Machinists reject tentative contract deal and authorize a strike

WASHINGTON – Members of the union representing machinists have rejected the tentative agreement that union leaders had reached with the Class I railroads and have voted to authorize a strike. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 19 said today that its 4,900 members had voted to reject the deal that had […]

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Atlas O 68-foot bulkhead flatcar

Yellow flatcar with bulkheads and white background

68-foot bulkhead flatcar Scale: O (1:48) Price: $62.95 (undecorated, $59.95) Era: 1997 to present (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com   62-foot bulkhead flatcar features: Side stake pockets Simulated tie-loops Fish-belly center sill Pull-plates and lift rings Minimum radius: 36” Release date: Available now Road names: New […]

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Three great paint schemes on Class Ones today

orange and gray painted locomotive

Three great paint schemes A paint scheme on a locomotive is the visual face of a railroad. It’s what the public sees, and field employees work on and around daily. Some schemes may appeal to some but not others. I’ll run down what I find appealing trackside within the Class I rosters today and explain […]

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NS to halt bulk moves by unit train on Thursday

Train passing grain facility

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has told customers it will halt bulk commodity movements by unit train on Thursday, Bloomberg is reporting, stepping up that railroad’s plans for a potential shutdown ahead of Friday’s end of the cooling-off period for labor negotiations. NS has previously announced it would stop accept accepting intermodal and automotive shipments on […]

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Metra says some lines will be halted by freight rail strike

Commuter trains meet on curve

CHICAGO —Metra expects it will be unable to operate on at least some of its 11 Chicago-area commuter rail lines in the event of a work stoppage on Class I freight rail lines, the agency said in a statement today (Tuesday, Sept. 13). Commuter operators elsewhere are also beginning to assess their situations in light […]

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Shippers ratchet up warnings about impact of potential rail strike

Man throwing switch as train with blue and yellow locomotive waits

WASHINGTON – The National Industrial Transportation League, the largest and oldest group of rail shippers, has asked congressional leaders to prevent a railroad strike or lockout that could begin as early as 12:01 a.m. on Friday. Meanwhile, the Class I railroads today reached a tentative agreement with the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers, SEIU, […]

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BNSF to shut gates to temperature-controlled intermodal traffic

BNSF Railway logo

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway will stop accepting temperature-controlled intermodal traffic as of 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, as it prepares for a possible work stoppage, the railroad said in a notice to customers on Monday night. The BNSF notice says the railroad has now reached agreements with nine unions — which would […]

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BNSF drawbridge in Seattle receives federal grant

BNSF Railway logo

WASHINGTON — A landmark BNSF Railway drawbridge in Seattle will receive a $25 million for mechanical upgrades under the federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) announced the funding on Friday for the Salmon Bay Bridge, which handles up to 40 BNSF, Amtrak, and Sounder trains per day, as well […]

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