NEW YORK — Canadian National CEO Tracy Robinson says she understands the skepticism surrounding key questions about the industry: Can railroads grow? Can they maintain service levels as freight volume ebbs and flows? Can they be resilient in a fast-changing world? And can they attract the talent necessary to tackle the challenges of the future? […]
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OMAHA, Neb. — Former Union Pacific spokesman Mark W. Davis, 69, died Oct. 28 following a brief bout with cancer. Davis’s 34 year-career with Union Pacific is remembered as one of steady calm no matter what the adversity. Known mostly for being the media contact for the eastern part of the railroad, he could also […]
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NEWARK, N.J. — Amtrak and NJ Transit have issued an update on efforts to address service disruptions on the Northeast Corridor that led them to formulate a joint action plan earlier this year. The 12-page presentation details inspection and improvement efforts for Amtrak’s NEC infrastructure and rolling stock for both operators between July 6 and […]
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Followers of railroading in the Deep South — especially in Louisiana and Mississippi — are mourning the loss of rail historian Louis Saillard, a Louisiana native who died unexpectedly Nov. 13 at age 75. A prolific writer and photographer, Saillard wrote several articles for Trains and Railfan magazines and had numerous picture credits in a […]
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It does not matter how many times you have traveled the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad between its namesake cities. Every time you ride is a new adventure. The scenery evolves over time and is dependent on the season at hand. The people you ride with change. The purpose of the ride is different. […]
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Many of us have memories of visits to Grandma’s house from when we were kids. Menards is offering a way to recapture those memories in O gauge form with the release of Grandma’s House (2959376). This prebuilt structure is a two-level single family home measuring 8 11/16” wide x 8 ⅜” deep x 6 ¾” […]
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Every year, a group of toy train hobbyists host an event during the Fall Train Collectors Association (TCA) York Show in York, Penn. The purpose of the event is for guests to hear from members of the hobby that have a strong social media presence. This year I served as emcee, Eric Seigel from Eric’s […]
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NEW YORK — The largest operator of shortline railroads has a clear message about the future of the industry. “It’s time to get off our asses,” declared Michael Miller, chief executive of Genesee & Wyoming, at the annual RailTrends conference last week. While G&W is celebrating its 125th anniversary, Miller said in a presentation to […]
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WASHINGTON — The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen is joining forces with rail tech company Hum Industrial Technology Inc. and the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley’s Center for Railway Safety, to research and develop technology to enhance wheel bearing condition monitoring. The project will integrate railcar sensors with wayside infrastructure capable of transmitting wheel […]
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Q: I recently ordered one of the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy N scale bay-window cabooses from Shop.Trains.com. What does the “P” on top of the bay window stand for? — R. Anderson A: The “P” indicates it’s a pool caboose, one not assigned to an individual conductor or specific crew. Former Senior Editor Jim Hediger […]
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BARTONVILLE, Ill. — Two Bartonville men were arrested Monday for allegedly derailing a Union Pacific locomotive, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office announced. Caleb Finley, 18, and Jimmy Johnson, 20, were arrested for criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to property, reckless conduct, and placing an object on railroad tracks, the Sheriff’s Office said in a […]
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My N scale model railroad has about 50 mainline and storage track turnouts, all controlled by Tortoise by Circuitron motors and Digitrax SE8s for total control via Java Model Railroad Interface (JMRI) as well as manual local and via Digital Command Control with a DCC throttle. I’m adding another 30 to 40 or more turnouts […]
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