WASHINGTON — Prospective Amtrak board of directors nominee Robert Gleason made clear in his opening statement at a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing today (May 13, 2025) that he is committed “to bringing better passenger rail service to small towns across America.” At the same hearing, former Pan Am Railways president David Fink stressed his […]
OWOSSO, Mich. — Pere Marquette 2-8-4 No. 1225 is undergoing a full retube of its boiler, according to a May 12 news release by the locomotive’s owner, the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI). The Berkshire-type locomotive was taken out of service in November 2024, on the eve of its 2024 North Pole Express excursions, due to […]
Over the first dozen or so years of of its existence, the original HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy underwent many changes. Among these was the installation of a freestanding backdrop on the downtown Milwaukee section, which resulted in the scenic challenge shown below. Already in place was the Port Marquette Yard, the MR&T’s eastern […]
The Surface Transportation Board has appointed three senior advisors to Chairman Patrick Fuchs. Sharon Clark, Rob Reilly and Chris Bertram will serve in the temporary positions in an effort to help drive reforms, and underscore Fuchs’ commitment to leveraging expert advice, analysis, and ideas on mission-critical initiatives and agency functions, according to a press release. […]
WASHINGTON — With a strike looming as soon as Friday, officials of NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers met with the National Mediation Board on Monday in Washington. No agreement was reached. NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri thanked the board for convening the meeting in a statement, adding, “We found the discussion to […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — Prime Minister Mark Carney has reshuffled Canada’s cabinet following the Liberal Party’s victory in the April 28 national election — but the transport minister position is one of the few unchanged. Chrystia Freeland — who was Carney’s primary rival to lead the Liberals in party elections in — remains in the transportation […]
The Coalton Junction Mine is one of several coal operations found on the Allegheny & Lackawanna Southern. Today, a pair of Alco RS-1 diesel locomotives are busy switching cars at the mine. Lionel Strang of Midhurst, Ont., Canada, took the photo on his HO scale layout. Model Railroader‘s Photo of the Day features images from […]
The RSD5 diesel locomotive was produced by Alco from 1952 through 1956. Just over 200 of these units were produced, a small quantity compared to the more than 1,200 RS-3s Alco produced earlier in the same decade. The RSD5s produced 1600 hp with just over 71,000 pounds of tractive effort. The three-axle trucks, each axle […]
In the old days, when an accident had a rail line shut down, it was time to call the big hook, rugged cranes built for the biggest chores in the rail industry. The driving wheels of a passenger-service steam locomotive can be taller than a grown man, a 3-foot section of rail can weigh 155 […]
Atlas N scale EMD GP60 Scale: N (1:160) Price: Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $144.95; with ESU sound decoder, $254.95. Subtract $10 for undecorated models. Era: October 1985 to present Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas N scale EMD GP60 features: Body-mounted Accumate couplers Clear window glazing […]
It’s been two years since CPKC CEO Keith Creel drove the ceremonial final spike at Knoche Yard in Kansas City to celebrate the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern. The symbolic event marked what rail executives, regulators, and analysts all expected would be the last merger involving two Class I railroads. But now […]
Since 1994, Great Scenic Railway Journeys (GSRJ) on PBS has captivated viewers tuning in to “see the world from the scenic railroad.” It has catapulted Show Creator, Producer and now Host Robert Van Camp to 20 Emmys and the Program Excellence award from American Public Television. But for the man behind the camera, you see […]
