GP30 carbody to Montana Western Rail shop in Airway Heights, Wash., southwest of Spokane, has rebuilt a new locomotive for Central Montana Railroad. CMR GP38-3M No. 3001 was released in late January for testing and delivery. The locomotive was originally built as Rio Grande GP30 No. 3001 and was most recently part of the Hudson […]
Section: News & Reviews
Trains News Wire Digest for Friday, Feb. 14 NEWSWIRE

Rail news for your Friday morning: — The Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that Sound Transit may continue charging auto registration taxes, rejecting the argument in a class-action lawsuit that the taxes, known locally as car-tab fees, are unconstitutional. The Seattle Times reports the court ruled 7-2 for the transit agency. — LA-area commuter […]
Trains News Wire Round-up for the week of Feb. 14, 2020 NEWSWIRE
Trains editors discuss railroad news that is fit to publish for the week of Feb. 14, 2020. This week, Rob and Steve talk about a CSX derailment and fire, Canadian National’s network shut down, and the return of the East Broad Top Railroad! […]
Expanded review: Kato USA N scale Chicago & North Western Peninsula 400

[…]
Athearn HO EMD SD45T-2 tunnel motor

Athearn HO EMD SD45T-2 tunnel motor The body shell can be lifted off after removing the draft gear boxes and two screws. Dual speakers situated above the intake grills make for powerful sound. Athearn Trains is launching an HO scale model of Electro-Motive Division’s SD45T-2 Tunnel Motor. Though it’s part of the manufacturer’s Ready-to-Roll line, […]
WalthersMainline HO National Steel Car 5150 covered hopper

WalthersMainline HO National Steel Car 5150 covered hopper A National Steel Car 5,150-cubic-foot-capacity three-bay covered hopper has been added to the WalthersMainline HO scale product range. The newly tooled injection-molded plastic model features a one-piece body, a trough-style hatch cover, and 100-ton trucks. Our sample is decorated as Union Pacific no. 90687, a class CH-100-121 […]
Fleischmann/Roco Z21 Booster and Light Booster

Fleischmann/Roco Z21 Booster and Light Booster In addition to B Bus and track outputs, the fully featured Z21 booster also includes CAN and CDE outputs. The Z-Link socket is for future system expansion. As a layout gets larger, setting up short-circuit protected power districts becomes more important. These Digital Command Control (DCC) boosters from Fleischmann/Roco […]
CN begins ‘progressive shutdown’ in Eastern Canada (updated) NEWSWIRE

MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway is beginning “a disciplined and progressive shutdown of its operations in Eastern Canada,” the railroad announced today, as a result of ongoing blockades of its lines in Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia. The move will lead to a halt to all VIA Rail Canada operations. VIA said in a statement […]
First of Amtrak’s new Acelas will depart New York State for high speed testing in Colorado NEWSWIRE

WASHINGTON – The first of Amtrak’s 28 new Acela trainsets, scheduled to enter service throughout the Northeast Corridor in 2021, will be leaving from Alstom’s facility in Hornell, N.Y. on Monday, Feb. 17 for high-speed testing at the Transportation Technology Center near Pueblo, Colo. Nine months of dynamic testing will include the trainset’s pantograph, railway […]
News Wire Digest Second Section for Thursday, Feb. 13 NEWSWIRE

A jury has awarded more than $10 million to a passenger injured in the December 2017 derailment of an ‘Amtrak Cascades’ train in DuPont, Wash. Steve Carter More Thursday morning rail news: — In the latest trial stemming from the fatal December 2017 crash of an Amtrak Cascades train at DuPont, Wash., a jury has […]
News Wire Digest Third Section for Thursday, Feb. 13 NEWSWIRE

And still more rail news on a very busy Thursday: — Denver’s Regional Transportation District is threatening legal action against the contractor building its N Line commuter route to Thornton, Colo. In a notice posted on its website, the RTD says it is considering issuing a former notice of default against Regional Rail Partners after […]
Trains News Wire Digest for Thursday, Feb. 13 (updated) NEWSWIRE

Part one of your rail news roundup for Thursday: — Two CSX employees have been hospitalized after a CSX train derailed and caught fire this morning near Elkhorn City, Ky. WYMT-TV reports the train was carrying ethanol. CSX reports this afternoon that the train consisted of three locomotives, 96 loaded ethanol cars and two cars […]