All too often, the only view the public has of contemporary mainline railroading is when a freight car derails, then tank cars explode and soon an entire town is evacuated. In Baltimore, site of the early MTS, favorite targets for criticism are the aged infrastructures on CSX, including the Howard Street Tunnel and the notorious …
Fun With Trains
The battle rages on between those model railroaders that are perfectionists when creating every aspect of their model railroad and its climate-controlled environment and those satisfied with something less perfect but fully satisfying. The battle started early in the scale movement and was not confined to actual craftsmanship and size of a model railroad empire …
Powering Amtrak’s Future
Amtrak’s fleet of new Charger and Sprinter locomotives materially changed the operation and visual image of US passenger service. Adapted from the successful. EuroSprinter designs, both classes of locomotives are delivering reliable performance and maintain creditable safety records. The electric locomotives are designed to be capable of accelerating 18 Amfleet cars to maximum speeds as high as …
Owl-Faced Outings
Getting out on the railroad is essential to better understand prototype railroad operations and experience the thrill of the mainline first hand. That experience can provide the motivation to more deeply research a specific carrier or route and later, share that experience in writing or model building. The demise of the traditional commuter locals, many …
NMRA President That Never Built A Model
One would expect hands-on model-building experience to be a prerequisite to lead that driving force in the hobby. Lawrence W. Sagle proved otherwise. Sagle was President of the National Model Railroad Association during its formative years between 1944 and 1945 and left an indelible mark on the NMRA, the greater acceptance of the hobby, and …
A Star in Erie Railroad History
New passenger train inaugurals have historically commanded attention of the public. Any new travel option and adventure of discovery touches the heart of our desire to be in motion accompanied by the hope for a memorable journey. All of that came to life on June 2, 1929 when the Erie Railroad introduced its primary, namesake …
4th of July 2024 – Let Freedom Ring
The importance of that message and reverence for that date was not lost on the AmericanRailroads, especially after prolonged World War II. That conflict, among other valuable lessons,revealed the dangers of imbalance in society and unchecked governance. Railroads and theFederal Government used those lessons learned to underscore the importance of freedom anddemocracy and took that …
Logo Language
No matter what term applied, emblems, heralds, insignias or logos, the importance of selecting an eye-catching if not dynamic corporate image surfaced in early within railroading. That was especially critical in the expansionistic period of the industry from 1870 to 1900 when clearly several sectors of the Nation had too many individual railroad companies. …
Selling a Model to Save a Bankrupt
To many, the last public legacy of the once mighty Pennsylvania Railroad disappeared on March 20th, 1972. True, the successor Penn Central had taken over four years before. But that date in March was the start of a three-day auction of the storied library and corporate museum of the former “Standard Railroad of the …
Father’s Day 2024
For many, Father’s Day has powerful meaning for all the right reasons. To those in the hobby, it is a special day reserved to honor our fathers, men who acted as father-figures in our lives, or those who sponsored us in various ways to help us understand and appreciate the dynamics of railroading and model …