Kitbashing a large-scale Pacific for Jersey Central’s Bullet passenger train

green and black model steam engine on track

Kitbashing a large-scale Pacific from a broken Aristo-Craft model wasn’t easy, but the result has been worth the work. My family has a history of model railroading spanning three generations. My grandfather modeled O scale as a child in the 1940s and passed that love along to my father in the 1970s, and who got […]

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Atlas Berwick Forge & Fabricating 50-foot boxcar

illustration of orange boxcar

Berwick Forge & Fabricating 50-foot boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $47.95 (undecorated, $37.95) Era: 1978 to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com Berwick Forge & Fabricating 50-foot boxcar features: Accumate couplers Blackened metal wheels End ladders and brake gear Late sill variation Non-terminating sine wave ends […]

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Atlas N scale code 80 nickel silver 17” radius track

a packaged piece of track

Code 80 nickel silver 17” radius track Scale: N (1:160) Price: Six-pack, $5.95 Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com N scale code 80 nickel silver 17” radius track features: Code 80 nickel silver rail Injection-molded plastic ties Rail joiners Scheduled for release in July 2022 News & Products is a regular feature […]

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Rapido Trains HO scale New Haven EP-5 electric

New Haven locomotive on trackl

New Haven EP-5 electric The Rapido Trains HO scale New Haven EP-5 electric takes weary commuters to their homes on the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy in this video review of this new model. Beautifully weathered Rapido passenger cars from Trains.com director David Popp’s fleet make the perfect consist for the EP-5. […]

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Athearn Genesis International Car Co. cabooses

illustration of yellow caboose

Athearn Genesis HO scale International Car Co. cabooses Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: With NCE Digital Command Control decoder and lights, $119.99; with lights and SoundTraxx Tsunami SoundCar decoder, $149.99 Era: Late 1960s to 1980s (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com  International Car Co. caboose features: Axle generator detail […]

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Bettendorf, Iowa, approves agreement with Canadian Pacific over merger plans

Train with red locomotive next to river

BETTENDORF, Iowa — Canadian Pacific has agreed to pay the city of Bettendorf $3 million to address the community’s concerns over increased traffic resulting from its planned merger with Kansas City Southern. The Quad Cities Times reports that the agreement — which is subject to Surface Transportation Board approval of the merger — was agreed […]

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CN to spend $485 million on U.S. capital projects

Canadian National logo

HOMEWOOD, Ill. — Canadian National will spend $485 million on capital projects in eight states as the U.S. portion of its capital plan for 2022, the railroad has announced. Overall, the company will spend more than C$2.6 billion on its capital program. It had previously announced almost C$2 billion in Canadian projects [see “CN announces […]

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Alberta government turns down Calgary-Banff rail proposal

Rendering of three-car passenger train at station in mountains

CALGARY, Alberta — The Alberta government is not willing to support a proposed Calgary-Banff passenger rail operation in its current form, saying it presents too great a financial risk. The Globe and Mail reports that Alberta Transportation Minister Prasad Panda says the plan underestimates the capital costs and the annual financial contribution from the province, […]

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New York, New Jersey sign agreement on state funding for Northeast Corridor projects

Rendering of bridge with two trains

The governors of New York and New Jersey have signed an agreement detailing how the two states will fund their portion of the Northeast Corridor’s Gateway bridge and tunnel projects. The Memorandum of Understanding signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy addresses funding for the Portal North bridge over […]

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California budget deal creates high speed rail oversight position

Computer rendering of California high speed rail train at dusk

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A state budget agreement passed last week releases the final $4.2 billion in bond funds for California’s high speed rail project, while also creating a new inspector general position to provide oversight for the troubled project. The San Jose Mercury News reports the budget deal allows the 171-mile Central Valley section of […]

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June rail traffic provides mixed signals on state of economy

Weekly table showing U.S. carloads by commodity type plus overall intermodal figures

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic in June was down 3.2% from 2021 levels, providing mixed indicators about the state of the nation’s economy, according to the Association of American Railroads. The June figure included a 1.5% decline in carload traffic and a 4.6% drop in intermodal units. “As conjecture grows about the direction of the […]

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