CHICAGO — Chicago’s CREATE Program will receive $70 million in federal funding for a $170 million project to modernize a 2-mile stretch of Union Pacific track on the city’s west side, the partners in the Chicago Region Environment and Transportation Efficiency Program have announced. The Westside Gateway or Ogden Junction project, project WA1 on CREATE’s […]
The Atlas O 68-foot bulkhead flatcar is back in new paint schemes and road numbers. Model Railroader magazine Senior Editor Cody Grivno hosts our latest product review video, taking an in-depth look at the Trainman series model. Features on the bulkhead flatcar include side stake pockets, simulated tie loops, a fish-belly center sill, pull plates, […]
Norfolk & Western 46-foot battleship gondola Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $47 plus shipping Era: 1914-1930 Manufacturer: Westerfield Models LLC, 1964 Lacey Ct., Gardnerville, NV 89410; 303-658-9343; westerfieldmodels.com Norfolk & Western class GKa/GKb 46-foot battleship gondola features: Unpainted one-piece cast urethane body with integral frame Cast urethane detail parts Yarmouth etched bronze eyebolts Decals covering all versions […]
EL PASO, Texas — A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board says a Union Pacific conductor was killed last month when riding on a car that struck a derail during a switching move near UP’s Alfalfa Yard in El Paso. Train ISIEP-29, consisting of a locomotive and 61 cars, was making a reverse […]
An ad-hoc rail workers’ group is calling for informational picketing on Wednesday to address what it calls “the staffing shortages and lack of a decent quality of life” for employees as railroads, employees, and customers wait to see if unions will ratify tentative agreements that averted a strike last week. Meanwhile, the International Association of […]
Amtrak’s Maple Leaf catches a CSX intermodal train With vehicle-train collisions near the top of the issues list following the Southwest Chief derailment at a Missouri roadway earlier in the summer, Trains News Wire scouted an appropriate photo location in western New York during a recent trip to capture an Amtrak train at a […]
WASHINGTON — The trade group representing coal mining operators has asked federal regulators to take action regarding erratic rail service, particularly in the east on CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern. Mines have had to curtail production due to poor rail service that’s only getting worse even as demand for coal rises, the National Mining Association […]
40-foot Ortner 100-ton aggregate hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $44.98 Era: 1970s to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com 40-foot Ortner 100-ton aggregate hopper features: Air-equipped door details as appropriate Factory-installed wire grab irons and end railings Removable load Detailed brake […]
BERLIN — The world’s biggest rail industry trade fair, InnoTrans, has returned after a four-year gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The show opened its doors in Berlin today (Tuesday, Sept. 20), with 2,834 exhibitors from 56 countries using the entire Messe Berlin exhibition grounds, which includes 26 buildings covering more than 1.7 million square feet, […]
ALBERS, Ill. — Twenty-six cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed Monday morning between the towns of Albers and New Baden, leading to an extensive response from authorities that included a hazardous-materials team as a precautionary measure. No injuries were reported. The Belleville News-Democrat reports the derailment was reported at 11:22 a.m., leading a response […]
Club cars from the Illini Chapter of the Professional Car Society Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $23.98 plus shipping (one car, $9.45; multiple cars, $10.35 to USA addresses; $22.10 for foreign orders of any size) Era: Varies depending on car type Manufacturer: Produced by Accurail, available from Illini Chapter PCS, 918 W. Colfax St., Palatine, IL […]
Lehigh Stone three-bay offset-side hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Kit, $30; assembled with Kadee couplers, $35. Add $6 shipping per car. Manufacturer: Produced by Accurail, available from Kankakee Model Railroad Club, 197 S. East Ave., Kankakee, IL 60901 Features: Injection-molded plastic kit Plastic wheelsets Steel weight(s) Release Date: Available now Road name: Lehigh Stone (red […]
