Why I love the Electro-Motive Division SD40-2

Black train engine leads train past fences and a reservoir

Why I love the Electro-Motive Division SD40-2 Many modelers have a locomotive that they are fond of, probably one of their first models that they received as a kid. My first engine was an O gauge F7, a far cry from the locomotive that I love, the Electro-Motive Division SD40-2. In fact, nine years later […]

Read More…

Atlas O Thrall articulated auto carrier

Yellow articulated train car with white background

Thrall articulated auto carrier Scale: O (1:48) Price: $159.95 Era: 1997 to present Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Thrall articulated auto carrier features: ¼” scale details and dimensions Die-cast metal chassis Positionable end doors Interior deck Modeler-installed articulated diaphragm Separate, factory-applied wire grab irons 70-ton roller-bearing trucks Brake line details Minimum […]

Read More…

Bi-level commuter cars from Rapido Trains

Screen shot of two HO scale commuter cars.

Rapido Trains recently released its bi-level commuter coaches and cab cars in HO scale. The manufacturer sent samples of its coaches to the team at Model Railroader magazine. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he takes a close-up look at the ready-to-run cars. Features on the bi-level commuter cars from Rapido Trains include a body […]

Read More…

Bi-level commuter cars from Rapido Trains

Screen shot of two HO scale commuter cars.

Rapido Trains recently released its bi-level commuter coaches and cab cars in HO scale. The manufacturer sent samples of its coaches to the team at Model Railroader magazine. Join Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he takes a close-up look at the ready-to-run cars. Features on the bi-level commuter cars from Rapido Trains include a body […]

Read More…

Short lines join call for congressional action to settle rail labor dispute (updated)

Blue and yellow locomotives switching

WASHINGTON — The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has joined the growing list of groups calling for Congress to intervene in the Class I rail labor dispute. Meanwhile, the Fertilizer Institute, which already had asked Congress to intervene, renewed its call after railroads announced they would begin embargoing hazardous or security-sensitive material, which […]

Read More…

Vermont Rail System updates its paint scheme

Freshly painted red and white locomotive

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont Rail System, operator of five railroads in Vermont and New York, is rolling out freshly painted locomotives in its new image. But you will need to look closely to notice the minor change being introduced as the company paints power for the first time in a decade. The repaints will carry the […]

Read More…

BNSF drawbridge in Seattle receives federal grant

BNSF Railway logo

WASHINGTON — A landmark BNSF Railway drawbridge in Seattle will receive a $25 million for mechanical upgrades under the federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced the funding on Friday for the Salmon Bay Bridge, which handles up to 40 BNSF, Amtrak, and Sounder trains per day, as well […]

Read More…

No injuries reported in multi-train NS collision in Georgia

Norfolk Southern logo

ROME, Ga. — No injuries were reported in a complex incident Saturday involving Norfolk Southern trains in the towns of Rome and Lindale, Ga. NS spokesman Connor Spielmaker said in a statement that early Saturday, “two cars from a train derailed and a passing train struck them. That train was unable to immediately stop and […]

Read More…

Three more unions reach tentative agreements with railroads

Logo of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employee

ARLINGTON, Va. —Three more unions have reached tentative agreements on new national labor agreements, the negotiating body for the railroads, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee, has announced. The tentative agreements announced today (Sunday, Sept. 11), with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers: […]

Read More…

UP main line to California closed by fire in Oregon

Map of Union Pacific rail lines in California and the Pacific Northwest

OMAHA — Union Pacific’s main line between California and the Pacific Northwest has been shut down in central Oregon today (Sunday, Sept. 11) as firefighters deal with a wildfire near Oakridge, Ore. In an advisory to customers, UP says a curfew on train movements has been imposed from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time […]

Read More…