Union Pacific’s I-5 corridor route to be closed until at least Sept. 1

Damaged bridge

WEED, Calif. — Union Pacific’s main line linking the Pacific Northwest and California — its Interstate 5 corridor — is likely to remain closed until at least Sept. 1 as a result of the wildfire that destroyed the massive Dry Canyon Bridge in Northern California along with 9 miles of right-of-way. The railroad informed customers […]

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How to make a removable ‘projecting’ sign for your structure

A model newspaper structure

“Projecting” signs have been part of the commercial landscape for years. In the early years of the 20th century, they often consisted of boards jutting out from the front of buildings with the business name on both sides. They’re also referred to as “blade” or “flag-mounted” signs. I wanted to model projecting signs in my […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, structure, electronic, and club offering announcements for July 15, 2021

Rapido Trains General Electric U25B diesel locomotive in varying paint schemes.

Product news 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 15, 2021. HO scale locomotives  2-6-0 Mogul steam locomotive. Atchison, Topeka […]

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Amtrak, shipper groups voice support for Biden executive order

Amtrak logo.

WASHINGTON — Amtrak and shipper groups have welcomed the executive order from President Joe Biden which seeks to increase competition among railroads. Biden signed the order on Friday, drawing criticism from the Association of American Railroads and some individual Class 1 roads [see “Biden executive order prods STB …,” Trains News Wire, July 9, 2021]. […]

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Neil Young’s O gauge railroad

Neil Young’s O gauge railroad

Neil Young’s O gauge railroad To begin, Neil created his layout, which covered approximately 1,000 square feet on his ranch in northern California, to run through an assortment of natural landscapes outside his home. That’s right – the unforgettable three-rail display was built not inside an immense train room but instead filled in space among […]

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How to clean old, rusty, and dirty track

Hal Miller in the workshop

Bought or inherited a load of tubular track? CTT editor Hal Miller shows his method of cleaning it up and getting it ready for trains to run properly on. This technique will help get rid of dirt and light rust, and help modelers avoid a few pitfalls that could be detrimental to operation. […]

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VIA’s Ocean to resume once-weekly round trips in August

Passenger train with dome-lound-observation at rear

MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada says it is relaunching its last suspended route on Wednesday, Aug. 11, when the formerly triweekly Ocean departs Halifax, Nova Scotia, for Montreal for the first time since March 2020. The overnighter’s first eastbound return is set for Sunday, August 15. Service is finally resuming as a result of “progressive […]

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Safety board to examine if train caused Lytton fire; Canadian government announces new safety measures

Transportation Safety Board of Canada logo

LYTTON, B.C. — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, citing information from two other agencies, says it is investigating the possibility a freight train caused the fire which destroyed most of the town of Lytton, killing two people. Meanwhile, Transport Canada on Sunday announced new measures to address wildfire risks. The Canadian Press reports the […]

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Broken coupler led to CP yard derailment, TSB report finds

Aerial photo of derailment, with notations identifying each car

CALGARY, Alberta — A coupler failure led to a string of cars rolling uncontrolled in a Canadian Pacific yard in Calgary and hitting a group of stationary cars, causing a 22-car derailment, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined in its investigation of the January 2019 incident. According to the TSB’s summary of the incident, […]

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Sound Transit to receive $252 million in federal grants for light rail projects

Sound Transit logo

WASHINGTON — Sound Transit will receive more than $250 million in federal grants for a pair of projects extending light rail lines, Washington state’s two U.S. senators announced Friday. The awards come as the agency prepares to announce plans to delay some planned construction projects as a result of a $12 billion funding shortfall — […]

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