Analysis: Thermal coal demand trends upward as natural gas prices rise

Yellow and blue diesel locomotive with train on curve by signal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — High natural gas prices have electric utilities once again relying on railroading’s oldest friend – coal. Natural-gas futures have notched upward to $5.10 per million British thermal units in recent days, reflecting a 95% increase from six months ago when natural gas was $2.61 per million BTUs. This upward trend, which has […]

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Buckingham Branch petitions to acquire line leased from CSX

Buckingham Branch Railroad logo

WASHINGTON — Virginia’s Buckingham Branch Railroad seeks to acquire a line that it presently leases from CSX Transportation. It encompasses 164.22 miles of line from milepost 276 in Clifton Forge to milepost 111.78 at Doswell. The railroad has leased the line, part of which hosts Amtrak’s Cardinal, since 2005. It was originally Chesapeake & Ohio. […]

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California High-Speed Rail Authority seeks permission for route changes

California High Speed Rail Authority logo

WASHINGTON — The California High-Speed Rail Authority has filed two petitions with the Surface Transportation Board to reopen proceedings to make changes to two aspects of its high speed rail line under construction in the Central Valley. The first document seeks to reexamine an exemption granted for 65 miles of high-speed line between Merced and […]

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Shay locomotive to be displayed in inventor’s Michigan hometown

Steam locomotive displayed behind fence among trees

HARBOR SPRINGS, Mich. — An important piece of American steam locomotive logging history is being relocated from its display site of more than 50 years in Texas to an appropriate place in Michigan. In the town of Harbor Springs, a Shay locomotive will be restored and displayed in the town where inventor Ephiram Shay came […]

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B&O Railroad Museum receives grant to restore Pullman tavern-observation car

Exterior of two-tone passenger rail car

BALTIMORE – The B&O Railroad Museum has obtained a $500,000 grant to cosmetically restore both the exterior and interior of the former Baltimore & Ohio Washington Pullman observation-tavern car No. 3316 built in 1949. The funds, to be matched 1:1 with other contributons come from the Federal Saving America’s Treasures program. That is a National […]

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Norfolk Southern wins praise for expanded less-than-carload expedited service

man in suit speaking

CHICAGO — Norfolk Southern’s experimental less-than-carload expedited boxcar service has been expanded and has won praise as an example of how railroads can take freight off highways. The Thoroughbred Freight Transfer service — launched in July linking Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami — now includes lanes connecting Croxton, N.J., with Chicago and Atlanta, Ed Elkins, the […]

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News & products for the week of September 23, 2021

America Deutsche Reichsbahn Class 50 2-10-0 steam locomotive.

Large scale locomotives Deutsche Reichsbahn Class 50 2-10-0 steam locomotive. Molded and separate, factory-applied parts, including lights, brake cylinders, bumpers, smokestack, tanks, piping, and handrails; hook-and-loop couplers; and can-type ball-bearing motor. Direct-current model can be upgraded with PIKO locomotive decoder no. 36125 and sound kit no. 36230, both sold separately. Direct-current model, $1,499.99; with PIKO […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, passenger equipment, structure, DVD, and calendar announcements for September 23, 2021

North County Transit District Sprinter DMU-operated commuter train.

Product news 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of September 23, 2021. HO scale locomotives 4-6-6-4 Challenger steam locomotive. Denver & […]

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CP CEO Keith Creel talks historic KCS merger, CPKC name, operations

Man in suit

Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel — who last week won a hard-fought, four month merger battle to acquire Kansas City Southern — is fully aware that the first Class I railroad combination in two decades is history in the making. “We’ve got some history that we’re very proud of with Canadian Pacific. We drove the […]

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Milwaukee, Racine & Troy N scale freight cars

Artwork for Milwaukee, Racine & Troy N scale 50-foot double-door boxcar painted Oxide Red with white doors

The Kalmbach Hobby Store has exciting news for N scale modelers. In 2022, we’ll be releasing two new freight cars decorated for the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy, Model Railroader’s freelanced staff layout. The custom-decorated cars are made in the U.S. by Micro-Trains Line Co. Both body styles will be offered in one road number. In […]

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Amtrak aims to add routes, frequencies; raise speeds in Pennsylvania

White diesel locomotive passes stone station on overcast day

Amtrak plans to add three short-haul routes in Pennsylvania and double both Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian train frequencies, Amtrak President Stephen Gardner told Gov. Tom Wolf and other public officials in a recent online roundtable talk about the company’s ConnectsUS 15-year regional corridor vision. The three routes are: New York City-Scranton, Pa., 136 miles via […]

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St. Louis TRRA Merchants Bridge project reaches major milestone

Red crane hovers over bridge truses in front of St. Louis Arch

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis Railroad reached a major milestone on Friday when the first of three replacement spans on the Merchants Bridge was floated into position on the Mississippi River at St. Louis. Owned by the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis, the Merchants Bridge project is a […]

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