Atlas O Master line Trinity 25,500-gallon tank car

Black tank car in O scale

Scale: O (1:48) Price: $104.95 Era: 1986 to present (era varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com Trinity 25,500-gallon tank car features: Injection-molded plastic body with jacket seams Metal end sills, lower side safety rails, and safety rail support Prototype-specific detail fittings and components […]

Read More…

General Electric P40DC and P42DC locomotives from Athearn Genesis

Illustration of diesel locomotive black and yellow

Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $219.99 (direct current with 21-pin NEM connector), $319.99 (with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder) Era: 1992 to 2022 (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com General Electric P40DC and P42DC locomotives features: Four nose variations Newly-tooled illuminated number boxes Operating front and rear […]

Read More…

General Electric ES44DC diesel locomotive from Athearn Genesis

Illustration of CSX

Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $239.99 (direct current with 21-pin NEM connector), $339.99 (with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder) Era: Early 2000s to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com General Electric ES44DC diesel locomotive features: See-through dynamic brake intakes Illuminated ditch lights Tinted cab windows GPS […]

Read More…

American Z Line New York Central 20th Century Limited cars

passenger car

Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: 1940s-1950s Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016, 614-764-1703 New York Central 20th Century Limited cars features: Injection-molded plastic Metal wheels AutoLatch couplers Window glazing Car Types: Pullman Imperial-series 4-double-bedroom, 4-compartment, 2-drawing-room sleeper (six car names), diner (two numbers), River-series observation (two car names), and […]

Read More…

The fate of carload traffic hinges on local service: Analysis

Let’s set aside the railroad industry’s current bout of temporary service problems and discuss something more important. Class I railroads’ local service — which ranges from OK to downright embarrassing — for years has been where the rubber meets the road. Shippers divert rail shipments to trucks when a local regularly fails to show up, […]

Read More…

Close clearance in yard led to 2019 NS conductor fatality

Photo of railcars on adjacent tracks, with notations showing details of fatal accident

WASHINGTON — A Norfolk Southern conductor killed in a February 2019 accident in Baltimore was riding on the side of a car in a close-clearance area — contrary to rules prohibiting such an action — when he was pinned between his train and a car on an adjacent track, according to a National Transportation Safety […]

Read More…

BART reinstates mask requirement

BART logo

OAKLAND, Calif. — The Bay Area Rapid Transit board of directors has voted to reinstate a mask requirement on trains and station platforms. Thursday’s decision was effective immediately and will remain in place until July 18, KNTV reports. “I strongly support requiring a mask to ride BART to keep all our riders safe,” Rebecca Saltzman, […]

Read More…

New CEO spells out priorities for Canadian National

Woman in black suit and white blouse standing near windows in high-rise

MONTREAL — New CEO Tracy Robinson likes what she sees at Canadian National. “As I sit here, 60 days in … I can tell you that I’m more excited about our prospects than when I first arrived,” Robinson told investors and analysts on the railway’s earnings call this week. “At CN, we have an incredible […]

Read More…