CHICAGO — One of the major pieces of Chicago’s CREATE program marked a milestone on Wednesday, Oct. 15, as the first CSX Transportation train crossed the Forest Hill Flyover on the city’s South Side. The new structure separates CSX’s main line from tracks used by Metra, the Belt Railway of Chicago, and Norfolk Southern. The […]
Trains.com sits down with Third & Townsend Models President Jay Escamilla on October 15, 2025, to discuss the recent amalgamation of Sunset Models, 3rd Rail, and Golden Gate Depot brands, and what it means for modelers. Jay details the companies’ commitment to producing the most prototypically accurate O (1:48) and HO (1:87.1) scale models in […]
In September 2025, Sunset Models Inc., along with its subsidiary 3rd Rail Division and Golden Gate Depot, found a new home in the form of Third & Townsend Models. From this recently-established partnership will be the distributor overseeing the companies’ continual and expanding productions of high-end, O and HO scale models in brass, plastic, and […]
The Atlas O Fall 2025 Premier catalog was recently published on the manufacturer’s website. Highlights include: New locomotives GP30 The locomotive includes Proto-Sound 3.0, onboard DCC/DCS decoder, detachable snowplow, O-42 operation, and road-specific ditch lights. Available roadnames: BNSF; NKP; Indiana & Ohio; Norfolk & Western; Raritan Central. Available in 3-rail version only. Price: $729.95. New […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Pinsly Railroad Co. has begun operating its newest short line, the 36-mile Georgiana & Andalusia Railroad in southern Alabama. The former Three Notch Railway interchanges with CSX at Georgiana, Ala. The Georgiana & Andalusia Railroad is set to make infrastructure investments to support the growth of both current and future rail-served customers […]
KNOB NOSTER, Mo. — About 20 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed early today (Friday, Oct. 17) west of the town of Knob Noster, closing a major highway and leading to the cancellation of Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner. KMMO Radio reports the derailment occurred about 2 a.m. and led to a closure of a […]
GATINEAU, Quebec — Incidents in which train crews fail to recognize and follow signal indications remain one of Canada’s key transportation safety issues, the Transportation Safety Board said this week in updating its ongoing Watchlist of such issues. It also noted that fatigue management continues to be an issue across all modes of transportation. “These […]
Like its Midwest rivals, the Chicago & North Western Railway jumped on the idea of brand-named passenger trains. However, it took a different route with the name in the form of a three-digit number: 400. The name [or number] stuck as the railroad rolled out a prominent fleet of Chicago & North Western 400 passenger […]
A newly tooled Electro-Motive Division GP40 recently joined the Rapido Trains HO scale diesel locomotive lineup. The four-axle road unit has an injection-molded plastic body, metal side handrails with plastic stanchions, and body-mounted metal couplers. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the GP40 from November 1965 until December 1971. During the course of the production run, […]
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Rail Road’s annual Santa Train will visit 11 communities over three days as part of its annual trip across the railroad, set for Dec. 5-7, 2025. It will be the 35th year for the Santa Train. The train offers community members the chance to climb aboard vintage passenger equipment to visit […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX’s profits declined in the third quarter as intermodal growth could not offset an 11% decline in coal revenue. But the railroad’s key operating metrics all improved, even amid detours related to a pair of major construction projects, the Howard Street Tunnel clearance project in Baltimore and the rebuilding of the hurricane-damaged […]
BOSTON — Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng has been named as interim transportation secretary for the state of Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey announced today (Oct. 16, 2025). He will also continue in his MBTA role. Eng will fill the vacancy created by the decision of Monica Tibbits-Nutt to step down […]
