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THIRD GROUP OF CARS ARRIVE
The Museum of the American Railroad made its third move on Oct. 12, 2012. An eight-car consist left BNSF’s Irving yard at 1:45 p.m. and was delivered later that day. The consist moved slowly and presented a few challenges. Despite reconditioned journal surfaces, new brasses and pads, two journals ran hot. Volunteers lubed journals with a mixture of oil and STP, as well as hotbox sticks, to keep the consist rolling.
Film posted courtesy of VisitFriscoTX
MAR’s FIRST CARS MOVE
The Museum of the American Railroad moved the first pieces of its collection Aug. 27, 2012 from a BNSF yard in Irving, TX to the museum’s new site in Frisco. A dedicated six-car consist of the Santa Fe M-160 motorcar, Missouri-Kansas-Texas dining car No. 438, Pullman sleeping car Glen Nevis, a 40-foot steel Texas & Pacific boxcar and two refrigerator cars from the old Armour meat packing plant in Fort Worth was placed on a tail track by the Frisco Discovery Center.
Fort Worth-based Lockheed Martin Recreation Association’s Gulf & Denver Railroad Authority HO-scale layout was the background for a short film which blends live action miniatures and 3D animation that is up for a YouTube- and Ridley Scott-sponsored film award. Towns come to life in “Stop. Watch. Love.”, a five-minute video by Element X Creative of Dallas that tells the story of a young boy who finds a magical device and changes the world around him.
The film was one of 50 semi-finalists in the 2012 Your Film Festival.
Film posted courtesy of Element X Creative
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Tuned In
Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.
Tariffs Cause Concern
Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.
Managing Freight Cars
The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.
Plus
A vintage Lionel store display is always a crowd pleaser, Atlas' N-scale True-Track is the right solution for a new test track on the Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, The Green Diamond was Illinois Central's gem on the St. Louis-to-Chicago route and more!
