Meet Dirt the Cat: Nevada Northern Railway’s rail cat

dirt the cat laying down

Dirt the Cat One of the world’s most famous cats is a railroader. Dirt, his fur coat stained by a lifetime amid the soot and grease of Nevada Northern Railway’s 114-year-old engine-servicing facility, is nobody’s pet and everybody’s friend. The people-loving shop cat has an international following thanks to a series of widely shared social […]

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2022 holiday toy train photo gallery

close up of steam locomotive on layout

A 2022 holiday toy train photo gallery is just the thing to get you in the Christmas spirit. Please enjoy this selection of holiday-themed photos of toy trains from Lionel and American Flyer in O gauge, S gauge, and Standard gauge (with some bonus N and large scale trains). If you have a photo you’d […]

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Chicago-area pedestrian crossing disappears in Western Springs

Train approaching on long straight

Chicago-area pedestrian crossing disappears I have no idea how long pedestrians have been crossing the railroad right-of-way at the gated crossing on BNSF Railway’s triple-track main line at Central Avenue in Western Springs, Ill., but it’s safe to assume it’s been quite a while. But the way that crossing quickly disappeared is another reminder of […]

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Eight Burlington Northern freight car one-offs

Black-and-white photo of boxcar in white paint with black lettering

I recently wrote “Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs”  featuring five Electro-Motive Division diesels, including unique paint schemes, rebuilds, and test subjects. This time, I dug through my negative collection and found eight Burlington Northern freight car one-offs. Most of the photos are from family travels throughout northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota between the early 1980s […]

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News photo: CSX derailment near Toledo, Ohio

Aerial view of derailed cars and spilled corn at rail junction

OREGON, Ohio — Ten railcars of corn from a CSX Transportation train derailed early Friday (Nov. 11) near the Port of Toledo, the Toledo Blade reports. The accident occurred at Ironville Junction, near Oregon’s border with Toledo, about 1:15 a.m. The derailment blocked CSX trackage on the Toledo Terminal Subdivision, the primary gateway to Michigan, […]

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Eastern Seaboard Models HO scale insulated boxcars

two freight cars painted in red, white and blue stripes

Eastern Seaboard Models HO scale insulated boxcars  Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $84.50 Era: Early 1950s to 1980s Manufacturer: Eastern Seaboard Models Corp., P.O. Box 301, Waldwick, NJ 07463; esmc.com Insulated boxcars feature: Etched-metal running board and brake wheel platform More than 100 freestanding plastic detail parts Hi-Tech Details flexible rubber air hoses Underbody charcoal heater […]

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Broadway Limited Imports HO SD45

Screen shot of product review video

Add some flair to your layout with the Broadway Limited Imports HO SD45. The six-axle road locomotive, based on an Electro-Motive Division (EMD) prototype, is offered in both high and low short hood versions in eight paint schemes. The Broadway Limited Imports HO scale SD45 has an injection-molded plastic body, a die-cast metal frame, all-wheel […]

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Broadway Limited Imports HO SD45

Screen shot of product review video

Add some flair to your layout with the Broadway Limited Imports HO SD45. The six-axle road locomotive, based on an Electro-Motive Division (EMD) prototype, is offered in both high and low short hood versions in eight paint schemes. The Broadway Limited Imports HO scale SD45 has an injection-molded plastic body, a die-cast metal frame, all-wheel […]

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Big Sky group helps pursue grant for Empire Builder route

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, the group seeking to return passenger service to southern Montana, has agreed to help BNSF Railway seek a federal grant for improvements on the route of the Empire Builder, the existing Amtrak service in the northern part of the state. The Missoula Current reports that the $15 […]

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Pullman-Standard 2,750- and 2,960 cubic-foot capacity three-bay hoppers from Atlas

a black three-bay hopper car in the foreground and a red three-bay hopper car in the background

Pullman-Standard 2,750- and 2,960 cubic-foot capacity three-bay hoppers from Atlas Scale: N (1:160) Price: $24.95 Era: 1954 to 1990s (depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-678-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Features: 15 body panels and 16 exterior posts Die-cast metal hopper and center sill construction Optional heap shields Solid- or […]

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Broadway Limited HO scale Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Blue Goose

a light blue model steam locomotive

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Blue Goose Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $899.99 Era: 1938 to 1956 (depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports LLC, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; 386-673-8900; broadway-limited.com Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Blue Goose Features: Synchronized puffing smoke with chuff sound Variable puffing smoke intensity and timing Dual-mode Paragon4 […]

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