SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena had the crowd laughing Thursday (Jan. 15) throughout his talk to the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers, to the point that analyst Anthony B. Hatch, the event’s final speaker, said that he appreciated getting the chance “to do a set at the Vena Comedy Club.” One example […]
Explore 80 years of model railroading innovation with Athearn’s Jim Wiggin! Ride along with Trains.com hosts Cody Grivno and Lucas Iverson, and you’ll hear Jim outline the company’s evolution from Irv Athearn’s garage to the exacting production of highly detailed Genesis line HO and N scale products. Discover how modern technology like 3D printing and […]
For 80 years, Athearn has been a part of the model railroading industry, producing familiar product ranges like HO scale blue box kits and Genesis ready-to-run models. In preparation for its milestone anniversary in 2026, Associate Brand Manager Jim Wiggin joined Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno and Trains.com Assistant Digital Editor Lucas Iverson to […]
NEWARK, N.J. — Amtrak and NJ Transit will reduce the number of weekday trains between Newark and Secaucus, N.J., from 332 to 178 between Feb. 15 and March 14 for the first phase of work moving traffic to the new Portal North Bridge, officials said during a press conference today (Jan. 15). The outage is […]
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — You could say that Jim Vena’s latest salvo in the war of words over the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger was downright Shakespearean. Which is to say that the Union Pacific CEO thinks the other Class I railroads doth protest too much. “If your competitor was doing something stupid, what would you […]
Lionel Trains has released its 2026 catalog. The 172-page catalog includes new items from the VisionLine, Legacy, LionChief, Harry Potter, and Battery O lines. Highlights include a number of semiquincentennial locomotives and rolling stock, including a 4-4-0 brass hybrid steam locomotive (No. 2631620), a Legacy T1 American Freedom Train in two versions (Nos. 2631430 and […]
Many of us dream of a model railroad empire on a massive scale. While the time, space and resources required usually dictate whether or not that dream becomes a reality, it never hurts to be inspired. Whether you’re daring to dream or have what you need to dare yourself, explore these monster track plan recommendations! […]
DARIEN, Conn. — Genesee & Wyoming’s industrial development results in 2025 included 44 projects accounting for more than $1 billion in customer investments along its short line railroads in 16 states. The projects are expected to generate more than 700 jobs in communities along G&W’s U.S. freight railroads and add more than 82,000 carloads, G&W […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway had its safest year ever in 2025. The railroad’s employee personal injury rate improved by 10% compared to the old record set in 2023. Rail equipment incidents improved 13%, which BNSF said enabled it to continue to lead the industry. “I am so proud of what our teams were […]
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Watco is looking to grow its portfolio with the acquisition of a 7-mile short line railroad serving Oak Ridge, Tenn. The short line holding company filed its verified notice of exemption to the Surface Transportation Board on Jan. 8, seeking to acquire and operate 7 miles of rail line and 6.6 […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic showed a big gain in the first full week of 2026. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, weekly traffic for the period ending Jan. 10 was 510,457 carloads and intermodal units, a 9.7% gain over the same week in 2025. That included 232,803 carloads, up 16.7% compared […]
Railroads proposing mergers inevitably make ambitious promises and projections, particularly about faster service and more competition. Not all of them become reality, despite the best intentions of railroaders who work at a feverish pace to develop the operating plans submitted to federal regulators. A case in point: CSX, as part of its 1999 acquisition of […]
