Athearn HO GP40-2 series diesels

Color photo of HO scale diesel locomotive painted orange, black, and yellow on white background

Athearn GP40-2 series diesels Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $229.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami sound decoder, $329.99. Add $10 for Primed for Grime models. Era: 1980s to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Features on Athearn HO GP40-2 series […]

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Parallel Systems begins testing autonomous car on G&W short line

Parallel Systems and Genesee & Wyoming short line Heart of Georgia Railroad this week began the first phase of testing of Parallel’s autonomous, battery-electric flat car. The initial round of testing of Parallel’s container car is being conducted near Glenwood, Ga., in conjunction with the Federal Railroad Administration. The equipment has already been put through […]

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Startup aims to capture carbon from diesel locomotive exhaust

Add carbon capture to the list of potential ways railroads could reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from their fleets of diesel-electric locomotives. Remora, a Michigan-based startup company, is developing a tender-based system that can capture carbon dioxide from locomotive exhaust, liquify the gas, and store it on board. The liquified carbon dioxide would be […]

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Union Pacific to serve new Hyundai steel mill in Louisiana

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

WASHINGTON – Union Pacific will serve the $5.8 billion steel mill that Hyundai Motor Group will build in Louisiana. The electric arc furnace facility, announced today during a White House ceremony, will supply steel coils for U.S. Hyundai and Kia plants as well as U.S. automakers, Hyundai said. The mill will be built at the […]

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Railroad paint schemes

Color photo of two HO scale diesels in green and black paint.

Hobbyists are drawn to specific railroads for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it was the line that served their hometown. Or maybe a relative worked on the railroad. Another reason — with less sentimental attachment — is that they like the paint scheme. The colors applied to diesel locomotives and freight cars are far from […]

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Rail union, Oregon officials question lease of UP trackage to short line

WASHINGTON — The SMART-TD union has urged federal regulators to reject Union Pacific’s plan to lease nearly 28 miles of track in the Eugene, Ore., area to Genesee & Wyoming short line Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad. “This transaction raises significant concerns related to the region’s infrastructure, service quality, economic sustainability, and the broader impact […]

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FRA approves first autonomous rail car test program

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration will allow Parallel Systems to test its autonomous, self-propelled flatcar system on a pair of Genesee & Wyoming short lines in Georgia. The FRA last week approved the request from Parallel, Georgia Central Railway, and Heart of Georgia Railroad. In August 2023 the Los Angeles-based Parallel and the G&W […]

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