Workaday Baldwins

Workaday Baldwins

Chesapeake Western, a 54-mile T-shaped west central Virginia road, employed three 1946 Baldwin DS-4-4-660s, two of which drill cars at Harrisonburg, site of the Southern Railway interchange, on November 5, 1958. CW, under Norfolk & Western control after 1954, also reached C&O at Staunton. Bob Krone photo […]

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FRA disbands Railroad Safety Advisory Committee

Logo for Federal Railroad Administration

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration today disbanded its Railroad Safety Advisory Committee as part of a broader Department of Transportation push to bring federal advisory panels in line with a presidential executive order. “These committees are long overdue for a refresh. Many have not held a single meeting in over a year, while others […]

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UP train derails west of Fort Worth, Texas

Union Pacific logo without slogan. UP Bailey Yard explosion appear to be accidental.

GORDON, Texas — About 35 cars of a Union Pacific train, including some believed to be carrying hazardous materials, derailed today (Aug. 12, 2025), ABC News reports. Palo Pinto County officials told the network that no leaks have been reported, but that the incident “is being treated as a HazMat situation.” No injuries were reported. […]

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CSX eyes growth, service gains amid merger speculation

Intermodal train navigating switches

Amid merger speculation and ongoing freight doldrums, CSX will continue to focus on its own growth, service, and operations initiatives, Chief Commercial Officer Kevin Boone told an investor conference today. “Despite a trucking market that’s not really helpful right now … we are seeing truck conversions coming in every week,” Boone says. “I think that […]

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Lionel releases 2025 Volume 2 catalog

catalog page with locomotive set

Lionel Trains has released a 2025 Volume II catalog. The 44-page book includes new items in the Legacy, LionChief, Star Wars, and Accessory lines. Highlights include a Santa Fe Super Chief set (No. 2622020), which includes two F3A locomotives, two F3Bs (one unpowered), baggage car, Pullman sleeper car, dome car, diner, three sleeping cars, and […]

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Evett joins Patriot Rail as vice president of design and construction

Head shot of smiling man

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Patriot Rail has named Anthony Evett as vice president of design and construction. The appointment of Evett, who has more than two decades of experience in transportation, maritime, and freight infrastructure, was effective as of Monday (Aug. 11, 2025). “Tony Evett brings a rare combination of technical expertise, strategic vision, and collaborative […]

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News & Products for the week of August 11th 2025

A blue, white and red model locomotive

News & Products for the week of August 11th 2025   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 August 11th, […]

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Rail intermodal boasts strong value proposition: SONAR

The SONAR data product offers numerous angles to get a read on the freight markets, primarily pertaining to the truckload, rail intermodal, and ocean sectors. One of the major trends in the data this year has been lackluster truckload demand, which SONAR measures as a volume of tenders, or electronically-submitted requests to move loads, directed […]

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