Greenbrier receives 5,500 railcar orders in current quarter

Greenbrier Companies logo

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. — Rail equipment supplier Greenbrier announced it has received order for 5,500 railcars, valued at more than $530 million, since the start of the current quarter on June 1. Cars on order include intermodal, boxcars, tank cars, covered hoppers and gondolas. “Greenbrier continues to see momentum in our markets as we navigate […]

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Weekly rail traffic shows drop from 2020 figures

Weekly table showing U.S. rail traffic statistics

WASHINGTON — Reversing the trend for most of 2021, the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads show U.S. rail traffic declined for the week ending Aug. 21 when compared to the comparable week in 2020. Traffic totaled 501,273 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.6% decrease from the 2020 figure. It also represented a […]

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Geared for success

Geared steam locomotive reverses with coal cars

Geared for success Brimstone’s 3-truck Shay No. 35 pulls coal in Tennessee. Lumber railroads were the primary users, but a few coal-haulers used Shays and/or the two other popular geared locomotives in North America, Heislers and Climaxes. Dwight Smith, Jim Wrinn collection […]

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Germany hit by second national rail strike in two weeks

German_Trains_Lassen

BERLIN — German passenger rail service is in the midst of a second two-day strike this month, part of a larger action by the GDL union, which represents the nation’s train drivers in a dispute with national rail operator Deutsche Bahn. Freight-train drivers went on strike at 5 p.m. local time Friday, with passenger drivers […]

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A visit to John Staschak’s O gauge layout

Overview of John Staschak's toy train layout with superimposed cover of September 2021 Classic Toy Trains

John’s layout appears in the September 2021 issue of Classic Toy Trains. It features tremendous trackwork and wonderful scenery (see the plan here), in addition to some spectacular modern trains. Watch and hear freight and passenger consists work their way around it. […]

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A visit to John Staschak’s O gauge layout

Overview of John Staschak's toy train layout with superimposed cover of September 2021 Classic Toy Trains

John’s layout appears in the September 2021 issue of Classic Toy Trains. It features tremendous trackwork and wonderful scenery (see the plan here), in addition to some spectacular modern trains. Watch and hear freight and passenger consists work their way around it. […]

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Illinois DOT announces project to unsnarl junction near St. Louis

Freight train crosses tracks near building being demolished

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced a $10.1 million project to improve rail operations in Mitchell, Ill., northeast of St. Louis. The project will reconfigure rail lines and replace a 97-year-old interlocking tower, with funding from six sources: $5.1 million from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvments […]

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