BNSF reopens main line in Iowa after derailment

BNSF Railway logo

ARGYLE, Iowa — Service was restored on BNSF’s main line in the Fort Madison area on Wednesday after the Tuesday evening derailment of a train that blocked both tracks of the railroad’s Southern Transcon. KHQA-TV reports the derailment occurred while the train was stopped because of a tornado warning, according to a BNSF representative. No […]

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CSX rebounds from service problems and sluggish operations

Intermodal train with single engine passes maintenance vehicle next to tracks

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX has fully bounced back from a bout of operational challenges that began with hurricanes last fall and worsened after the Feb. 1 closure of the Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore, CEO Joe Hinrichs tells Trains. The railroad’s on-time performance in May, measured by trip plan compliance for intermodal and carload shipments, […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic continues to beat 2024 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. carload traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic continues to run ahead of 2024 levels, even as intermodal traffic experiences a decline tied to recent U.S. tariff moves. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, volume for the week ending May 31, 2025, was 459,884 carloads and intermodal units, a 2.2% increase over the same […]

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Rapido HO scale PFE refrigerator cars

Color photo of HO scale freight car painted orange, black, and silver on white background

Rapido HO scale PFE refrigerator cars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $59.95; six-pack, $359.70 Era: 1957 to 1982 Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St., Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Features on Rapido HO scale PFE refrigerator cars: 33″ metal wheelsets Body-mounted Lincoln-Washington metal semi-scale couplers Factory-installed and painted wire grab irons Freestanding door rods, […]

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Railroad Development Corp. announces new roles for Posner, Asplund

Logo of Rail Development Corp.

PITTSBURGH — Railroad Development Corp. has appointed Ida Posner to chief operating officer, and appointed Nate Asplund, president of its Pop-Up Metro affiliate, to lead the integration of the recently announced joint venture between RDC and the UK’s Transport Design International. Posner joined RDC in 2017 and has served as vice president, strategic planning, since […]

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Predicting the unpredictable for intermodal

Two trains work with container lifts for ships in distance

Intermodal analyst Larry Gross says that normally he’d be able to draw on his 45 years of transportation experience to make predictions about freight volume in the months ahead. “Theoretically, it would mean that I would be bringing some long-term insight to the situation that we find ourselves in today: You know, a sense that, […]

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Mongeau resigns as chair of Norfolk Southern board

MongeauClaude

ATLANTA — Claude Mongeau, the former Canadian National Railway CEO, has resigned as chair of the Norfolk Southern board of directors, the company announced today (June 3, 2025). The resignation is for personal reasons, the railroad said. The board will elect a new chair at its next scheduled meeting later this month. “We are deeply […]

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Kadee HO scale 50-ton flatcar

Color photo of HO scale flatcar painted black with white graphics and tan simulated wood plastic deck.

Kadee HO scale 50-ton flatcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $54.99 Era: 1942+ (as decorated) Manufacturer: Kadee Quality Products Co., 673 Ave. C, White City, OR 97503; 541-826-3883; kadee.com Kadee HO scale 50-ton flatcar features: 33” ribbed-back metal wheels with raised foundry data mounted on plastic axles Body-mounted Magne-Matic No. 158 scale “whisker” couplers in narrow […]

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News & Products for the week of June 2nd 2025

A brown and blue model locomotive

News & Products for the week of June 2nd 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 June 2nd, […]

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BNSF creates carload growth team

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has created a new team that’s focused on carload volume growth. The 13-member First Mile/Last Mile team combines personnel from the railroad’s Shortline Development and Industrial Products Business Development. The group, led by General Director of Marketing Mark Ganaway, will be dedicated to growing carload volume across the railroad’s […]

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