RRHMA restoring Union Pacific café diner lounge

Yellow passenger car in shop building

SILVIS, Ill. — Railroading Heritage of Midwest America has begun restoration work on former Union Pacific café-diner-lounge No. 5016. RRHMA is advertising that tours of the car to see work in progress will be offered with the purchase of tickets to the Trains and Tractors event at Silvis Oct. 18 and 19. Plans are to […]

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Charlie Bailey’s O gauge layout

scene on toy train layout

Charlie Bailey is passionate about toy trains. He collects Standard gauge (modern reissues from Lionel and MTH) and takes pride in the wonderfully detailed and expertly wired O gauge railroad filling much of the lower portion of the home he shares with his wife, Jane. We’re thrilled to be able to tour Charlie Bailey’s 42 […]

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Commentary: How to re-invigorate your love of toy trains

chart with colored lines

Editor’s note: I’ve found a number of unpublished manuscripts in our file cabinets. This one dates from around 1999. Does it still apply today? Do you think that simplifying or finding a new aspect of the hobby can re-invigorate your love of toy trains? Leave a comment and let us know. As railroad enthusiasts go, […]

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Florida’s Sugar Express adds former Florida East Coast observation car to its fleet

silver train

Sugar Express CLEWISTON, Fla. — U.S. Sugar’s Sugar Express train consist continues to grow in length, and its latest addition is an historic streamlined railcar with a strong Florida pedigree. Round-end observation lounge car Bay Biscayne arrived on U.S. Sugar’s Clewiston headquarters in July, and has been added to the Sugar Express 9-car excursion train […]

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Tom Kaiser’s O gauge layout

overview of toy train layout

Name: Tom Kaiser’s O gauge layout Dimensions: 10½ x 11 feet Track: Lionel FasTrack (diameters range from 31 to 60 inches) Motive power: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel, MTH, Ready Made Trains, Williams Rolling stock: K-Line, Lionel, Menards, MTH, Ready Made Trains, Williams Controls: MRC transformers (2) Accessories: K-Line, Lionel, Marx Structures: Bachmann, K-Line, Lionel, MTH, Plasticville U.S.A., scratchbuilt   See more in the […]

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Repairing an LGB Stainz locomotive

A toy train in an outdoor setting

LGB’s Stainz locomotive is an icon in the large scale hobby. Not only is it instantly recognizable, it also tugs at the strings in our modeling hearts. For many garden railway fans (myself included), the Stainz was most likely their first locomotive. When I found a milk crate full of used large scale items, including […]

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Intramotev shows off autonomous, battery-electric stack car (with video)

ST. LOUIS — Intramotev, the startup company that converts conventional freight cars to battery-electric, self-propelled vehicles, has debuted an autonomous double-stack car. The company showed off the TugVolt well car in a video released this week. The 20-year-old former TTX car carries two 40-foot international containers as it moves independently along trackage in Intramotev’s facility. […]

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Why do railroads use catenary?

Orange, black, and white model electric locomotive running under catenary.

When you think about electrified rail lines today, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. But in the first half of the 1900s, before the start of the diesel era, railroads used electrified lines to move freight and passengers. Examples in the east included the New York, New Haven & […]

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More Jersey-style eye candy

Tuscan Red and gold stripped modern electric passenger locomotive.

NJ Transit has wrapped and painted numerous locomotives to reflect its heritage, commemorate significant service dates, honor the armed forces and recognize New Jersey businesses and social concerns. This “eye candy” makes the daily commute a bit more fun, not knowing how the next locomotive into the station will be decorated. Beyond the images presented […]

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Hitachi Rail to build 200 new cars for SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line

Illustration of rapid-transit car at speed

PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority today awarded a contract to Hitachi Rail for 200 new railcars for its Market-Frankford Line rapid-transit fleet. The contract is worth $724.3 million, not including an option for up to 40 additional cars. Delivery of the cars is scheduled to begin in 2029 with completion by the end […]

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CSX joins RailPulse telematics joint venture

Logo of RailPulse consortium

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX has become the fourth Class I railroad to join RailPulse, the telematics joint venture that aims to put GPS equipment and sensors on freight cars to monitor their location and health in real time. The announcement, made today, leaves BNSF Railway and Canadian National as the only major systems sitting on […]

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