Atlas Model Railroad Co. has announced the roll out of a new Price Lock program, effective through May 31, 2025, as a response to market uncertainty brought on by the rollout of U.S. tariffs. “We know our partners are navigating a rapidly changing market. This decision is about providing them time, clarity, and trust,” said […]
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Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation: Challenging Times yet Times for Celebration
Rail preservation often comes with challenges, and the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF) is no exception. Yet despite challenging times, the organization continues to find times for celebration — especially with the continued success of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland and the iconic locomotives it protects. The foundation’s story began in the 1990s […]
LA Airport Transit Center to open June 6
LOS ANGELES — A long-discussed direct rail connection to Los Angeles International Airport is not quite here, but it’s getting closer. LA Metro’s LAX Transit Center — which will eventually provide a connection to a people mover serving airport terminals — will open on June 6, the transit agency announced at an April 24 board […]
Menards O gauge Main Street
Menards continues to release an interesting variety of structures for your O gauge layout, from industrial, to whimsical, and anything else you might see in Anytown U.S.A. This latest structure, called “O gauge Main Street,” fits squarely in that Anytown category. A sticker on the clamshell box states that this is part of the Main […]
Virginia marks groundbreaking for Amtrak extension to New River Valley
CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin led the list of officials on hand Thursday (April 24, 2025) for groundbreaking on the New River Valley Rail Project, which will allow extension of Amtrak service from Roanoke, Va., to Christiansburg. When that service begins, it will be the first time the New River Valley has had […]
FreightCar America reports orders for 1,250 cars in first quarter
CHICAGO — Manufacturer FreightCar America received orders for 1,250 railcars with a value of approximately $141 million during the first quarter of 2025, the company has reported. The orders represent about 25% of all new railcars in the quarter and about 36% in its addressable market. That represents the company’s largest market share of new […]
NJ Transit withdraws most recent contract offer to BLET
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit has rescinded its most recent offer to members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a step backward in the long-running dispute between the agency and union, Northjersey.com reports. A potential strike or lockout of engineers, who have been working without a contract since 2019, could come as soon […]
Empty container glut could cause congestion, but BNSF and UP say they’ve got capacity
Since late last year BNSF Railway and Union Pacific have been busy handling a surge of containers from West Coast ports as U.S. companies pulled forward their imports in order to beat potential tariffs. But now with a trade war under way — and tariffs as high as 145% on goods made in China — […]
BLET president Hall to retire
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Eddie Hall, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, will retire effective May 1, 2025, the union has announced. Hall, BLET president since Jan. 1, 2023, announced his retirement at an April 23 meeting of the union’s Advisory Board in New Orleans. His decision was announced today (April 24). Mark […]
Jury decides GATX won’t have to help pay East Palestine derailment settlement
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — GATX, the rail equipment leasing company that owned one of the railcars in the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment, will not have to pay a portion of Norfolk Southern’s $600 million settlement with residents. After a trial that lasted more than three weeks, a federal jury in Youngstown on Wednesday found GATX Corp. […]
The ongoing effect of United States tariffs on the model train industry
The following is a series of edited excerpts from an interview conducted by David Popp with Stacey Walthers Naffah, president and CEO of Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. on April 21, 2025. It is part of Trains.com and Model Railroader‘s ongoing coverage of U.S. tariffs. Click here to watch the complete video interview on Trains.com Video. […]
Amtrak Gulf Coast trains to be known as ‘Mardi Gras Service’
The Gulf Coast continues to wait for its long-awaited Amtrak service. But at least now it knows the name for the trains between Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans. The two daily round trips will be known as Amtrak Mardi Gras Service, the company announced today. No date for the start of service was announced beyond […]
