STRASBURG, Pa. — The Strasburg Rail Road wasted no time unleashing its workhorse, 2-10-0 No. 90 back onto the tourist railroad’s main line through the Amish countryside. The locomotive began 45-minute excursion runs by early April, mechanically fresh from a federally mandated 1,472-day boiler inspection that began in early 2024. Cosmetically, the gold numbers, lettering, […]
Learning how to install roadbed at a turnout, a place where tracks meet or diverge, is a valuable skill for all model railroaders to have. Installing strips of cork or foam roadbed for straight or curved tracks is a straightforward process. Mark the center line, split the roadbed sections into flexible strips, and glue them […]
Recently, I began teaching a series of classes at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania titled Railroad Photography 101. I cover the basics in this two-hour course, beginning with a short digital slide show encompassing more than 60 years of photography. I also provide a list of 10 basic tips — things like making sure batteries […]
Rapido HO MOW flat and camp cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single camp car, $69.95; three-pack (diner, kitchen, and office vans), $199.95; and six-pack (sleeper vans), $399.95. Separate sale camp trailers (dining, kitchen, office, and sleeper), $24.95 each. Conrail F30A MOW flatcar with deck rails: Single car, $54.95; six-pack, $329.70. Era: 1980s to present Manufacturer: […]
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern has launched a Trades on Track scholarship program to help the railroad attract vocational students to its workforce. The $5,000 scholarships can be used for tuition, computer equipment, tools, and other expenses for people living in any one of the 22 states that NS serves. Atlanta-based SkillPointe Foundation is overseeing the […]
WASHINGTON – Amtrak said today that it has eliminated 450 management positions as it looks to cut costs and reach operational profitability by 2028. The cutback equals just over 10% of Amtrak’s management jobs, the railroad said in a memo to employees. “We took the difficult step of informing about 250 people that their positions […]
U.S. weekly rail traffic for the week ending May 3 totaled 498,693 carloads and intermodal units, up 7.6 percent compared with the same week last year, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR). Carloads totaled 225,641 units, up 5.6 percent compared to prior year, and intermodal volume totaled 273,052 containers and trailers, up 9.4 […]
Newark, N.J. — According to a joint May 7 press release, NJ Transit and its largest labor union, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), have reached a tentative contract agreement. NJ Transit is the nation’s third largest provider of bus, rail, and light rail transit, linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia. The […]
Track selection is among the first decisions you’ll have to make when you get started in model railroading, second only to scale. In HO (1:87.1), the two most commonly used track sizes are code 100 and code 83. “Code” refers to the height of the rail, measured in thousandths of an inch. For a lot […]
Recently, CTT was on location at the Milwaukee Lionel Railroad Club to shoot video. Here are a few photos of what happened during the event. Stay tuned for video on Trains.com soon! […]
WASHINGTON – The Association of American Railroads has asked the Department of Transportation to scuttle the Federal Railroad Administration’s two-person train crew rule. “For too long, outdated, arbitrary regulations have stood in the way of implementing data-backed solutions that can further strengthen railroads’ already remarkable safety record,” AAR CEO Ian Jefferies said in a statement. […]
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — Reading Co. T-1 No. 2100 is nearing the finish line of its restoration at the hands of the American Steam Railroad Preservation Association (ASR). As part of the fundraising efforts to complete the project, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization has partnered with the Cincinnati Scenic Railway (CSR) to offer 50 benefit […]
