UP coal train derails in Feather River Canyon

Derailed coal hoppers in canyon, some in river

BLAIRSDEN, Calif. — Fourteen cars of a Union Pacific train derailed this afternoon (Sunday, Feb. 11) in the Feather River Canyon, sending cars and coal into the Middle Fork of the Feather River, KOVR-TV reports. The California Office of Emergency Service’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response said it was assessing the environmental impact. Union […]

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NS train derails in eastern North Carolina

Derailed tank cars as seen from a distance

AURORA, N.C. — Fourteen cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed early Saturday morning near the town of Aurora, leading to a leak of molten sulfur from one car. WITN-TV reports the derailment occurred about 1 a.m. Beaufort County Public Information Officer Brandon Tester told the station the sulfur hardened as it met the cold […]

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Common methods for uncoupling cars

Photo showing two flatcars and assorted uncoupling items.

Automatic knuckle couplers have been a part of model railroading for more than 60 years. Not only do these couplers look more like what you see on full-size locomotives and freight cars, they’re easy to install and use. You can learn more about them in my articles on HO and N scale couplers on Trains.com. […]

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BNSF coal train derails in Nebraska

Derailed orange locomotives and coal hoppers

CAIRO, Neb. — Three locomotives and 57 cars of a BNSF coal train derailed early this morning (Friday, Feb. 9) near Cairo, News Channel Nebraska reports. No injuries were reported in the incident about 4:45 a.m. along State Route 2, which blocked crossings in a 3-mile stretch from High Street in Cairo to 110th Road southeast […]

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Union Pacific seeks to block BNSF access to Arkansas quarry

WASHINGTON – For the second time in the past three months, federal regulators are being asked to settle a dispute related to Union Pacific’s 1996 acquisition of Southern Pacific. BNSF Railway has requested that the Surface Transportation Board allow it to access a UP-served quarry in Arkansas. In a filing that appeared on the STB […]

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Union Pacific opens Phoenix intermodal facility

Yellow locomotive with stack cars being loaded

PHOENIX — Union Pacific has opened its Phoenix Intermodal Terminal, the latest addition to the railroad’s “pop-up” terminal strategy to test markets before building large, permanent facilities. The railroad says in an article on its website that the facility opened Feb. 1, 45 days after it first announced plans for the facility [see “Union Pacific […]

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