The HO scale Long Island Rail Road layout

A model railroad track plan for the Long Island Railroad layout

Facts and features   Name: Long Island Rail RoadScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 27′-7″ x 48′-9″ Prototype: Long Island Rail Road Locale: Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and north shore of Long Island (to Greenlawn)Era: 1964 (diesel) or 1954 (steam)Mainline run: approximately 300 feet Minimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 4 (yards), No. 6 (main and crossovers) Maximum grade: 3%Benchwork: […]

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Rare-mileage trip on Reading & Northern to benefit museum

RDC cars emerging from tunnel in forest

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The National Museum of Industrial History will offer a day-long, rare-mileage trip to Vosburg Tunnel on the Reading & Northern Railroad, using two R&N Budd Rail Diesel Cars, on Wednesday, July 31. The 3,900-foot former Lehigh Valley Railroad tunnel north of Tunkhannock, Pa., was completed in 1886. The trip, the 2024 Anthracite […]

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Amtrak may be planning to combine Capitol Limited and Silver Star: Analysis (updated)

WASHINGTON — Circumstantial evidence gleaned from Amtrak’s booking site portends mid-November changes to the operation of the Chicago-Washington, D.C. Capitol Limited and the New York-Miami Silver Star. A Trains News Wire review of ticketing availabilities on the two trains indicates tentative plans to combine their operation as a single-level Chicago-Miami train. Doing so would allow […]

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Officials sign off on $6.88 billion grant for Gateway Tunnel

Large group of people with oversized check for $6.88 billion

NEW YORK — Officials signed off on a $6.88 billion federal grant Monday for the Northeast Corridor’s Gateway Tunnel project — the largest single federal grant ever for a transit infrastructure project, and part of $11 billion in federal money for the $16 billion project to build two new bores under the Hudson River between […]

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Amtrak service between New York, Boston restored

Amtrak logo.

NEW YORK — Amtrak service on the Northeast Corridor between Boston and New York City was restored as of about 9 p.m. Saturday night, the passenger operator announced late Saturday evening. The company says the preliminary cause is a lightning strike that disrupted power. Normal operations are planned for today except for three early trains […]

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Amtrak NEC service halted between New York, Boston

Amtrak high speed train meets Metro-North electric multiple-unit trainset

NEW YORK — Amtrak service between New York City and Boston was cancelled for the remainder of today (Saturday, July 6) as of mid-afternoon because of “an ongoing electric power issue,” the passenger operator said in a service alert on its website posted at 5:50 p.m. ET. An earlier notification indicated that the problem was […]

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MBTA completes agreements with all 28 of its unions

Worker welding in subway tunnel

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has completed agreements with all 28 of its labor unions, an accomplishment covering 16 collective bargaining agreements, the agency announced today (Wednesday, July 3). The agency says this is the first time in 15 years it has had agreements in place with all its unions, and — with […]

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MBTA Orange Line work removes six more speed restrictions

Equipment and men working on rail line under bridge

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced it eliminated six speed restrictions during the latest service shutdown on its rapid transit network, suspensions of Orange Line service between North Station and Oak Grove June 22-23 and between North Station and Wellington June 24-30. “We continue to accomplish long deferred maintenance, repairs, and full-depth track […]

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Five train layouts you can visit this summer

Large model train layout with full-scale red caboose in the background

Planning your travel for this summer? Be sure to include some model trains in those plans! These five train layouts throughout the country (and world) are all worth a visit this summer. Colorado Model Railroad Museum Featuring more than 500 HO scale locomotives, 80 scale miles of track, and tens of thousands of handmade trees, […]

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Amtrak awards contract to replace Connecticut River Bridge

Illustration of double-track bridge with lift span in middle

NEW YORK — Amtrak announced on Friday, June 28, that had awarded a construction contract to build a new Connecticut River Bridge on the Northeast Corridor to replace the existing 116-year-old structure. A joint venture of O&G/Tutor Perini received the contract award for the $1.3 billion project, which has received a $827 million Federal Railroad […]

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‘Roger Williams’ trainset to be displayed July 20 at Canaan Railroad Days

RDC car with locomotive-style nose in yard of museum

NORTH CANAAN, Conn. — The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum of Lenox, Mass., in collaboration with the Houstatonic Railroad and Budd RDC Foundation, will display the Budd-built Roger Williams trainset on Saturday, July 20, as part of Canaan Railroad Days in North Canaan. Railroad Days, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, recognizes the rich railroad history of […]

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