Trial of Amtrak 188 engineer set to begin

ntsb188

PHILADELPHIA — The lengthy legal saga of the engineer in a fatal 2015 Amtrak accident will finally go before a jury asked to determine if the events of that day constitute a crime. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports a trial is slated to begin today (Tuesday, Feb. 22) in which Brandon Bostian, 38, is charged with […]

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RDC’s Vivarail to supply all-battery trains for London route

White passenger train of multiple-unit cars with yellow noise and black doors

LONDON — Vivarail, the British passenger train re-manufacturing company owned by the Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corp., has won a contract to provide battery trains for passenger service in the suburbs west of London. Vivarail has developed a range of passenger trains using electric, diesel, and battery power which are now in regional service in England […]

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Rare Fairbanks-Morse locomotives looking for new home

Black and white photo of train in mountains with three diesels

CALGARY, Alberta — The Locomotive & Railway Historical Society of Western Canada is seeking homes for three Fairbanks-Morse locomotives that will become homeless later this year. The locomotives are Canadian Pacific FM H16-44 No. 8554, part of Canadian Pacific’s former historical collection, and a pair of Canadian Pacific FM CPB16-4 B units built as CP […]

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An opportunity for the millennial railroader: Analysis

Intermodal train passes between two stopped trains

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Class I railroads are hiring train crews to replace the droves of workers who retired or left the railroad during the coronavirus pandemic. Class I railroads currently employ less than 115,000 workers, 12% fewer than before the pandemic, according to Class I railroad data compiled by the Surface Transportation Board. Despite an […]

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Cody’s Trackside Finds: A small station study

A gray metal railroad station with a brick chimney and utility pole in foreground.

I’ve always had a soft spot for small stations. One such example can be found about 30 minutes west of Model Railroader’s Waukesha, Wis., headquarters in Jefferson. Just north of the city of 8,000 is a location on the Union Pacific (UP) called Jefferson Junction. When the Chicago & North Western (C&NW) operated the line, […]

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What is an operating weekend on a model railroad layout?

An operator kneels to photograph his train as five other operators run trains behind him on a double-deck layout.

What is an operating weekend and how does it work? Answer: Well, a group of layout owners who live somewhat near one another decide they want to have folks from out of their area come run their layouts. Organizing an operating weekend But there’s more to an operating weekend than inviting people over to run […]

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News & Products for the week of February 24, 2022

Photo of black and yellow HO scale locomotive on scenicked base.

Product news Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 24, 2022.   HO scale locomotives   Electro-Motive Division F7A diesel […]

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Ask MR: What kind of ballast should I use?

An eyedropper is used to soak ballast around scale railroad track with alcohol.

    Q: I’m designing an HO scale model railroad that will include an old mountain main line that’s due to be closed after a new bypass line has been constructed. Though my line will be freelanced, some examples of what I’m thinking of would be the old Colorado Midland Hagerman Pass line or the Denver […]

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Roger Holmes, railroader, photographer, and historian, dies

Black and white photo of smiling, bearded man

Railroader, photographer, and rail historian Roger Holmes of Hudson, Ill., died Saturday, Feb. 19, after a six-week battle with COVID-19. He was 73. Holmes was a former Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway dispatcher, and had worked for the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad and the Chicago & North Western. He had recently worked with younger […]

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