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 […]
Tag: Union Pacific
Union Pacific releases full schedule for Big Boy’s western trip
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Some 27 whistle stops are planned along with four public display days on the western tour of Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014, which begins March 29 with departure from Cheyenne. UP today announced the full schedule for the western trip, the first part of a planned coast-to-coast journey, in an email […]
I-80 closes, but California Zephyr gets through Sierras
TRUCKEE, Calif.— The eastbound California Zephyr arrived in Truckee today (Feb. 20) just after 1 a.m. Pacific Time, 11 hours late. But it won the battle against massive snowdrifts that had shut down parallel Interstate 80 through the Sierra Nevadas. Televised news reports like this one described multiple I-80 closures throughout a week that saw […]
Hobbyshop Window for February 20th 2026
For many years Hobbyshop Window was a popular department in the pages of Model Railroader magazine. We’re excited to bring it back as an occasional feature on Trains.com. Here’s a recap of some of the items that arrived at our offices for the week ending February 20th 2026. Keep up to date on the latest […]
Creel: UP-NS merger ‘not a layup’ after STB rejects initial application
MIAMI — Canadian Pacific Kansas City CEO Keith Creel says the Surface Transportation Board’s rejection of the initial Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger application shows the $85 billion transaction is not a done deal. “I’m not drinking the merger Kool-Aid that this thing’s going to get approved. It may or it may not,” Creel told an […]
WalthersProto scale test car in HO review
A scale test car was recently released by Wm. K. Walthers Inc. The HO scale model, part of the manufacturer’s Proto range, features die-cast metal construction, prototype-specific details, and Proto-Max metal couplers. Prototype history Scale test cars are used in the calibration of track scales found at on-line customers. The WalthersProto model follows the lines […]
Union Pacific CEO explains delay in revised merger filing
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Union Pacific’s plans to submit its revised Norfolk Southern merger application slipped from March to April after federal regulators clarified how certain data must be formatted, UP CEO Jim Vena says. On Tuesday, UP and NS told the Surface Transportation Board that they would file their updated merger application on April […]
Athearn Genesis HO GE Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive
In this product review video, Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno examines the Athearn Genesis HO scale GE Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive. Cody begins with the prototype history of the Dash 9 series, noting that General Electric produced more than 3,600 units between 1993 and 2004. These six-axle units were rated between 4,000 and 4,400 […]
Athearn Genesis HO GE Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive
In this product review video, Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno examines the Athearn Genesis HO scale GE Dash 9-44CW diesel locomotive. Cody begins with the prototype history of the Dash 9 series, noting that General Electric produced more than 3,600 units between 1993 and 2004. These six-axle units were rated between 4,000 and 4,400 […]
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern to file revised merger application April 30
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern will submit their revised merger application on April 30, the railroads informed the Surface Transportation Board today. The STB on Jan. 16 rejected the original 6,692-page application as incomplete. The railroads initially expected to file the revised application as early as March. Regulators pointed out that their decision […]
Seven state attorneys general ask Justice Department to scrutinize UP-NS merger
WASHINGTON — Top legal officials in seven Republican states are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to scrutinize the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger. The group of state attorneys general led by Montana’s Austin Knudsen claim that the east-west consolidation will stifle competition and increase costs for Americans. The coalition in a letter asks Acting […]
Union Pacific asks STB to probe CPKC’s handling of UP-NS stack trains on Meridian Speedway
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has repeated its call for federal regulators to open an investigation into Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s operation of the Meridian Speedway, claiming that CPKC’s handling of UP-Norfolk Southern domestic intermodal trains has deteriorated. In a letter to the Surface Transportation Board, UP said that dwell time for its eastbound intermodal hotshot […]
