WASHINGTON — Just before adjourning last weekend, the U.S. Senate confirmed four nominees to Amtrak’s Board of Directors who are in position to bring different perspectives and active oversight to the organization. The last-minute legislative action early Saturday morning was championed by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) [see “Senate confirms four for Amtrak […]
BOSTON BAR, British Columbia — Twelve cars of a CPKC grain train were sent into the Fraser River by a rockslide on Sunday, Dec. 22, CTV News reports. No injuries were reported. A Canadian National spokeswoman told the network that the incident occurred on the CN main line near Boston Bar. CN and CPKC operate […]
News & Products for the week of December 23rd 2024 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of December 23rd […]
I live in the northeast region of the United States, where winters are harsh. Ice, snow storms, and heavy dampness attack structures left outdoors on the railway. While the track remains in place, I put away most of my structures during winter. I cannot put away a couple of wooden rail bumps, the fence around […]
I purchased a Lionel FreightSounds UTLX 30K tank car (No. 6-85081) from my local Lionel dealer in 2019. I loved the look of this modern rolling stock, but was disappointed in its muffled sound effects. A short time later, I purchased a FreightSounds PS-1 boxcar (No. 1926620) from Charles Ro and was happy with the […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt have been able to maintain above 95% door-to-door on-time performance for their Quantum premium domestic intermodal service through the fall peak season. “In October, BNSF achieved record intermodal volumes, a testament to our growing capabilities and commitment to excellence, then ramped immediately into peak season. Throughout […]
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. — Amtrak Michigan service is dealing with cancellations today because of a Norfolk Southern derailment Sunday in northwestern Indiana. NS said in a statement that eight cars of ethanol derailed on a train traveling through Gary, Ind., at about 10:35 p.m., resulting in a spill of about 250 gallons of ethanol from […]
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators have scaled back the detailed railroad employment data reporting that they first ordered in 2022 amid widespread crew shortages on the big four U.S. Class I railroads. The Surface Transportation Board, in a decision released on Friday, said effective in January the Class I freight railroads will no longer have to […]
MONTREAL — Members of Canadian union Unifor have ratified new four-year agreements with Canadian National Railway, the union and railroad have announced. CN says the agreements were ratified on Sunday, Dec. 22, and cover approximately 3,300 workers in mechanical, clerical, and intermodal positions. The union did not announce any details on the ratification vote. “We […]
NEW YORK — Operating issues continue for Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor today (Dec. 23), well over 24 hours after disruptions began because of downed overhead power lines near Philadelphia. The signal issues reported reported an an Amtrak advisory at 4:30 a.m. today have now been resolved, the company says in a 2:30 p.m. ET […]
It was deja vu all over again this year as the Federal Railroad Administration adopted its final rule mandating a crew size of two for most trains. The FRA in April issued its final, 233-page rule that generally requires two-person crews. Less than two weeks later four railroads – BNSF Railway, Union Pacific, the Indiana Rail […]
International railroad news in 2024 saw the end of commercial steam operation in China and a threat to the continued use of steam on Germany’s premier narrow-gauge steam network. The year also saw new train technology entering service in many countries, with hydrogen and battery power becoming more widespread. In Saudi Arabia an entire metro […]
