Rob Himoto’s Santa Maria Valley Railroad is the quintessential short line success story. His family bought the struggling 13.72-mile independent short line in 2006. Through hard work, they’ve been able to quadruple annual carloadings, diversify the railroad’s traffic base, and improve its track. Himoto is understandably proud of the turnaround and the role the railroad […]
While the landscape of the American West remains constant and wild, the weather under Big Skies is forever changing…and frequently challenging the men, women, and machines working along steel rails. From a safe, temperature-controlled environment, enjoy a closer look at the perils and pure, natural beauty railfan Tom Danneman captured for Big Skies & Iron Rails […]
News & Products for the week of May 30th 2023 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of May 30th 2023. […]
Locomotives are the power of railroading and the industries’ most potent and popular symbols. The major types that have been used in North America are steam (now confined to museums, tourist lines, and the occasional excursion), diesel-electric (the standard of the industry), and straight electric (always a tiny minority). Steam locomotives burn coal, oil, or […]
Having arrived from Washington behind Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac E8s, the Miami-bound East Coast Champion stands at Richmond’s Broad Street Station with a fresh set of Atlantic Coast Line E units. William D. Middleton photo […]
NEW DELHI – The Indian Minister of Railways announced it is sending 20 broad gauge WDM-D3 class locomotives to Bangladesh, India’s DD News reported. “India’s relationship with Bangladesh is civilizational, cultural, social and economic. Prime Ministers of both the countries are playing a proactive role to improve bilateral relationships across social, economic and political sectors,” Railways […]
In the early 1950s, Union Pacific F3 units in A-B-B formation lead freight train 257 west up the nearly 2 percent grade to Reverse, Idaho, on the road’s main line to Portland, Ore.; 107 cars to the rear, two 2-8-8-0s assist the diesels. Henry R. Griffiths Jr. photo […]
The Atlas General Electric U28C and U28CG diesels recently arrived in hobby shops. Join Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno as they talk about the features on these newly tooled HO scale six-axle diesels and then operate an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe passenger train with the U28CG on our Milwaukee, […]
The Atlas General Electric U28C and U28CG diesels recently arrived in hobby shops. Join Model Railroader editor Eric White and senior editor Cody Grivno as they talk about the features on these newly tooled HO scale six-axle diesels and then operate an Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe passenger train with the U28CG on our Milwaukee, […]
Railroaders, and railfans, are always talking about engines: How many engines were on that train? Don’t those new engines look good (or bad)? Did you get the number of that engine? So, what’s the difference between a locomotive and an engine? We use both terms to describe the most compelling element of railroading: the machines […]
Diesel locomotives today generally have either two- or three-axle trucks, a wheel arrangement called B-B and C-C. The B-B wheel arrangement indicates a two-axle truck with both axles powered, while C-C means a truck with three powered axles. This naming convention uses letters for powered axles and numerals for non-powered “idler” axles — found on older […]
With seemingly every one of its hood doors open, Washington Terminal RS1 No. 54 stands inside the roundhouse in the city’s Ivy City section one night in June 1960. Jim Shaughnessy photo […]
