Digest: U.S. Sugar operates steam-powered holiday train

Steam locomotive pulling train over water on a pile causeway.

U.S. Sugar fires up No. 148 for ‘Santa Express’ U.S. Sugar volunteers, joined by members of the U.S. Marine Corps and local representatives from Toys for Tots, operated its 4-6-2, No. 148, as the “Santa Express” from U.S. Sugar’s Clewiston, Fla., headquarters on on Saturday, delivering presents for children of the Florida Glades farming communities […]

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Minnesota Commercial Railway owner John Gohmann dies

Balding caucasian man wearing eyeglasses and brown coat.

John Gohmann, owner of the Minnesota Commercial Railroad — a notable early success story in the shortline industry that developed in the wake of Staggers Act deregulation — has died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Libertyville, Ill. He was 73. Gohmann began his railroad career as a yard clerk for the Chicago & […]

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Model railroad locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, and details announcements for December 17, 2020

A train on the tracks

Product news Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, structures, electronics, train sets, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroad editors have news on for the week of Dec. 17, 2020. HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD40 diesel locomotive. Atchison, […]

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HO scale Royal Gorge Route

HO scale Royal Gorge Route

The layout at a glance Name: Royal Gorge Route Layout owner: Florida Scale Rails club Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 8 x 12 feet Prototype: Denver & Rio Grande Western (standard and HOn3 narrow gauge); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; and Union Pacific Locale: Colorado Era: 1930s to ’60s Mainline run: 75 feet Minimum radius: 22″ […]

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N scale Bone Valley v. 2

N scale Bone Valley v. 2

The layout at a glance Name: Bone Valley Layout owner: Alex Marchand Scale: N (1:160) Size: 6′-7″ x 7′-0″ Prototype: CSX/Seaboard System Locale: West Central Florida Era: late 1980s Style: multilevel, gallery Mainline run: 40 feet Minimum radius: 12″ Minimum turnout: no. 6 Maximum grade: none Benchwork: extruded-foam insulation board on 1 x 2 frame […]

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HO scale Midwest Lines

HO scale Midwest Lines

The layout at a glance Name: Midwest Lines Layout owner: Rolf Plachter Scale: HO (1:87.1) Size: 33 x 52 feet Prototype: freelanced, inspired by Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Rock Island; and Union Pacific Locale: Denver to Milwaukee Era: mid-1960s Style: around-the-walls Mainline run: 400 feet Minimum radius: 36″ Minimum turnout: no. 4 Maximum grade: 2 […]

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Development of hydrogen-powered trains continues, but battery-powered equipment making more inroads

A blue-painted passenger train under mostly clear skies.

BERLIN — In Germany. where the world’s first hydrogen powered train entered service in 2018, the new propulsion technology has not resulted in large contracts for new trains, although some have been ordered. Almost every European country has signed up to remove diesel-powered trains by 2050 to lower future carbon emissions. Some are aiming to […]

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Huron Central gets reprieve — again

Huron Central logo

Ontario’s Huron Central will continue operating until at least June 30, marking at least the third time owner Genesee & Wyoming has reversed plans to close the 173-mile line between Sault St. Marie and Sudbury. CTV News reports the company, which had planned to cease operations on Dec. 18, extended the deadline because of progress […]

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Digest: DC Metro releases report disputing ‘toxic workplace’ claims

DC Metro logo

DC Metro releases report saying earlier claims of misconduct are ‘unsubstantiated’ DC Metro has released a report on an independent investigation into its Rail Operations Control Center that says complaints about misconduct by officials at the facility are “unsubstantiated.” The Washington Post reports the WMATA report, released Friday, is in response to an audit by […]

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Historical society, Cumbres & Toltec reach agreement on 15-year inspection for D&RGW No. 315

Older steam locomotive pulling a train along a grassy flat area.

ANTONITO, Colo. — The Durango Railroad Historical Society and Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad will perform the Federal Railroad Administration-required 15-year inspection on D&RGW C-18 locomotive No. 18, the 2-8-0 built by Baldwin for the Florence & Cripple Creek. The work will be performed in the Cumbres & Toltec’s Antonito shops, with historical society volunteers […]

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Freight forecasters expect intermodal growth, slow going for carload traffic in 2021

Red-and-black painted CN locomotive leads an intermodal train beside a soybean field.

  BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Intermodal traffic will grow in 2021 but carload traffic will continue to struggle to recover from the pandemic in the new year, according to a freight forecasting firm’s outlook. Todd Tranausky, vice president of rail and intermodal at FTR Transportation Intelligence, projects that intermodal volume will grow by 5.4% next year. […]

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