OTTAWA — Days after Canada’s two Class 1 railroads announced they would appeal a government order requiring the use of handbrakes on trains stopped on mountains grades, one of the county’s largest unions says it’s standing by the Crown. Last month, Transport Canada announced a new rule requiring the application of handbrakes on trains in mountainous […]
Section: News & Reviews
Coal train derails, burns in southern Minnesota NEWSWIRE

MANKATO, Minn. – Emergency crews are responding to a derailed Union Pacific coal train and subsequent fire in Ottawa, about 18 miles north of Mankato along the Minnesota River in southern Minnesota. The line, connecting the Twin Cities with Sioux City, Iowa, was previously part of the Chicago & North Western system. The derailment, which […]
Locomotive horns blow for Boardman funeral NEWSWIRE
ROME, N.Y. – Locomotive horns blew at 11:01 a.m. on Friday in Rome and across the Amtrak network to honor former President and CEO Joe Boardman who died March 7 following complications of a stroke. A moment of silence was held at 11 a.m., followed by the sounding of a former F40PH locomotive horn mounted […]
Milwaukee streetcar plans to open two extensions by Democratic convention, eyes a third NEWSWIRE

A Milwaukee streetcar makes its way through downtown on the system’s opening weekend in November 2018. The system, “The Hop,” expects to have two extensions open by the time of the Democratic National Convention in July 2020, and is considering a third. TRAINS: David Lassen MILWAUKEE — The first extension of Milwaukee’s streetcar, The Hop, […]
NTSB to meet May 21 on fatal ‘Amtrak Cascades’ derailment NEWSWIRE

WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a board meeting May 21, 2019, at 1 p.m. to determine the probable cause of the fatal Dec. 18, 2017, Amtrak Cascades accident near DuPont, Wash. Three passengers were killed and 65 others including passengers, crew, and occupants of highway vehicles were injured when Amtrak train No. […]
Train derail in downtown Baltimore, cars dangling from viaduct in news video NEWSWIRE
Video from WJZ Baltimore. BALTIMORE — Railroad crews are responding to a train derailment in downtown Baltimore late Friday afternoon. Early reports indicate that a freight train derailed several cars, including a tank car over a viaduct before entering an underpass or tunnel in the city. The train derailed near the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. The […]
UP updates customers on Midwest weather woes NEWSWIRE

OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific has issued the following customer service advisory following a week of extreme weather in the Midwest. The troubles essentially close the railroad’s main line between Boone, Iowa, and Gibbon, Neb., a source close to the railroad tells Trains News Wire. Announcement Number: CN2019-13 Categories: General Announcements Posted Date: March 14, […]
MTH RailKing Big Boy 4-8-8-4

A Big Boy for small layouts Several models of the Union Pacific Big Boy have been produced for the O gauge model railroaders, including a selective-compressed model from MTH Electric Trains RailKing line. MTH recently announced a new production run of O gauge Big Boys in its RailKing Imperial line. The model will be available […]
Fleischmann/Roco Z21 Digital Control Center

Fleischmann/Roco Z21 Digital Control Center Dana used the Z21 app on his Android Smartphone to control MR&T diesel no. 1175. The app includes several driver’s cab screens that can be used when the app is run on a tablet. The Z21 offers both train and layout control via a touch screen. Once only available in […]
Broadway Limited Imports EMD SD402 in N scale

The N scale SD40-2 packs a lot under the shell, including a lighted cab interior and working ditch lights. We disassembled a Union Pacific version for the photo above. Broadway Limited Imports continues to roll out N scale locomotives equipped with its Paragon3 Digital Command Control (DCC) sound decoder with Rolling Thunder. The latest addition […]
Bachmann HO scale PRR streamlined K4s

While the Pennsylvania RR rostered thousands of steam locomotives, only a few of them, other than the duplex-drive T1s, ever got the streamlined treatment. Bachmann Trains is now offering the first HO scale plastic model of a K4s Pacific in the 1940 streamlining the Pennsy applied to four locomotives, complete with a Train Control Systems […]
WalthersProto HO scale 70-foot heavyweight RPO-baggage car

WalthersProto HO scale 70-foot heavyweight RPO-baggage car Price: $84.98 Manufacturer Wm. K. Walthers Inc. 5601 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53218 www.walthers.com Era: 1914 to 1971 Road names: Clerestory roof: Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; Great Northern; Milwaukee Road; New York Central; and Soo Line. Round roof: Illinois Central, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Southern […]