BNSF train derails, catches fire in North Dakota (updated)

Black smoke rising from fire at train derailment

BURLINGTON, N.D. — Fifteen cars of a BNSF Railway intermodal train derailed early Sunday near Burlington, with some cars catching fire, closing the railroad’s Glasgow Subdivision main line just west of Minot, N.D. KMOT-TV reports that while the derailment occurred about 1 a.m., as of 3:15 p.m., the fire was still burning because firefighters were […]

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Brightline, Florida seek funds for grade-crossing safety projects

Yellow and white passenger train crosses street

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Brightline and the Florida Department of Transportation will seek a $25 million federal grant to help fund a $45 million project to address ongoing grade-crossing accidents along the passenger operator’s route in South Florida. The Palm Beach Post reports in a paywalled article that the project would make improvements at […]

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Union members protest at stockholder meeting of BNSF parent

Group of people holding picket signs outside building

OMAHA, Neb. — Railroad union members, who have been increasingly vocal about working conditions and the lack of a new contract, protested Saturday at the annual meeting of BNSF Railway parent Berkshire Hathaway, picketing and handing out leaflets outside the meeting site. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen has also taken out ads in […]

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Passenger association, union applaud Amtrak board nominations

Rail Passengers Association logo

WASHINGTON — The Rail Passengers Association and a major union reacted positively to nominations by President Joe Biden to fill five positions on the 10-member Amtrak board of directors. “America’s passengers asked President Biden to make the Amtrak Board a top priority, and he did,” Rail Passengers Association CEO Jim Mathews said in a press […]

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UP derailment shuts down main line in Nebraska

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

SHELTON, Neb. — Fifteen cars of a Union Pacific train derailed Friday evening near Shelton, Neb., temporarily closing the railroad’s main line on the Kearney Subdivision. The Grand Island Independent reports the derailment occurred about 5:45 p.m. about a mile west of Shelton along U.S. Route 30. No injuries were reported, and no hazardous materials […]

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What is Precision Scheduled Railroading?

Hunter Harrison, Canadian National Railway

Amid lot of talk, just what is Precision Scheduled Railroading? It began with a simple lesson. In the late 1960s E. Hunter Harrison was working in the tower in Frisco’s Tennessee Yard in Memphis when Bill Thompson, the railroad’s operations chief, dropped by. Thompson pointed to the yard tracks, chocked full of freight cars, and […]

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The Trains Interview: Chris Koos

Man in blue shirt with brick building in background

Since 2003, Normal, Ill., business owner Chris Koos has championed downtown development as mayor of the Midwest college town situated on Amtrak’s Chicago-St. Louis Lincoln Service route. He was nominated on Friday by President Joe Biden for a spot on Amtrak’s board of directors, the second time he has been nominated. President Donald Trump nominated […]

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Biden to nominate five to Amtrak board (updated)

Man in coat and tie with gray hair and glasses

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will nominate five people, including current chairman Anthony Coscia, to the Amtrak board of directors, the White House has announced. Reuters initially reported the nominations, citing information from “an official.” Coscia been on the board since 2010, and was elected as its chairman in 2013. He would be joined by […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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