Hattons Model Railways to close doors

Hattons Model Railways logo

After 77 years in the model railway business, Hattons Model Railways has announced its upcoming closure. Hattons Model Railways opened in 1946 and has produced its own models, distributed other manufacturers’ products, purchased and sold pre-owned collections, and staffed a brick-and-mortar store. The exact date of closing is not known yet, but it will be […]

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European rail freight to see major changes in 2024

Green and gray diesel lcomotive with tank cars

Europe’s biggest rail freight companies are facing major challenges in 2024, despite efforts by politicians to encourage more freight movement by rail and less by road. In some countries, new ownership or new companies are challenging established operators and providing business opportunities for smaller companies. In most of Europe, the biggest rail freight company is […]

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Operator of Scotland’s ‘Harry Potter’ train loses in court over safety requirements

Steam train on curved viaduct with large number of people taking photos in foreground

LONDON — The operator of the seasonal steam excursion known as the “Harry Potter train” has lost a court bid to block actions by British regulators, leaving in doubt the future of its operation of the celebrated train in the Scottish Highlands. West Coast Railways operates the train officially known as The Jacobite, which appears […]

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Miniature coleus

miniature coleus

Latin name: Solenostemon scutellarioides Common name: Miniature coleus Growth rate: Varies Plant type: Annual Cultural needs: Full sun to partial shade, moderate water Coleus plants aren’t just for windowsills and border edging anymore. Hundreds of exciting varieties are now available from specialty growers, offering an amazing array of colors and textures for gardens everywhere. Miniature […]

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News Wire Year in Review: Top international stories, part 2

Broken rails and ties inside tunnel, with work train in background

A major accident in the world’s longest rail tunnel, and the continuing role of railways in the Ukraine war, comprise the second part of our look at the top international rail stories of 2023. Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel closed The derailment of a freight train in the world’s longest rail tunnel on Aug. 10 led […]

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News Wire Year in Review: Top international stories, part 1

Blue, yellow, and silver high speed train

The year 2023 has seen major new rail lines enter service around the world, with new high-speed lines opening as far apart as Spain and Indonesia. High speed developments weren’t quite as positive in the United Kingdom, where part of the HS2 system was axed by the government. And new railway technology, in the form […]

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New equipment, new routes, new operators: European overnight trains expand

Red electric locomotive with dark-colored passenger cars

New train fleets and new long-distance overnight services are highlights of the annual European timetable change which took place Dec. 10. The growth of the night-train network — after decades of relative decline from the 1980s to around a decade ago — is largely due to the growth in demand for sustainable travel, with many […]

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Scotland’s famed ‘Harry Potter’ steam train faces regulatory threat

Steam-powered passenger train in UK on curved trestle

LONDON — A safety dispute between British rail regulators and the operator of summer steam trains through the West Highlands of Scotland threatens to prevent the trains — now internationally famous — from running next year. The trains in question gained their fame as the “Harry Potter Train,” as the route – and especially the curved […]

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Spanish high-speed line under mountains opens after 20 years of construction

White high speed train emerging from tunnel

MADRID — The King of Spain, King Felipe VI, and his top government ministers have officially opened a new railway line linking the northern province of Asturias to the rest of the Spanish high-speed network, traveling on Nov. 29 in a specially operated high speed train between Madrid and Gijon on the northern coast of […]

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Competition heats up under the English Channel

Two high speed trains under station trainshed

LONDON — Since the Channel Tunnel connecting Britain and France opened in 1994, a high speed passenger service operated by Eurostar has connected London, Paris and Brussels (extended to Amsterdam in 2018). Although competition on the route has been theoretically possible for decades, none has started — but this may be about to change as no […]

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British man still in intensive care after Argentine derailment

Train next to displaced track

BARILOCHE, Argentina — A British tourist remains hospitalized in intensive care as a result of injuries suffered in the Nov. 12 derailment of a narrow-gauge tourist train in Patagonia, according to local media reports. Four tourists required hospitalization after the La Trochita train, also known as the Old Patagonian Express, overturned in a remote area […]

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