Picture of the day
Heritage steam times two

Picture of the day
Heritage steam times two

Nowadays it is not an every day event to see an operating steam locomotive. Therefore, today I was extremely lucky to witness not just one but two engines pulling trains under their own power. For that reason this post features two pictures of the day. The header for this post shows UP844, one of the largest steam engines operating these days. It had the UP „Rio Grande“ heritage unit 1989 as well as the beautiful UP excursion consist in tow. I watched the…

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Railfanning along the
North Easter Corridor-
Boston to Philadelphia

Railfanning along the
North Easter Corridor-
Boston to Philadelphia

The North East Corridor always draw attention to me. This line from Washington DC to Boston is different in many ways. It is mostly passenger traffic- long distance and commuter. The NEC is operated at pretty high speed over more than 100 year old infrastructure. The line features four tracks from Philadelphia to New Haven and is electrified all the way! In a nutshell- heavy electrics pulling high speed passenger trains in an urban and costal setting – a must see! Getting…

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Boston – it’s about history!

Boston – it’s about history!

This city has pretty much everything a tourist can ask for- quite some history, a good share of the look and feel of the „old world“ and the driving spirit of a Union that never stops to reinvent itself. By chance, (or careful planning) I happened to come to Boston for the 4th of July. The whole city is dressed up for Independence Day and the fire works is an experience of it’s own. Walking the cradle of Liberty I got…

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Zipping North on the Corridor

Zipping North on the Corridor

This ride aboard Amtrak train 164 along the electrified North East Corridor takes me to Boston, MA. The Northeast Regional travels the  453.3 mi (729.5 km) in roughly eight hours. Sure, the Acela Express would have been quicker but I wanted more time on a train for less. Also, I opted for the chance to ride 1980s Amfleet equipment. Unfortunately I came too late for seeing Amtrak’s AEM7s in operation, or maybe not… The North East Corridor – NEC The NEC is an (the only one) electrified…

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US Train Watching Tour 2016 – Washington DC

US Train Watching Tour 2016 – Washington DC

there is almost no better way to start a tour across the US than to go to the capital. Right on- I had only one day and the intention was to roam two of the numerous museums of the Smithsonian Institution – the Museum of American History as well as the Air and Space Museum. A stroll on the National Mall finished the day. National Museum of American History First order of business was, of course, to check out the…

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An iCar for a new perspective

An iCar for a new perspective

Camera cars and -locomotives for model trains are around in the hobby for a while. Although a cool gadget, those units are pretty expensive given the fact that they’re not too often in use and the excitement wears off quite quickly. I was always toying with the idea of running a camera train on the BTB layout as well as trying a laser cut kit. Then I learned about the iCar kit offered by Minuteman Scale Models and as soon as I…

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A Day At The DRRY

A Day At The DRRY

One never knows which gems are lingering just around the corner until it is almost too late. This wisdom proved to be true for the Deerfield & Roundabout Railway, a 7 1/2 inch life steam railway located in Lake Forest, north of Chicago. During the last couple of months I found several references to this railroad on the internet as well as noticed it being mentioned in an episode of TrainMasters.TV (@12:58). There is also a website with a lot of information for the…

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Dressed up in grime!

Dressed up in grime!

This post is about the latest (finished) car weathering and detailing project. The Grand Trunk covered hopper as well as the Rail Box boxcar are favorites of mine, waiting for some upgrades and traces of dirt for a while. Grand Trunk Western – #113972 This car started life as an Athearn model which I picked up at a train show. Having lived in the Metro Detroit area the „Grand Trunk“ is so to say a „home road“ even it has long…

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2nd Chance in Kimmell

2nd Chance in Kimmell

The opportunity to participate in an operating session on John Hanke’s Burlington Southern RWY brought me back to one of my favorite train watching spots in Indiana – Kimmell. As good as the location is, as challenging it gets with light and weather.  This time I got pretty lucky with some nice shots of westbound in the evening as well as trains going the other way Sunday morning. Location This lookout post for trains is located on the old B&O line…

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