Athearn HO Johnstown America BethGon Coalporter Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Five-pack, $234.99 Era: 1990s to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn HO BethGon Coalporter features: 36” metal wheelsets with RP-25 contour Body-mounted McHenry scale couplers Etched-metal crossover platforms Factory-applied brake wheel and formed-wire […]
WASHINGTON — President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday (Aug. 27) fired Surface Transportation Board member Robert E. Primus, breaking a 2-2 partisan split at the rail regulator while leaving it two members short of full strength just months before it is expected to receive the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application. The Wall Street Journal first […]
WASHINGTON – The Short Line Safety Institute has promoted Julia Leone to assistant director of research and organizational development, an expanded role that includes leading efforts to improve delivery and outcome for the organization’s safety and research programs. “Our program expansion has come as a direct result of research led by Julia Leone. Improvements to […]
DENVER — Shortline holding company OmniTRAX has named former BNSF Railway official Ryan Dreier as its executive vice president of sales and economic development. Dreier has held multiple commercial leadership roles in both carload and intermodal at BNSF. “OmniTRAX has grown more than 50% in the past five years, prompting an expanded sales structure that […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has urged federal regulators to take a closer look at the proposed Green Eagle Railroad, arguing that construction of a 19-mile cross-border line at the Eagle Pass, Texas, gateway is unnecessary and would snarl rail traffic. Green Eagle aims to build a new 19.12-mile secure cross-border corridor that includes 1.335 miles […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City said today that Class I railroad mergers are not necessary and that it isn’t interested in participating in an immediate round of consolidation. “We believe that a transcontinental merger would trigger permanent restructuring of the industry and result in a disproportionately large railway whose size and scope would […]
Atlas N EMD GP60 with sound Scale: N (1:160) Price: Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $144.95; with ESU sound decoder, $254.95. Subtract $10 for undecorated models. Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas N EMD GP60 with sound features: Body-mounted Accumate couplers Clear window glazing Factory-applied air horn […]
News & Products for the week of August 25th 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 25th, […]
HARTFORD, Wis. — The 2025 debut of Soo Line 2-8-2 No. 1003 on Saturday, Aug. 23, marked its first summer run since a 2022 trip to Chicago for a Metra family days event [see “News photos: Soo Line No. 1003 makes road trip …,” Trains.com, Aug. 8, 2022]. The 1913-built Mikado made a non-passenger round […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway wants to date CSX — but has no interest in getting married. Five days after Union Pacific announced its $85 billion deal to acquire Norfolk Southern, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett and CEO designate Greg Abel told CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs that they would not bid for the Eastern railroad. […]
TTX has joined the RailPulse Coalition, becoming the latest member of the cross-industry effort to transform railcar visibility, safety, and efficiency through the adoption of telematics and data standardization. TTX’s entry into RailPulse adds the scale, operational expertise, and fleet management capabilities of North America’s leading shared railcar provider, the companies said today. TTX, which […]
LARAMIE, Wyo. — Jim Ehernberger, 88, has now been retired longer than his time working for the Union Pacific. Yet, Ehernberger still considers himself a railroad man. Over the years, he has amassed a collection of documents, maps and photographs detailing western U.S. railroad activity. While he previously donated a portion of his collection to […]
