July 2021

In every issue News p. 4 It’s Canadian National vs. Canadian Pacific for KCS Brian Solomon p. 8 Reflecting on a microcosm of dieselization: the significance and longevity of EMD’s SD40 Bill Stephens p. 9 We need more Dutchtown Southerns: new railroad may be the future of carload traffic Preservation p. 44 Mainline steam outlook […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, passenger car, structure, and detail announcements for July 22, 2021

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 July 22, 2021. HO scale locomotives  MT-4 4-8-2 steam locomotive. Without skyline […]

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Kansas City Southern locomotives reviewed

Mergers or acquisitions of two or more railroads always bring a blending of motive power rosters. Kansas City Southern, like all Class I railroads today, relies on its fleet of A.C. (alternating current) traction locomotives for most of its operations, similar to both Canadian National’s and Canadian Pacific’s motive power philosophies. Kansas City Southern’s grade-intensive […]

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CN, CP lines reopen in British Columbia

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian National and Canadian Pacific were both able to operate rail service through the Thompson and Fraser River canyons on Friday, the Port of Vancouver informed customers, while cautioning that wildfire activity in British Columbia’s interior continues and “impacts to rail operations are evolving and changing quickly.” Both railroads had halted […]

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Merger costs dent Kansas City Southern quarterly earnings

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Southern’s revenue and volume surged in a second quarter that compared favorably to a year ago, when pandemic-related shutdowns resulted in historic traffic declines. But the railroad’s $700 million merger breakup fee paid to Canadian Pacific sent KCS into the red for the quarter. Current merger partner Canadian National will […]

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Fires disrupting CN, CP in British Columbia, UP in California

Canadian National and Canadian Pacific main lines in British Columbia are once again both shut down because of wildfires. Meanwhile, in California, Union Pacific is also experiencing additional fire-related disruptions. Container shipper Hapag-Lloyd informed customers on Thursday that CN and CP have halted operations east of Lytton at the request of the B.C. Wildfire Service, […]

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Two CN lines in British Columbia shut down by fires (updated)

LYTTON, B.C. — Less than 24 hours after Canadian National reopened its fire-damaged main line in British Columbia, that line has been shut down again — as has the former British Columbia Railway line that had been used to reroute some traffic. Bloomberg reports CN informed customers on Wednesday that it was suspending operations between […]

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STB chairman questions level of rail competition, Wall Street influence on Class I railroads

LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman fully supports the White House’s call for more competition in the rail industry and questions whether Class I railroads are shirking their obligations as common carriers due to pressure from Wall Street. Oberman, addressing the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers today, said the Biden administration’s […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, structure, electronic, and club offering announcements for July 15, 2021

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 July 15, 2021. HO scale locomotives  2-6-0 Mogul steam locomotive. Atchison, Topeka […]

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