WASHINGTON — A coalition of environmental groups have sued the Surface Transportation Board, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and federal government over the STB’s approval of Utah’s Uinta Basin Railway project. The suit filed Friday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by the Center for Biological Diversity and four […]
SULTAN, Wash. — The star-crossed first revenue round trip for Amtrak’s new ALC42 Charger locomotives has not gotten any better on the return leg from the Pacific Northwest. Charger locomotives Nos. 301 and 302 led the eastbound Empire Builder out of Seattle on Saturday, but reports of continued positive train control issues with No. 301 […]
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The first test train on a new 9-mile rail line connecting Redlands, Calif., to the Metrolink commuter rail system is slated to run on Wednesday, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority has announced. The Redlands Daily Facts reports that the initial run will not be by one of the diesel multiple […]
CALGARY — Canadian conservation groups are expressing concerns over a proposed Calgary-Banff rail service, saying they’re concerned the project is ignoring wildlife and environmental issues. Global News reports that the local chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is concerned there isn’t enough transparency in the planning process, while the Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation […]
Q: I’m looking to build an HO scale Rock Island Rocket and its Electro-Motive Corp. TA diesel locomotive. I know that Model Railroader published Rock Island Rocket drawings several years ago (1986 or so), and I was wondering where I might find these plans? I think that the TA plans were reprinted […]
How did you get started in the hobby? My love of trains started when I was six years old, watching steam engines on a branch line of the Union Pacific in the late 40’s. I recall being swept away with the sounds and power of the Consolidation (2-8-0) locomotives that stopped in my Dad’s hometown. […]
10 hot spots with Chase Gunnoe: Identifying my 10 favorite train-watching spots in the U.S. is no easy task. There’s a lot of great spots here in the Mountain State that have earned my favoritism, but to showcase what the American rail landscape has to offer, I’ve selected these areas to witness railroading at its […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has released the list of those scheduled to testify during the public-comment portion of its hearing on Amtrak’s request to start Gulf Coast service, the first stage of which is set for Tuesday, Feb. 15. Tuesday’s proceeding will be held via Zoom starting at 9:30 a.m. EST, beginning with […]
Don Ball model railroad images Don Ball model railroad images: Don Ball, a contributor to Model Railroader and Model Railroad Planning magazines, died on January 21, 2022 at his home in Blue Springs, Mo. He was 73 years old. Through the pages of our magazines, Don shared his passion for modeling the 1890s. He […]
CLEVELAND — Mining and steelmaking firm Cleveland-Cliffs will at least temporarily idle its Northshore Mining operation in Minnesota, which includes a 47-mile railroad connecting its mine in Babbitt to a processing plant at Silver Bay on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The Duluth News-Tribune reports the move — announced by company CEO Lourenco Goncalves […]
O gauge realism is Herb Lindsay’s legacy. One of the landmark layouts featured in Classic Toy Trains over the years has been the O gauge model railroad designed and built by the late hobbyist and his talented wife and fellow modeler, Dagmar Lindsay. How articles about Herb’s realistic tribute to railroading in central Pennsylvania during […]
TEMPE, Ariz. — Union Pacific has agreed to pay almost a half-million dollars to settle a lawsuit by the city of Tempe over a July 2020 derailment which led to a bridge fire and hazardous-material spill. KSAZ-TV reports the money is to reimburse the city for costs incurred in the July 29, 2020, incident, in […]
