Texas Eagle lounge car set to return; other long-distance trains to gain capacity

People sitting at tables in lounge car

CHICAGO — Beginning with its southbound departure on Monday, March 3, the Chicago-San Antonio Texas Eagle will gain a staffed Superliner Sightseer Lounge-café. The first eastbound trip is slated for March 5 after the equipment turns at the Texas city. The train will retain its diner-lounge, which will continue to provide “flexible” self-contained meals to […]

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News & Products for the week of February 24th 2025

A red model boxcar

News & Products for the week of February 24th 2025   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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 24th, […]

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Lionel Disney D23 Mickey and Friends caboose

side of Disney caboose

Lionel sent a sample of their Disney D23 caboose (No. 2401565) for review. D23 is the Official Disney Fan Club and got its name from their fan/exposition events. Sort of like a Comic-Con International for Disney fans. This caboose is a familiar design. It’s a 5Nc porthole center cupola caboose, the prototype most commonly found […]

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Coaster commuter rail to offer free rides for 30th anniversary

Man speaking at podium on station platform with blue railcar in background

SAN DIEGO — The San Diego-area Coaster commuter rail service will celebrate its 30th anniversary by offering free rides this Thursday, Feb. 27. The service launched on Feb. 27, 1995, offering six trains during the morning commute and six in the evening. It has grown to include 15 round trips weekdays (with a 16th on […]

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Railcar company Trinity sees drop in fourth-quarter revenue and profits

Logo of Trinity Industries

DALLAS — Trinity Industries saw revenue and profit fall in the fourth quarter on fewer deliveries of new railcars and said U.S. tariffs are expected to cut industry deliveries by 20% in 2025. On Thursday (Feb. 20), Trinity reported revenue for the three months ending Dec. 31 of $629 million, down from $798 million year […]

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Adding 18-foot Bachmann flatcars to the Fleet

Engine #24 heads out of Strong with flat # 323 in the consist on its way to Kingfield.

Our On30 Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad is a bit smaller than its prototype counterpart, running only from Kingfield to Strong, quite a few miles less than the 120 + miles covered by its full-scale counterpart. With this in mind, after seeing some Bachmann On30 18-foot boxcars on the internet, I decided that having […]

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News & Products for the week of February 17th 2025

A blue model boxcar from the front end of the model

News & Products for the week of February 17th 2025   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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 17th, […]

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Former NJ Transit coaches boost Pacific Surfliner

Passenger train in morning light running next to ocean

LOS ANGELES — To help provide additional equipment for Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains, the service’s operating agency has turned to using seven rebuilt, ex-New Jersey Transit Comet 1B coaches for the past seven months. The Comet 1B coaches, which arrived in Los Angeles in June of 2024, were originally part of a larger, 14-car purchase […]

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Reduced Sounder service to continue until further notice

Commuter train led by cab car on bridge

SEATTLE — Reduction of Sounder commuter rail service will continue until further notice, Sound Transit has announced. Two of the four round trips on the N Line between Seattle and Everett have been suspended, as have two of the 13 round trips on the S line between Seattle and Tacoma/Lakewood. The revised schedules are available […]

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Railroad paint schemes

Color photo of two HO scale diesels in green and black paint.

Hobbyists are drawn to specific railroads for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it was the line that served their hometown. Or maybe a relative worked on the railroad. Another reason — with less sentimental attachment — is that they like the paint scheme. The colors applied to diesel locomotives and freight cars are far from […]

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VIA equipment issues lead to service cuts in Ottawa-Toronto corridor

Cab car leads train into station

OTTAWA, Ontario — VIA Rail Canada has trimmed trains from its Ottawa-Toronto schedule until at least March because of equipment availability issues, the transportation advocacy group Transport Action Canada reports. In a post on its website, the group lists these trains as currently suspended: — Daily trains No. 42 (a 12:17 p.m. departure from Toronto) […]

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Repurposed flatcars become bridges as part of North Carolina hurricane recovery

Yellow flatcar in use as roadway bridge over waterway

Obsolete railcars are getting a reprieve from the scrapper’s torch to serve as vital road links in an area of North Carolina ravaged by Hurricane Helene. The North Carolina Department of Transportation and Innovative Bridge Co. are installing retired flatcars as a quick fix to temporarily replace road bridges damaged or destroyed by the storm […]

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