WalthersProto HO heavyweight RPO-baggage car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $94.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersProto HO heavyweight RPO-baggage car features: 30-foot postal apartment with mailbag stanchions, sorting cases, and more Based on prototypes in service from 1914 to 1970s Clear window glazing Detailed underbody with […]
Tag: Passenger/Transit
Riding Amtrak’s Empire Builder
In August 2025, my wife and I planned a trip to the Pacific Northwest to visit family and friends. While we frequently travel by air and rental car, and have taken shorter train trips in the U.S. and Europe, we’ve never done a long-distance rail experience. So, we decided to take Amtrak’s Empire Builder from […]
DART to open commuter rail Silver Line on Oct. 25
DALLAS — Dallas Area Rapid Transit will launch its new commuter rail Silver Line on Saturday, Oct. 25, the agency announced today (Sept. 12, 2025). Rides will be free on the first day — and free rides will continue through Nov. 8, DART says, to give everyone the chance to experience the new service firsthand. […]
New York MTA lost $1 billion to fare evasion in 2024, report says
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority lost some $1 billion to fare and bridge toll evasion in 2024, a new report estimates. But it also says moves by the MTA and law enforcement agencies have started to cut into that figure, and could reduce the loss by some $100 million this year, the first […]
Southern California hydrogen trainset to make revenue debut Saturday
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The first hydrogen-powered passenger trainset in the U.S. will enter revenue service this Saturday, Sept. 13, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority has announced. The train will debut on the 9-mile, five station Arrow corridor between San Bernardino and Redlands, Calif., and on its first day will offer zero-fare rides. The […]
MTA announces plans for possible Long Island Rail Road strike
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has urged commuters to work from home or stay with friends and family in or near New York City in case of a strike by Long Island Rail Road workers, while announcing “limited service options” in the event of a work stoppage. Approximately 300,000 riders will be impacted […]
New York governor claims Trump administration is responsible for possible Long Island rail strike
NEW YORK — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declined to say Wednesday whether she would ask President Donald Trump to appoint a Presidential Emergency Board to head off a potential strike by five Long Island Rail Road unions, and claimed that the Trump administration was responsible for the possibility of a walkout as soon as […]
Board members engaged at Amtrak online meeting: Analysis
WASHINGTON — Though outsiders were not permitted to comment or ask questions, the online Amtrak board of directors meeting today (Wednesday, Sept. 10) was much more informative than the previous edition, in large part because of interrogation by board members following company executives’ presentations and candid admission of where results are falling short. The last […]
Sound Transit train operates across I-90 floating bridge for first time
SEATTLE — In a milestone for Sound Transit’s ongoing expansion of its light rail network, a light rail train operated across Lake Washington’s Interstate 90 floating bridge late Monday night (Sept. 8, 2025). It was not only the first time a Sound Transit train has crossed that bridge under its own power, but, according to […]
Mark Albert’s Cincinnati Traction in HO scale
Dive into the captivating world of Cincinnati’s traction history with Mark Albert’s stunning HO scale model railroad! Originally built to travel to train shows, this layout, presented in the October 2025 issue of Model Railroader magazine, has found its permanent home, allowing for incredible new details and enhancements. Explore intricately modeled street scenes complete with […]
WalthersProto HO Amtrak Viewliner I sleeper
WalthersProto HO Amtrak Viewliner I sleeper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Unlighted, $109.98; lighted, $124.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com WalthersProto HO Amtrak Viewliner I sleeper features: 36” metal wheels on plastic axles Detailed underbody with air and waste tanks, battery and equipment boxes, HVAC ducts, transformer […]
Pullman on a turntable
Central Vermont 0-8-0 501 stands by as a New Haven sleeping car is turned on the turntable at St. Albans, Vermont, in September 1955. Photo by Philip R. Hastings […]
