SEATTLE — Sound Transit’s light rail Crosslake Connection — the section of Line 2 across Lake Washington to complete the route to Redmond, Wash. — will open on March 28, the transit agency announced Friday. The section between International District/Chinatown and South Bellevue, which will connect Line 2 with the north-south Line 1, includes the […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak has added additional trains to its list of those canceled because of the major winter storm moving across the central and eastern U.S., with extensive additions for Saturday, Jan. 24, and Sunday, Jan. 25 Canceled today (Friday, Jan. 23), in addition to those previously announced, have been the Crescent between Atlanta […]
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” At least, that was my thought process when I received this MTH Premier Norfolk & Western 18-inch, full-length dome car. Though a beautiful model from 2004, it came with older, 18V lamp bulbs. Initial track power testing immediately revealed several issues: Lights only turning on in the lower […]
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has approved a plan for a 13-mile, seven-station subway line to connect LA’s Westside to the San Fernando Valley. The underground route will parallel Sepulveda Pass, providing an alternative to the traffic-clogged 405 Freeway. The project is expected to make it possible to travel between […]
WASHINGTON — A collision between NJ Transit trains occurred on a sharp curve with limited visibility after both trains had been rerouted to avoid downed trees from a storm, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on the Dec. 19, 2025, incident in Montclair, N.J. The collision occurred about 6:47 p.m. on the […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak has released a shortlist of three consortia to be considered for the renovation of New York’s Penn Station. A post on Amtrak’s procurement portal as of Tuesday, Jan. 20, provides a list of three groups and their lead developers: Grand Penn Partners [Macquarie] Penn Forward Now [Fengate] Penn Transformation Partners [Halmar] […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has added the Floridian and Heartland Flyer to its list of trains canceled because of forecasts of extreme winter weather. Subsequent additions to the list include the Lake Shore Limited, Cardinal, and one round trip of the Wolverine. The Chicago-Miami Floridian is canceled in both directions both today and Friday (Jan. 22-23); […]
Although frigid winter weather has played a major role in disrupting service recently on VIA Rail Canada and Amtrak long distance routes, both operators’ lack of readily available reserve passenger cars and locomotives has clearly exacerbated the situation. VIA stretched thin A significant setback occurred last week when VIA’s venerable Vancouver, B.C.-bound Canadian was delayed […]
CHICAGO — Metra will reduce operations on all routes on Friday, Jan.23, because of the severe cold forecast for the Chicago region, the commuter operator has announced. Severe-weather schedules are posted here on Metra’s website; passengers are advised to review the schedules before traveling. In general, service on most lines will be similar to that […]
CHICAGO — Amtrak has canceled several long-distance trains in and out of Chicago for multiple days because of a forecast of extreme cold weather. The regional Borealis is also affected. The first cancellations begin today (Wednesday, Jan. 21). The eastbound and westbound Empire Builder departures slated for today through Saturday, Jan. 24, have been canceled. […]
News & Products for the week of January 20th 2026 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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 20th, 2026. […]
New York Central E8 diesels idle at La Salle Street Station, Chicago, awaiting departure with two sections of the 20th Century Limited in November 1953. Robert W. Carper photo […]
