A
dding commuter rail traffic can increase operating vari-
ety on a model railroad. Commuter trains usually use
the same rails as freight service, adding interest and
providing dispatching challenges without the need for addi-
tional trackage.
This article describes how to utilize recent N scale releases by
from Kato, Athearn, Wheels of Time, and others to add this ser-
vice to your modern model railroad.
Modern Commuter Service - 1
Increasing operating
variety on your
model railroad ...
1: A VRE commuter
train passes a NS local
between Alexandria and
Manassas, VA. Adding
21st century commuter
rail operations to a layout
begins with acquiring the
appropriate equipment.
Prototype Operations
Environmentally conscious governments have added com-
muter rail as a commuting option in and near cities all across
the US. One does not have to model New York or Chicago to
include commuter railroading, as the service exists in cities as
diverse as Albuquerque, NM and Nashville, TN. Urban scenery
is not required either, as commuter rails go well into the sub-
urbs, often 50 or more miles from the city center.
Size of service is as varied as the different cities served; with
some locations operating half a dozen trains in the morning
and afternoon, and the largest well into the hundreds. For a
layout focused on freight operations, adding commuter service
representing a smaller city can be achieved with a few locomo-
tives and cars and maybe a little infrastructure.
A great example of such an operation is the New Mexico Rail
Runner Express (NMRX). The Rail Runner serves Albuquerque
and the surrounding area on trackage rights purchased from
BNSF. The system runs round trips from Albuquerque 30
miles north to Santa Fe; from Albuquerque to Belen (20 miles
south of the city) and from Santa Fe to Belen. Equipment
includes nine MP36PH-3C locomotives and about 20 bi-level
Bombardier coaches, including nine cab cars.
NMRX operates about a dozen trains weekdays, mostly dur-
ing morning and evening rush hour, with additional trains on
weekends and for special events. Trains operate push-pull with
no need for turning trains. The locomotives always face south.
Most commuter railroads share this scheme, which helps make
model operation easy to implement.
Another “small city” commuter operation is Utah’s
FrontRunner, which connects the Ogden, Salt Lake City, and
Modeling 21st Century
Commuter rail service
– John Drye
Model Photos by the author
MRH-Feb 2014
