Broadway Limited HO track inspection car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $139.99 Era: 1975 to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; 386-673-8900; broadway-limited.com Broadway Limited HO track inspection car features: Compatible with code 70, 83, and 100 rail Era-specific light packages Individually controlled light […]
Railroad: BNSF
UP and NS seek faster merger review as rivals turn up pressure
Eager to tie the knot, Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have asked federal regulators for a faster review of their proposed transcontinental merger, Trains has learned. The Surface Transportation Board in September proposed a roughly 390-day schedule to review the railroads’ $85 billion deal. The calendar includes wiggle room that would allow the board to […]
SMART-TD ratifies new five-year national agreement
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division has ratified the five-year collective bargaining agreement reached with railroads represented by the National Carriers Conference Committee. The tentative deal had been announced in September [see “SMART-TD reaches national tentative agreement …,” Trains.com, Sept. 16, 2025]. The agreement, covering SMART-TD […]
BNSF nears completion of PTC on former Montana Rail Link
MISSOULA, Mont. — BNSF Railway expects to complete installation of positive train control on the former Montana Rail Link by December, concluding a long-running project that predates BNSF’s acquisition of the regional railroad. BNSF said on social media that PTC was implemented on 36 miles of its MRL Subdivision in June, with work in progress […]
US EPA seeks comment on proposed settlement from 2020 BNSF derailment
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to fine BNSF Railway $191,000 as part of a settlement for a Jan. 1, 2020, derailment that led to a spill of more than 3,400 gallons of diesel fuel into the Kootenai River near Katka, Idaho. The proposed settlement of a violation of the Clean Waters […]
NTSB to investigate BNSF conductor fatality (updated)
COLUMBUS, Mont. — The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the death of a BNSF conductor struck by a train on Sunday (Oct. 19, 2025), the agency has announced. The fatality occurred about 9:40 a.m. in Columbus, KTVQ-TV reports. BNSF and Columbus police, as well as the Stillwater County Sheriff’s Office, were also investigating the […]
Atlas O Premier Fall 2025 catalog
The Atlas O Fall 2025 Premier catalog was recently published on the manufacturer’s website. Highlights include: New locomotives GP30 The locomotive includes Proto-Sound 3.0, onboard DCC/DCS decoder, detachable snowplow, O-42 operation, and road-specific ditch lights. Available roadnames: BNSF; NKP; Indiana & Ohio; Norfolk & Western; Raritan Central. Available in 3-rail version only. Price: $729.95. New […]
BNSF-CSX interline intermodal service off to fast start
BNSF Railway and CSX are seeing immediate results from the interline domestic intermodal partnership that they announced in August linking the Southwest and Southeast. Over the past six weeks, CSX intermodal volume is up 8%, according to the railroad’s weekly carload reports. Rival Norfolk Southern’s intermodal traffic has declined 6.8% over the same stretch, suggesting […]
Bachmann HO Trinity 5161 covered hopper
Bachmann HO Trinity 5161 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $59 Manufacturer: Bachmann Industries Inc., 1400 E. Erie Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19124; 215-533-1600; shop.bachmanntrains.com Bachmann HO Trinity 5161 covered hopper features: Based on phase 2 prototype with 10 body panels and 17 running board supports Blackened machined metal wheelsets Body-mounted plastic E-Z Mate Mark II […]
Sneaker reseller’s arrest tied to continuing surge in rail freight thefts
LOS ANGELES — Authorities have arrested Adeel Shams, founder of popular sneaker resale platform CoolKicks, after discovering more than $500,000 in stolen Nike goods during a raid at the company’s Santa Monica warehouse. Police said the merchandise — including 2,100 pairs of shoes and 150 cartons of apparel, some unreleased — had been stolen from an […]
BLET claims Mexican train crews pose border security risk
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is sounding the alarm bell about the potential for Mexican railroad crews to smuggle people and contraband into the United States. The warning comes as the union opposes Union Pacific’s efforts to use Ferromex crews to deliver northbound interchange trains to its yard in Eagle Pass, Texas, some […]
Arizona city votes to oppose BNSF logistics hub near Phoenix
SURPRISE, Ariz. — The Surprise City Council has unanimously approved a resolution opposing BNSF’s plans for a logistics hub in Wittman, Ariz. At its Tuesday, Oct. 7, meeting, the council approved a resolution saying it “cannot support the development … unless it proceeds in a manner that clearly prioritizes public safety, quality of life, and […]
