Why does the Reading & Northern seem to have so many covered hoppers?

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Covered hoppers on a coal-hauling railroad? It makes perfect sense. Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have questions on model railroading or full-size railroads? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where editors answer the […]

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What are the duties and responsibilities of a trainmaster?

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What are the duties and responsibilities of a trainmaster? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have questions on model railroading or full-size railroads? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where editors answer the questions […]

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Why do some of the major railroads use concrete ties while others don’t?

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Concrete ties are gaining in popularity. But what’s the difference between the two? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have questions on model railroading or full-size railroads? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where […]

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Were water barrels on platforms used on wooden trestles or steel trestles? How were they kept filled?

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After viewing photos of trestles, this reader noticed water barrels on platforms spaced along the trestle, which then sparked a series of questions. Were these used only on wooden trestles? Or were they also needed on steel trestles? How were the barrels kept filled? And did they have covers to reduce evaporation? Cody answers all […]

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Amtrak Capitol Limited adventure — bear and steak included

red, blue and silver passenger train winding around a mountain curve.

Amtrak Capitol Limited adventure   My family roots run deep in Wisconsin. For the last three or four generations, virtually all my relatives have been born and raised in Wisconsin. Only a few have slipped in from Illinois or out to Iowa and Ohio, but that’s alright. The college years and beyond In my youth, […]

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The Lionel Acela exposed

The Lionel Acela exposed

  “The Lionel Acela exposed” was originally published in the May 2013 Classic Toy Trains. Noted Kalmbach illustrator Rick Johnson produced numerous cutaway illustrations for various brands during his career, but few were this detailed. Along with text by toy train mechanical expert Matt Troester and based on photography by Bill Zuback, this is a […]

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Amtrak Hiawatha service highlights

Amtrak locomotive at passenger station

Amtrak Hiawatha service highlights Amtrak runs daily trains called the Hiawatha Service between Milwaukee and Chicago. This service provides easy access for those living in Southeastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois to the downtown centers of both cities. There are six daily trains in both directions, an additional train at peak morning commute times during weekdays, […]

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Amtrak Empire Builder dining

Plated chocolate dessert with fork.

Amtrak Empire Builder dining is among the more pleasant experiences on passenger trains these days. Join David Popp for a look at eating on a moving train in Summer 2022. When traveling on Amtrak’s premier long-distance trains, sleeping car passengers are provided complementary meals in the dining car, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Amtrak’s website […]

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Small O and S gauge layouts have always been part of the hobby

Marx Christmas layout

Small O and S gauge layouts are how the hobby began. To demonstrate the wonders of layouts designed to fit into small spaces, let’s travel back to when most current enthusiasts were youngsters. This most likely means we’re talking about the 25 years immediately following World War II. These men and women can trace their […]

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What is the purpose of the round, concave metal discs located on the frame of locomotives?

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What is the purpose of the round, concave metal discs located on the frame of locomotives just inside the stairs, both front and rear, four altogether facing fore and aft on locomotives of the GP9 era? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have questions about details on diesel locomotives, […]

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