Ogden, Utah, buys Union Station land

Station building with fountains in foreground

OGDEN, Utah — The City of Odgen has answered questions about the future of Ogden Union Station by purchasing the land under the historic structure from Union Pacific. KSTU-TV reports the city agreed earlier this month to purchase the 8.06-acre parcel from UP for $5.56 million. The railroad turned the building over to the city […]

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DOT appoints members to FTA safety advisory committee

Federal Transit Administration logo

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation has named 24 people —representing transit agencies, unions, research groups, and other organizations — to the Federal Transit Administration’s Transit Advisory Committee for Safety. The group meets at least once a year and advises the Secretory of Transportation and FTA administrator on transit safety and other issues. “We […]

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P&LE Berkshire

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Pittsburgh & Lake Erie 2-8-4 No. 9401 leads a southbound freight through the station at Beaver, Pa., in June 1948. The seven P&LE Berkshires, delivered in May and June 1948, were Alco’s last steam locomotives. Richard J. Cook photo […]

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Tangent Scale Models releases first O scale model

Group photo of six O scale tank cars

Tangent Scale Models releases first O scale model Tangent Scale Models released its first O scale model, the General American 1928-design 6,000-gallon three-compartment tank car. The brass model, produced in the Republic of Korea by SamModel, is available in O scale and Proto:48 versions. Road names include Cosden & Co. Petroleum Products, Tulsa, Okla. (1929+), […]

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Garden railroading in Hawaii

Garden railroading in Hawaii: model sugar cane train

Garden railroading in Hawaii: In late 2013, my wife set in motion a scheme that eventually became the Oberammergau, Ogden & Olomana Railroad – the Triple O. A few books, a GR subscription, and a year of study later, and we broke ground on what has become a family project to bring a stylized piece […]

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Modeling rocks on a budget

A green-and-white Alco diesel passes by a rock cut in a hill topped with trees and line poles

Unless you’re modeling a flatland railroad – and maybe even if you are – your layout needs rocks. Building a level right-of-way through the ups and downs of natural terrain involves cuts and fills, exposing bare rock. A railroad with a mountainous setting, be it Appalachian or Rocky, calls for even more rocks. Between foam […]

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My first cab ride

people riding in the cab of a locomotive

The cab ride As the Production Editor for Trains Magazine, I got to participate in my very first cab ride, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway steam locomotive No. 1309, located at the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad this past fall. If I had to describe the experience in only one word, I’d have to say — […]

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All aboard the Sun Tan Special

color photo of train with crowd

Sun Tan Special People in Santa Cruz, Calif., still talk about the Sun Tan Special, and not just as an artifact. The Sun Tan Special was Southern Pacific’s beach train in Northern California. It ran on summer weekends and holidays during the 1930s to the 1950s, from San Francisco and San Jose to the coastal […]

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What are railroad signs for?

red BNSF train with speed limit signs

Railroad signs Railroads, like highway systems, use a variety of signs, signals, and identification markers to convey information to railroaders along a route. Railroads have established mileposts – identified by signs, markers, or displays – to give the crew and dispatcher a quick method for identifying their location on a railroad in all weather conditions […]

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BLET president to retire, avoiding rerun of election

Logo of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineer and Trainmen President Dennis Pierce said today he will retire, avoiding a rerun of the union’s presidential election and clearing the way for Eddie Hall to become the union’s new president. In a statement on the BLET website, Pierce said the union’s Elections Protest Committee had determined that […]

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MARTA unveils new cars, part of $646 million order

Rapid-transit carbody in wrapper sits on trailer while MARTA train sits in background

ATLANTA — The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority unveiled its newest railcars on Friday, representing a $646 million investment to replace its aging fleet of 340 cars. The new CQ400 railcars will replace MARTA’s existing fleet of CQ310, CQ311 and CQ312 cars. In November 2019, MARTA’s board of directors approved the $646 million deal with […]

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