Kansas City utility seeks $22 million in damages from BNSF

Coal train approaches with another visible in the distance

WASHINGTON – Evergy is seeking more than $22.2 million in damages from BNSF Railway for what the utility claims is the railroad’s refusal to deliver enough Powder River Basin coal to power plants in Missouri and Kansas in 2022. The Kansas City-based utility argues, in opening evidence filed with the Surface Transportation Board today, that […]

Read More…

Lights, Camera, Lionel Trains! wins several book awards

cover of book with black and white photo

Roger Carp’s book, Lights, Camera, Lionel Trains! A Photo History of an American Icon, has won several awards. The title won Gold for Best Coffee Table Book from the National Indie Excellence Book Awards; Silver for Best History from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA); Silver for Best Coffee Table Book from IBPA, Silver for […]

Read More…

HDR to provide engineering services for High Desert Corridor project

Map of High Desert Corridor route

LOS ANGELES — Engineering firm HDR will provide, engineering, design, and advisory services for the High Desert Corridor high speed rail project, the company has announced. The High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority, which seeks to build a 54-mile line between Palmdale and Victorville, Calif., that would eventually connect the Brightline West and California High-Speed […]

Read More…

Rail unions warn DOT rule change could jeopardize train safety

Maintenance-of-way employees working on track in front of station

WASHINGTON — Rail unions are raising concerns about the Trump administration’s plan to roll back protections for federal inspectors and investigators put in place in 2021 that they say could increase safety risks in the rail industry. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued in May, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed several changes to […]

Read More…

Head of MBTA’s contract commuter operator to depart

Head shot of man in suit with office in background

BOSTON — The CEO of Keolis Commuter Services, contract operator of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter trains, is departing to return to a position with the operator’s parent company in France. Parent company Keolis Group announced on Monday (June 23) that Abdellah Chajai will depart to become executive director of marketing, innovation, sustainable development, and […]

Read More…

Atlas Classic HO Alco RS11

HO scale diesel painted black and yellow on scenicked model railroad with video title bar in lower left corner.

The Atlas Classic HO Alco RS11 is back in new paint schemes and road numbers. We recently received a sample decorated for Burlington Northern, and our resident BN fan, Senior Editor Cody Grivno, is here with the scoop. Learn about the full-size Alco RS11 and Burlington Northern 4183; get a close-up look at the factory-applied […]

Read More…

Atlas Classic HO Alco RS11

HO scale diesel painted black and yellow on scenicked model railroad with video title bar in lower left corner.

The Atlas Classic HO Alco RS11 is back in new paint schemes and road numbers. We recently received a sample decorated for Burlington Northern, and our resident BN fan, Senior Editor Cody Grivno, is here with the scoop. Learn about the full-size Alco RS11 and Burlington Northern 4183; get a close-up look at the factory-applied […]

Read More…

Coalition completes purchase of Saluda Grade for trail

Green and white diesels at crest of mountain pass

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — A coalition of nonprofit groups has officially completed its purchase of Norfolk Southern’s Saluda Grade line for conversion into a hiking and biking trail. The Saluda Grade Trails Conservancy announced today (June 24, 2025) that it had finalized purchase on June 17 of the 31.5-mile trail between Zirconia, N.C., and Inman, S.C. […]

Read More…