OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s revenue and profits tumbled in 2023 due to a combination of lower volume and lower revenue per carload and intermodal unit. Pre-tax earnings declined 14.2%, to $6.6 billion, as revenue declined 6.9%, to $23.4 billion, BNSF parent company Berkshire Hathaway reported on Saturday. The railway’s operating ratio increased 2.5 points […]
Irish Rail It was the early 1990s and I was an Electro-Motive Division export locomotive district sales manager in the International Locomotive Business Group, based at EMD’s headquarters in LaGrange, Ill. At the time, I was responsible for our locomotive and spare parts sales in Europe, and one of my customers was Irish Rail. During […]
DENVER — A new plan released last week might finally lead to passenger rail service between Denver, Boulder, and Longmont, Colo., but not exactly as originally envisioned. That route was part of the Fastracks commuter rail plan approved by voters in 2004, but has never been built out because of a lack of funding. Now, […]
The evolution of model railroad scenery products has been fun to watch. In prior generations, molded-Styrofoam mountains and scenery mats with dyed green sawdust were considered the norm. Today, we’re blessed with a variety of tools and products that make our layouts look more like what we see when we’re standing trackside. In this article, […]
Q: I am wondering why they mark a little F on the front of a diesel. I know it stands for “Front.” However, isn’t it obvious in most cases where the front is? And in the case of a center cab switcher, where it isn’t at all obvious, why does it matter? What is the practical purpose of […]
CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. — Metra service on the Union Pacific Northwest line has been suspended today (Saturday, Feb. 24) between Crystal Lake and Harvard following a low-speed derailment this morning, WLS-TV reports. Inbound train No. 710, which was scheduled to originate at Crystal Lake at 10 a.m., had no passengers aboard when it derailed as […]
NORWALK, Conn. — The East Norwalk Station on Metro North’s New Haven line will be closed March 11-31, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced, to accommodate construction activity related to the WALK Bridge Replacement Project. As part of the work to replace the 128-year-old swing bridge over the Norwalk River, a new underdrain system […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced the March schedule for shutdowns as part of its ongoing effort to eliminate slow orders on its rail transit lines, along with scheduled work on several of its commuter rail lines. Already in progress are a group of shutdowns on the B, C, and D branches […]
CHURCHILL, Manitoba — The Canadian and Manitoba governments will provide up to C$60 million to complete work on the Hudson Bay Railway, the only year-round way of reaching the remote Port of Churchill, as well as funding the start of redevelopment of the port itself, officials announced today (Friday, Feb. 23). Churchill is Canada’s only […]
VALLEY FALLS, N.Y. — A broken rail was responsible for a derailment earlier this month that sent two cars of a train on the Berkshire & Eastern Railroad into the Hoosic River, a Genesee & Wyoming representative told WRGB-TV. The Feb. 7 derailment involved 10 cars of a 94-car train on the Pan Am Southern, […]
Garden railway at a glance Name: Snow Creek Railroad Size: Approximately 50′ x 50′ Scale: 1:20.3 Gauge: Nº 1 (45mm) Era: 1930-1950 Theme: High desert/mountain railroad accessing mines, quarries, and passengers Age: Original, 19 years; rebuilt portion, 3 years Motive power: LGB and Bachmann locomotives Length of mainline: 300′ Maximum grade: 3% Type of track: […]
The railroad at a glance Name: TooMuchFun Railroad Size: 60′ wide x 25′ deep x 15′ high Scale: Varies from 1:24 to 0-scale figures in some areas using forced perspective Gauge: Nº 1, plus a small N gauge railroad within the railroad Era: Mythical, Medieval, 1800s to present Themes: 15+ different themes, from Wizard of […]
