WASHINGTON – The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill President Biden is slated to sign into law today (Monday, Nov. 15) contains funding for a study of Class I railroads’ use of ever-longer trains and their impact on safety, grade crossings, freight and passenger service, and the environment. The measure provides up to $2 million for the […]
MONTROSE, Iowa — A collision between a BNSF Railway train and a barge sent coal hoppers and diesel fuel into the Mississippi River on Saturday night, the Burlington Hawk Eye reported. The barge was parked along the shore of the river in a position that left the nose of the barge extending over the adjacent […]
SAVANNAH, Ga. — The second portion of the Port of Savannah’s Mason Mega Rail Terminal is now in operation, increasing intermodal capacity at the port by more than 30%. The second phase of the project adds nine new tracks to nine that opened in 2020 as part of a project that, overall, has added more […]
MONTREAL — Light rail equipment for Montreal’s Réseau Express Métropolitain system shows manufacturing flaws that could put passengers at risk, the Montreal Gazette reported, citing a French-language report by Radio-Canada. The report says the first group of light rail vehicles delivered to Quebec from construction in India shows wiring, assembly, and finishing exhibiting “a breach […]
BLOOMFIELD, N.J. — The state of New Jersey is purchasing an abandoned rail right-of-way from Norfolk Southern Railroad to turn it into a linear park, a project Gov. Phil Murphy is comparing to New York City’s landmark High Line Park. WNBC-TV reports Murphy on Friday announced the state’s purchase of the 9-mile-long, 100-foot-wide route from Montclair […]
Washington Hill Electro-Motive F3s on a westbound freight wait in the clear at Chester, Mass., for the New England States to pass on its way to Chicago. Pacific 589 assists the States’ road engine, a three-unit Baldwin diesel, up Washington Hill. James D. Bennett photo […]
There is probably no other aspect of our hobby that creates more anxiety and confusion for newcomers than wiring. When you’re starting at absolute ground zero on the learning curve it can be daunting at times. However, at the most basic level, what we’re trying to do is get electricity from a power source to […]
Tichy Train Group, manufacturer of structure and freight car details, decals, and other products in N, HO, S, and O scales, has added a one-room schoolhouse kit to its HO scale product line-up. The injection-molded styrene schoolhouse includes windows, two different doors, an outhouse, 28” of fancy picket fence, porch railings, a one-piece roof, and […]
Eastern Seaboard Models, well-known for its N and Z scale products, announced that it will be entering the HO scale market. The company’s initial offerings will be Magor and Pacific Car & Foundry 40-foot XIH heated, insulated plug-door boxcars. The first cars will be a circa 1950 Bangor & Aroostook boxcar based on a Magor […]
Athearn announced that it will be adding a Union Pacific Electro-Motive Division (EMD) SD59M-2 diesel locomotive to its Genesis 2.0 line. The HO scale six-axle road locomotive is based on prototypes rebuilt from EMD SD60M phase II diesels. The newly tooled Athearn Genesis 2.0 model will include separate, factory-applied uncoupling levers, m.u. hoses, and sander […]
Pennsylvania Railroad HO scale transition era layouts Pennsylvania Railroad HO scale transition era layouts are among the grandest and most visually stunning in model railroading. Bridges, viaducts, and tunnels stitch together verdant vistas. Brunswick green, Tuscan red, or plain black steam and diesel locomotives thread drag freights and limiteds alike through lush canyons, beside quarries, […]
If you want a structure for your outdoor layout that will hold up to the elements, consider using clay. I’m an art teacher and when I began my outdoor railroad it was my first choice of materials for my buildings. You can buy clay from local sources or online. Most catalogs sell it in 50-pound […]
