

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What’s in a locomotive number?

Ask Traisn.com: I have noticed multiple cases where a local or regional railroad buys a locomotive from a Class One, then the unit gets repinted in the new owner's colors, but doesn't change the numbers. Why? - Rick Marsh.

Cody discusses locomotive numbering in this installment of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where editors answer the questions readers […]

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What is the difference between a coach and a chair car?

Ask Trains.com: What is the difference between a coach and a chair car?

Cody addresses the differences between a coach and a chair car in this installment of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com […]

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Has the railroad industry considered adding solar panels to diesel locomotives?

Ask Trains.com: Has the railroad industry thought about putting solar panels on the diesel locomotives yet? I believe that would save money in the long run. Save on fuel costs too.

Cody discusses the application of solar power in the rail industry. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where editors answer the questions […]

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Has the railroad industry considered adding solar panels to diesel locomotives?

Ask Trains.com: Has the railroad industry thought about putting solar panels on the diesel locomotives yet? I believe that would save money in the long run. Save on fuel costs too.

Cody discusses the application of solar power in the rail industry. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where editors answer the questions […]

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Three-way crossing at Tuscola, Ill.

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The small east-central Illinois town of Tuscola hosted an at-grade crossing of three railroads: Illinois Central (double-track, now Canadian National), Baltimore & Ohio (lower left, now CSX), and Chicago & Eastern Illinois (lower right, now UP). Gordon E. Lloyd photo […]

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What is the difference between a coach and a chair car?

Ask Trains.com: What is the difference between a coach and a chair car?

Cody addresses the differences between a coach and a chair car in this installment of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com […]

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Ball signal at Whitefield, N.H.

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As the caboose of a Maine Central train passes, the operator resets the ball signals at the Maine Central/Boston & Maine crossing at Whitefield, N.H., in 1979. This was the last surviving ball signal in commercial use on a U.S. railroad. Ben Bachman photo […]

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B&O Budd cars at Cumberland, Md.

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The Budd Co. of Philadelphia introduced its self-propelled Rail Diesel Car in 1949. The RDC came in five versions with different arrangements of passenger, baggage, and mail compartments. Here, a train of Baltimore & Ohio Speedliners, as B&O called its RDC’s, is stopped at Cumberland, Md., during a westbound run in the early 1950s. B&O […]

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