NORTH FREEDOM, Wis. — The move to return Chicago & North Western 4-6-0 No. 1385 to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum is back on. A June 11 social media post by Mid-Continent announced that the locomotive is scheduled to arrive at the museum on July 12. The public is invited to attend what will be a […]
EAST TROY, Wis. — The East Troy Railroad Museum’s Milwaukee Day, scheduled for June 28, will feature rare displays and trolley rides with equipment directly tied to the Brew City’s past. Three rarely-seen pieces in the museum’s collection are planned to be brought out of storage for display at the East Troy depot. Chicago North […]
REMEMBER the ads for Uniroyal’s “Tiger Paw” tires? When I was with the Southern Railway, some of us there referred to SR’s U-boats as “Whisperjets” (for the turbocharger noise) and to its SD40s as “Sport Models” (for the platforms). Now, I suggest tagging the Dash-2 SD40s “Tiger Paws.” Those HT-C trucks look as though they’re […]
Now that trains are running on the HO scale East Troy Industrial Park (ETIP) project layout, David Popp hosts this BONUS video to share some of the behind-the-scenes efforts and design considerations the MR crew still needs to tackle. As so many model railroaders can attest, there’s no such thing as “finished” layout…especially when structure […]
WASHINGTON — Rebutting a Union Pacific motion to dismiss, Chicago area commuter rail operator Metra says the Surface Transportation Board clearly has jurisdiction to address its request for trackage rights — part of its ongoing dispute with UP over financial terms for continued operation on three Union Pacific lines. And in a turnabout — after […]
CHICAGO — The agency overseeing the Chicago area’s three transit operators is directing Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and bus operator Pace to develop two versions of their 2026 budgets: one based on the current funding shortfall, and one if the state legislature comes through with more funding. Streetsblog Chicago reports that at a June […]
Classic Trains Film Archive | Illinois and Ohio Highlights, J. David Ingles Reel 0050 – Explore the fascinating world of 1960s Midwest railroading with rare footage and historic action across Central Illinois and Ohio. Visit Jacksonville, Ill., to see legendary trains from Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q), Gulf, Mobile & Ohio (GM&O), and Norfolk & […]
Facts and features Name: Rice Lake, Dallas & Menomonie RRScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 8 x 30 feetPrototype: Soo LineLocale: northwestern WisconsinEra: early 1950sStyle: walkaroundMainline run: 50 feetMinimum radius: 30″ (main), 18″ (branch)Minimum turnout: No. 5 (main), No. 4 (branch)Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: L-girderHeight: 44″Roadbed:1∕2″ plywood covered with 1∕2″ HomasoteTrack: Atlas code 100 flextrack, Peco and Atlas turnoutsScenery: […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio’s Senate has moved to eliminate funding for the state to rejoin a Midwest passenger rail planning group, public broadcasting’s Statehouse News Bureau reports. The version of the state’s biennial budget passed by the House includes $25,000 for each of the next two years for membership in the Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s Abraham Lincoln commemorative locomotive will be displayed at baseball’s College World Series, the railroad has announced. The locomotive, along with cars from the UP heritage fleet, will be on display at the railroad’s “Home Plate” location adjacent to Charles Schwab Field, site of the baseball tournament, from noon to 6 […]
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific had a fleet of 85 4-8-4 Northerns, largest in the country. Here, No. 5058 leads a westbound freight near Lawrence, Kans., in January 1952. Robert P. Olmsted photo […]
Even though track wiring is in place, our hosts still need to install a Digital Command Control (DCC) system before trains will run on the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park project layout! David and Bryson first examine the components of the NCE PH5R Power Pro DCC system before working to integrate the parts […]
