Almost exactly 160 years ago, the American Civil War wound down to a messy and anticlimactic end. By December 1864, it was apparent the Union had prevailed. It didn’t necessarily win, but at least southern secession had been thwarted. If noticed at all, the anniversary might be an occasion to recount the many roles railroading […]
DENTON, Texas — The Denton County Transportation Authority’s A-Train, a 21-mile commuter line operating between Denton and Carrollton, Texas, has announced plans for a 2-mile extension, allowing a direct connection to rail service to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The agency announced last week that it will extend the line from its current southern endpoint — […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway posted higher profits in the first quarter thanks to a combination of volume growth and pricing gains, corporate parent Berkshire Hathaway announced on Saturday. “The railroad is earning a little more than last year but it’s not earning what it should be earning at the present time,” Berkshire CEO Warren […]
WASHINGTON — A House subcommittee has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday (May 6) addressing federal rail grants. The Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will hold the hearing, “America Builds: Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Rail Assistance,” at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. A link to […]
PITTSBURGH — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has reached agreement on a tentative four-year deal with Pittsburgh’s Union Railroad, the union has announced. The contract, retroactive to 2024 and running through July 2028, includes raises of 4% in 2024, 4% in 2025, 3.5% in 2026, and 3.5% in 2027. It also includes changes […]
Walthers HO scale Electro-Motive Division NW2 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with Next18 DCC plug, $154.98; with dual-mode ESU Sound & DCC, $209.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO scale Electro-Motive Division NW2 features: Dual tall conical exhaust stacks Factory-installed grab irons on hood […]
SALT LAKE CITY — A maintenance-of-way worker for the Utah Transit Authority has died from injuries suffered on April 24 when he was struck by a vehicle while working at a grade crossing. The UTA said in a statement today (May 4, 2025) that it was “deeply saddened to share the loss of our colleague, […]
Livestock shipments and railroads had a love-hate relationship that kindled in the 1850s, blossomed after the Civil War, matured with the growth of big-city stockyards and giant meat-processing plants, then slowly faded in the 1960s and 1970s. While it lasted, livestock shipments were a major part of the railroad scene. Hammered by aging physical plants […]
Back in 2010, I was part of a group of contributors to Scenery by the Seasons by Kalmbach Publishing Co. The 98-page book featured stories on modeling seasons on your layout. Among the topics covered were spring backdrops; lily pads, cattails, and pond scum; easy autumn trees; and ice and snow. Though the title is […]
Railroad dome cars are a gleaming symbol of postwar passenger train status. The streamliner era in North America bookended the World War II era in the U.S., since new streamlined passenger cars were not a priority between 1942 and 1945. Following the end of the war in the latter year, they began to […]
STEELTON, Pa. — Steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs has announced plans to temporarily but indefinitely close its Steelton plant near Harrisburg, Pa., one of only three locations in the U.S. making railroad rails. It is one of three U.S. plants the company will close. The others are in Conshohocken, Pa., and Riverdale, Ill. WHTM-TV reports the closure will […]
BOSTON — Conductors and assistant conductors have ratified a new five-year agreement with the contract operators of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter trains. Some 92% of members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division, or 359 out of 387 who cast ballots, voted in favor of the agreement with […]
