Unifor members ratify new contract with VIA Rail Canada

MONTREAL — Members of the union representing about 2,500 VIA Rail Canada employees have ratified a new three-year contract with the passenger operator. Unifor announced Thursday (July 17, 2025) that members of its Council 4000 and Local 100 ratified the tentative agreement reached in June [see “VIA Rail Canada, Unifor announce …,” Trains News Wire, […]

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In memoriam: Donald Shaw

Classic Toy Trains magazine logo

Donald Shaw, lifelong train collector and founder of the Train Station in Mountain Lakes, N.J., died on February 28, 2025 at the age of 94. Don established in 1974 what has grown to become one of the top Lionel dealers in the country as a way to share his passion for Lionel trains. Classic Toy […]

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Oregon museum receives TriMet light rail vehicle

White articulated light rail vehicle with blue and yellow trim

BROOKS, Ore. — The Oregon Electric Railway Museum has added one of the first MAX light rail vehicles to its collection, a donation from Portland-area transit agency TriMet. MAX LRV No. 101 was part of the original set of equipment used to launch TriMet’s light rail service on Sept. 5, 1986, reviving a form of […]

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NJ Transit ratifies new deal with engineers

Commuter train at junction

NEWARK, N.J. — The NJ Transit board of directors has approved the agency’s contract with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, after learning some of the key provisions of the deal. The board’s unanimous vote on Thursday, July 17, ends a years-long dispute between NJ Transit and its engineers that included a brief strike […]

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California sues over FRA cancellation of high speed funding

Man speaking at podium under banner marking California high speed rail construction

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High Speed Rail Authority is suing the Trump administration over its termination of $4 billion in previously awarded federal funding for the state’s high speed project. A press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom says the lawsuit alleges the Federal Railroad Administration’s termination of the funding is political retribution “motivated by […]

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Union Pacific floats transcon merger trial balloons: Analysis

Union Pacific appears to be using a familiar playbook that large, publicly traded companies trot out when considering mergers and acquisitions: Send up trial balloons and see how they fly. These trial balloons let management gauge market reaction, political sentiment, and how the media might spin the story, all without committing to a deal. They […]

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Metro-North Danbury Branch faces 17-day maintenance shutdown

Green and yellow diesel leading commuter train

DANBURY, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced a 17-day shutdown of Metro-North’s Danbury Branch, set to begin Aug. 1. Bus service will replace trains from Friday, Aug. 1, to Sunday, Aug. 17. CTDOT said the shutdown, for state-of-good-repair work, saves costs and is more efficient compared to daily mobilization and demobilization of work […]

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Walthers HO ACF 5250 review

Color photo of HO scale covered hopper painted gray with red and black graphics on white background

A newly tooled American Car & Foundry 5,250-cubic-foot capacity four-bay Center Flow covered hopper has joined the WalthersMainline product range. The injection-molded plastic HO scale model features prototype-specific hatches and outlet gates, 36″ metal wheels on plastic axles, and body-mounted Proto-Max couplers. Prototype history American Car & Foundry introduced the 5250 Center Flow in 1964. […]

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News photo: A ‘Big’ deal in Colorado

Large steam locomotive surrounded by spectators

GREELEY, Colo. — Union Pacific’s Big Boy began its only scheduled trip of 2025 today (July 17), heading from its home base in Cheyenne, Wyo., to Denver as part of a round trip for the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo. The 4-8-8-4 is accompanied by the railroad’s Abraham Lincoln diesel, No. 1616. Today’s servicing stop […]

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