Railroad signs you can model

A railroad sign on a model railroad layout next to an industrial structure with a red truck and a figure seen nearby

There are various ways we can convey to visitors and operators our modeling objectives. Locomotives and rolling stock provide clues as to the prototype (or freelanced) railroad we’re modeling. Those same models, as well as vehicles and figures, can be used to define the era. But what about the model railroad’s locale? Signature structures or […]

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BNSF announces $3.8 billion capital plan for 2025

Freight train with orange locomotives leaves yard as commuter train approaches

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway plans to spend $3.8 billion on capital projects in 2025, with the vast majority for network maintenance, the company announced today (Jan. 23, 2025). “Our 2025 capital plan reflects BNSF’s ongoing commitment to investing in our network to support our customers’ growth and operating a safe, efficient and reliable […]

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Nebraska teen to be tried as adult in train derailment case

BNSF Railway logo

LINCOLN, Neb. — An 18-year-old accused of derailing a BNSF train last April will be tried as an adult after a Nebraska court turned down his appeal of the decision to move his case out of juvenile court. KLKN-TV reports juvenile court Judge Roger Heideman ruled last August that Zachary Hertzler, 18, should be charged […]

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Classic Trains Film Archive | Chicago Passenger Train Parade, Chicago, Illinois, J. David Ingles Reel 0137

Classic Trains Film Archive | Chicago Passenger Train Parade, Chicago, Illinois, J. David Ingles Reel 0137 – Join J. David Ingles for a tour of Chicagoland railroads in early 1971. You’ll see Burlington Northern, Illinois Central, Monon, Penn Central, Santa Fe, and more around the Windy City. Locations include, 21st Street diamond, 18th Street on […]

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BNSF’s Southern Transcon double-tracking persistence pays off: Analysis

Normally the addition of a 3.5-mile stretch of second main line isn’t a cause for celebration. But when those 3.5 miles happen to be the final section of regular double track added to BNSF Railway’s 2,200-mile Southern Transcon, well, then it’s a major milestone. BNSF cut over the new trackage between Rose Hill and Mulvane, […]

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BNSF CEO’s talk illustrates value of data in improving service

Woman on podium

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The power of data, or more accurately, of well-used data, may not have explicitly been the topic of BNSF Railway CEO Katie Farmer’s presentation at the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers’ Winter Meeting. But it was a recurring theme with several subjects she touched on as part of her morning keynote address […]

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Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive

Title screen of product review video showing HO diesel in orange, green, and yellow paint with BNSF lettering.

Hey folks, it’s time for another product review video! This time around we’ll take a look at the Rapido HO EMD GP38 diesel locomotive. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he shares a brief history of the Electro-Motive Division road unit and BNSF Ry. 2157; points out the various detail parts; and demonstrates […]

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BLM approves sale of federal land for BNSF Barstow project

Rendering of large intermodal terminal

BARSTOW, Calif. — The federal Bureau of Land Management has approved sale of almost 30 acres of public land to BNSF Railway for its planned Barstow International Gateway intermodal and logistics facility. The Victorville Daily Press reports the land, valued at $98,000, was ruled to be suitable for private sale. The propery is isolated, surrounded […]

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Grant to Galesburg, Ill., will help fund addition of rail service to business park

Map of area near Galesburg, Ill., with boundaries of Galesburg Business Park shaded in blue.

GALESBURG, Ill. — The city of Galesburg has received a $25 million federal grant to fund the addition of rail lines at Galesburg Business Park, a 329-acre facility served by BNSF Railway. The addition of spur tracks will support construction of an intermodal agricultural export facility by the DeLong Co. that will cover about 100 […]

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Walthers HO EMD SD75M

Color photo showing cab of HO scale diesel painted orange, green, and yellow.

The Electro-Motive Division SD75M diesel locomotive has joined the WalthersMainline HO scale product range. The newly tooled model features an injection-molded plastic body; heavy, die-cast metal chassis; and all-wheel drive and electrical pickup. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the SD75M from February 1995 through February 1996. A total of 76 units rolled off the production […]

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San Diego suburb seeks to delay Surf Line bridge project

Commuter train with cab car leading on wooden railroad bridge

DEL MAR, Calif. — The city council in the coastal suburb of Del Mar has voted to ask San Diego’s regional planning agency to postpone construction of a new railroad bridge on the Surf Line route to Orange County, saying the bridge project might not be necessary depending on the route of a proposed tunnel […]

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RailState data shows prevalence of long trains on BNSF, UP in Southwest

QUINCY, Mass. – RailState, which monitors rail traffic using a network of sensors placed on public property along main lines, has provided a snapshot of long trains rolling along BNSF Railway and Union Pacific main lines in the Southwest during December. Although only 1% of freight trains in the U.S. exceed 14,000 feet, RailState data […]

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