An Electro-Motive Division GP38-2 has been added to the Master Line from Atlas Model Railroad Co. The N scale model, based on a Phase II prototype, uses former Walthers (and before that Life-Like) tooling that Atlas acquired back in 2018. Prototype history Electro-Motive Division produced the GP38-2 from January 1972 until July 1986. More than […]
WASHINGTON — A Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger would reduce shipping options for farmers and make them more vulnerable to price increases, economists for the American Farm Bureau said in an analysis released today (Wednesday, March 11). The long-term effect of the merger could be increased consumer prices for food as expenses rise throughout the food […]
Trains Turntable: Commentary from CPKC CEO Keith Creel Over the last several months, the Class I railroads not named Union Pacific or Norfolk Southern have been accused of opposing the largest, most unnecessary proposed rail merger ever attempted because those railroads are afraid to compete or are selfishly afraid it will hurt their business. Those […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern will continue to modernize its locomotive fleet in a deal announced on Monday with Progress Rail, which will convert 96 of the railroad’s SD70M-2 models to AC-traction SD70ICCs. Deliveries of the Tier 2 locomotives will start in 2027 and run through 2029. “By modernizing existing units, Norfolk Southern is taking a […]
LOGAN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two locomotives and 17 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed today (Saturday, March 7) in Logan Township near Horseshoe Curve, WJAC-TV reports. NS told the station that the derailment occurred about 12:03 a.m. and that no crew members were injured. The derailment has led to the cancellation of both directions […]
Looking to add a model of one of the newest freight cars on the rails to your HO layout? Then you’ll want to check out the Greenbrier 5-trough transverse coil gondola from Rapido Trains. The model, based on a prototype introduced in 2021, features plastic and die-cast metal construction, 36″ metal wheelsets, and metal semi-scale […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern will continue backing sustainability-focused technology startups through an expanded partnership with Georgia Tech Advanced Technology Development Center, committing $250,000 annually for the next two years to support the center’s Sustainability Tech program. The investment extends a collaboration launched in 2023 that created a sustainability-focused program within the Georgia Tech incubator. Since […]
In this product review video, Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno examines the Athearn HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD40-2. Cody begins with the prototype history, noting that EMD produced more than 3,900 units between January 1972 and February 1986. These six-axle units were rated at 3,000 horsepower and featured a 16-cylinder 645E3C diesel engine. The […]
WASHINGTON — Tariffs, geopolitical tensions, a persistently soft truck market, and an uncertain economy marked an eventful 2025, but U.S. rail traffic still managed to eke out a 1.5% gain last year. All six Class I railroads, in fact, posted year-over-year gains in overall volume. On paper, Canadian Pacific Kansas City recorded the biggest percentage […]
COLUMBUS, Ga. — A Georgia city’s lawsuit claiming ownership of most of a Norfolk Southern rail yard landed in federal court on Wednesday (Feb. 25), where a judge will now determine if that is the proper venue for the dispute. Neither the railroad nor the City of Columbus believe it is. WRBL-TV reports Judge Clay […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern have asked the Federal Railroad Administration to waive cab-signal requirements that otherwise would restrict where UP’s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4014 could operate on its historic eastern swing this summer. In Feb. 10 letters to the FRA, the railroads sought permission to operate the Big Boy in cab-signal […]
The latest product sample from Athearn Trains sent me on a nostalgia trip. Inside was Burlington Northern Santa Fe Dash 9-44CW 960. The HO scale model, from the manufacturer’s Genesis series, was decorated in the railroad’s Heritage I paint scheme. I immediately flashed back to the second half of 1996 when these units were making […]
