DENVER — Shortline holding company OmniTRAX has named former BNSF Railway official Ryan Dreier as its executive vice president of sales and economic development. Dreier has held multiple commercial leadership roles in both carload and intermodal at BNSF. “OmniTRAX has grown more than 50% in the past five years, prompting an expanded sales structure that […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has introduced its long-awaited NextGen Acela service between Washington and New York, with the first new trainsets departing today (Aug. 27, 2025) from Washington at 5 a.m. and Boston at 6 a.m. ET on trips for invited guests. Service for the general public begins Thursday, Aug. 28. The first of what will […]
I found this manuscript from the late John Grams in our manuscript files. There was no date on the envelope but it’s likely from the early 1990s. The article discusses 12 Lionel products that, while great inventions, were fraught with problems or didn’t work exactly as advertised. He included the following disclaimer: Lionel trains were […]
You never know what will inspire someone to plan a layout with its own special personality. Dinarte Ferro saw pictures of a Lionel No. D-264 Super O display from 1959 and decided it would be perfect as a home for his collection of O gauge trains and accessories from Louis Marx & Co. Just one […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation plans to take over management of Washington Union Station, the agency announced Wednesday, ending a period of just over a year when Amtrak held managerial control of the structure. “Instead of being a point of pride, Washington’s Union Station has fallen into disrepair,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said […]
Q: I have a question about removing markings from rolling stock and steam engines. I’ve seen your videos on removing decals, but how do I remove these items when they are factory painted? — Michael Ricci A: Over the years, I’ve used a variety of methods to remove factory-printed graphics. In my September 2022 Model […]
JOPLIN, Mo. — Jaguar Transport Holdings has completed its acquisition of two railroads in central Washington state and will begin operating them today (Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025), the company has announced. The Columbia Basin Railroad and Central Washington Railroad will bring Jaguar’s holdings to 13 short line railroads, as well as 13 transload locations and […]
WASHINGTON — A Dallas Area Rapid Transit light rail train came in contact with an overhead catenary wire, leading to arcing that started a fire, the National Transportation Safety Board says in its preliminary report on the July 30, 2025, incident that led to injuries to 11 passengers. The incident occurred about 3:33 p.m., and […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has urged federal regulators to take a closer look at the proposed Green Eagle Railroad, arguing that construction of a 19-mile cross-border line at the Eagle Pass, Texas, gateway is unnecessary and would snarl rail traffic. Green Eagle aims to build a new 19.12-mile secure cross-border corridor that includes 1.335 miles […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has cancelled an additional $175 million in funding for four projects related to the California high-speed rail project, saying it determined that advancing the funding “ius not justified” after reviewing the projects and given the current state of the high-speed rail project. “As of today, the American people are […]
BENNETTSVILLE, S.C. — A man has been charged with grand larceny for allegedly stealing railroad track valued at $22,000 from Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad property in Bennettsville, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. Walter Tyndall was also charged with trespassing on a railroad track following […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has delayed by a year the deadline to comply with a rule requiring railroads to provide emergency breathing devices in the cab of locomotives on trains carrying hazardous materials that pose an inhalation danger. In a notice published earlier this month, the FRA said it was delaying the deadline […]
