Appeals court blocks rule allowing movement of LNG by rail

WASHINGTON — A federal court has struck down a Department of Transportation rule on transportation of liquefied natural gas enacted in 2020, saying the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration did not sufficiently consider the safety risks involved. Specifically, the decision by a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia […]

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Alstom to overhaul, modernize 181 GO Transit railcars

Green and white commuter train led by cab car

TORONTO — Ontario transit agency Metrolinx has signed an agreement with Alstom to overhaul 181 bilevel railcars for Toronto-area commuter rail operator GO Transit. The agreement, valued at approximately Ca$500 million ($347 million U.S.), calls for overhauls and modernization of the Series VIII cars to be conducted at Alstom’s Thunder Bay, Ont., plant beginning by […]

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Lionel releases 2025 Volume 1 catalog

cover of Lionel 2025 volume 1 catalog

The Lionel 2025 Volume 1 catalog was recently published on the manufacturer’s website. Highlights include Lionel Lines Vision Hudson prewar sets, Vision Commodore Vanderbilt locomotives, a 20th Century Limited set, a 125th anniversary Lighted Station Platform, an expanded “battery O” line, exclusive anniversary products, and much more. View the catalog at lionel.com. […]

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New Atlas O Premier Winter 2025 catalog

cover of catalog with snowy train scene

The Atlas Winter 2025 catalog was recently published on the manufacturer’s website. Highlights include a U30C diesel locomotive, a hot metal car, new GP40 paint schemes, new paint schemes for their 40-foot tank car, an upgraded Dash 8-40CW with Proto-Sound 3.0, and much more. View the catalog at shop.atlasrr.com Read more news in our news […]

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Reading & Northern buys Penn Valley passenger cars (updated)

SUNBURY, Pa. — After 27 years of running holiday passenger trains, fund-raising excursions, and shipper specials, owner Jeff Pontius of Penn Valley Railroad LLC has sold his fleet of seven passenger cars to the Reading & Northern Railroad. R&N announced that it would receive the cars today (Jan. 14, 2025) and outlined the planned move […]

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News & Products for the week of January 13th 2025

A white model freight car on model railroad track with red lettering

News & Products for the week of January 13th 2025   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 January 13th, […]

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Lubricating modern O scale rolling stock

Model of modern rolling stock with maintenance kit.

Modern O scale rolling stock takes leaps and bounds in the level of detail and playability provided. Manufacturers roll out high end-looking models with some featuring not only traditional lighting, but also sound and smoke effects to further replicate real-life railroading. But what hasn’t fallen into the realm of head-spinning complexity is lubricating these 1:48-scaled […]

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Rooftop weathering ideas

Color photo of blue and white locomotive in a freight train.

Unless your model railroad is at eye-level or higher, the first thing operators and visitors see when they look at your locomotives and freight cars is the roof (and on open-top cars, the interior). In recent years, some manufacturers have offered models with faded paint and light weathering. Other companies have released boxcars with paint […]

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The evolution of the MR&T herald

Color image of four HO scale freight cars in brown, black, and yellow paint on white background.

Q: In the November Ask Trains video, you were standing in front of a display case filled with Milwaukee, Racine & Troy freight cars. Some featured the familiar square MR&T herald. Other models looked to be from an earlier era. What can you tell me about those cars? — Bert G. A: Alan Cerney, an […]

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News & Products for the week of January 6th 2025

A red model rolling stock snowplow

News & Products for the week of January 6th 2025   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 January 6th, […]

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