CN expands and upgrades its fleet of firefighting trains

Canadian National has turned a flatcar, two tank cars, and a track maintenance vehicle into a firefighting train, dubbed "Poseidon," fighting Alberta widefires. CN

MONTREAL — Canadian National has expanded and upgraded its specialized fire suppression fleet as wildfires in Canada have become more extreme in recent years. CN has introduced two new firefighting trains, Oceanus and Amphitrite, which join a fleet that includes Neptune, Trident, and Poseidon. The new trains carry 25,000 gallons of water and are equipped […]

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Tangent HO PS2-CD 4750 covered hopper

Color photo showing B end of HO scale three-bay covered hopper painted gray with black and yellow graphics on white background

Tangent HO PS2-CD 4750 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $67.95 (quantity discounts for direct purchases from manufacturer) Era: 1980 to present (Varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Tangent Scale Models, P.O. Box 6514, Asheville, NC 28816; 828-412-3886; tangentscalemodels.com Tangent HO PS2-CD 4750 covered hopper features: Barber S-2 100-ton roller-bearing trucks or Barber S-2 100-ton […]

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Norfolk Southern’s train inspection portals win innovation award

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern’s Digital Train Inspection (DTI) portals have been recognized in Fast Company’s 2025 Innovation by Design Awards, receiving an honorable mention in the Artificial Intelligence Design category. It’s the first time a railroad has earned a spot in the business technology magazine’s annual awards. “This recognition highlights how our innovation is transforming […]

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TSB urges Transport Canada to take steps to prevent train collisions

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada yesterday urged Transport Canada to immediately implement interim measures to prevent train collisions while an enhanced train control system is being developed. The recommendation was made as part of the TSB’s report on a November 2023 collision between Canadian National locomotives and an Exo commuter train […]

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Norfolk Southern’s quiet milestone: Ohio site restored

Aerial view of burning freight cars

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — A recent, brief update on the Norfolk Southern website — nsmakingitright.com — announced that the railroad has completed efforts to cleanup and restore the site of the Feb. 3, 2023, train derailment and chemical release. Norfolk Southern did not issue a press release regarding the milestone, nor were any additional statements […]

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Menards Halloween Boxcar with Lights

Halloween boxcar

According to a 2023 article from U.S. News & World Report, approximately 73% of Americans celebrate Halloween. In recent years, there’s been a boon of Halloween product releases from manufacturers like Lionel, MTH, and Atlas. Menards is jumping on the bandwagon with a lighted Halloween boxcar.  This boxcar features orange sides with a black roof […]

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Kadee HO 50-ton flatcar review

Color photo showing B end detail of HO scale flatcar painted black with tan deck on white background.

An Association of American Railroads (AAR) 50-ton flatcar is the latest body style from Kadee Quality Products Co. The newly tooled HO scale model features injection-molded plastic construction, a detailed underbody, and No. 158 whisker couplers. Prototype history The AAR recommended three 50-foot flatcar designs in 1941. In his book Freight Cars of the ’40s […]

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Rail Customer Coalition warns regulators of potential impacts of UP-NS merger

Freight train passes under bridge as it rounds gentle curve on three-track main line.

WASHINGTON — The Rail Customer Coalition, which represents the manufacturing, agriculture, and energy industries, has told federal regulators that Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern will stifle rail competition and drive up costs. “Past rail mergers have shown what happens when consolidation goes unchecked: service suffers, costs increase, and jobs disappear,” the coalition wrote […]

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