WASHINGTON — Cargo theft cost U.S. Class I railroads more than $100 million in 2024, the Association of American Railroads says, calling for more federal efforts to address the thefts and more effective prosecution of those arrested. The AAR says in a recently released fact sheet that organized criminal groups are increasingly targeting freight moves, […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Members of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers have ratified a new five-year agreement with CSX Transportation, the railroad announced today (March 3, 2025). “IAM’s ratification is a testament to the strength of our partnership with union leadership,” CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs said in a press release. “This underscores our […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has turned down a request to reconsider its approval of construction of Utah’s Savage Tooele Railroad. In a decision issued today (March 3, 2025), the board’s four members agreed that those who had petitioned for reconsideration — the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, Erda Community Association, and two […]
News & Products for the week of March 3rd 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 3rd, […]
Well, I left everybody hanging with the end of my last story, the Cascade Tunnel adventure. The adventure continued even after my conductor, Chris, and I left our freight train inside the 7.9-mile-long Cascade Tunnel after the ventilation failed and hurried our light engines to daylight — and fresh air. Once outside, Chris and I […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway and Iowa Northern Railway have officially joined their operations, CN said today (Monday, March 3). “This additional investment in the United States underscores our dedication to delivering outstanding rail service while driving economic growth,” CN CEO Tracy Robinson said in a press release. “CN customers and partners along this network […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. railroads generated more than $233 billion in economic activity and support almost 750,000 jobs nationwide, the Association of American Railroads says in a new report on the economic impact of the rail industry in 2023. “Railroads are a key pillar of American commerce, powering our supply chains and driving economic growth nationwide,” […]
It was an oddball branch line with a just-as-odd history that is still worth recounting. The Rio Grande’s Farmington Branch was built in 1905 to connect Carbon Junction, Colo. (just outside of Durango to the southeast), and Farmington, N.M. It was a modest, 47.68-mile standard gauge line (later narrow gauge) that followed the […]
SAN DIEGO — The effort to determine a new rail route through Del Mar, Calif., will repeat a step — and has a new twist, as well. At a Friday, Feb. 28, meeting, the San Diego Association of Governments restarted the run-up to developing an environmental assessment of the project, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. […]
HO scale model trains are a significant part of model railroading history, and we can partially credit the overall popularity of model trains with the rise of a convenient, tabletop scale like HO. With origins dating back a century, HO scale trains have grown into the most popular model train scale in the world. Model […]
LA GRANDE, Ore. — Eleven single-stack container cars of a Union Pacific train derailed west of La Grande on Thursday evening, Feb. 27, Union County Emergency Services reports. The derailment occurred about 9 p.m. No injuries were reported and Union Pacific confirmed no hazardous materials were involved. Two grade crossings — at Fire and Greenwood […]
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Port Authority and CSX Transportation broke ground on a new inland port intermodal facility in Montgomery that will be capable of handling 30,000 containers for transfer between trains and trucks. The $94 million Montgomery Intermodal Container Transfer Facility or ICTF, was announced in 2022 [see “Alabama Port Authority announces …,” […]
