Rapido Trains announces Canadian 66-foot bulkhead flatcar

A 66-foot bulkhead flatcar based on a Canadian prototype is the latest HO scale freight car announced by Rapido Trains. The release date for the model has not been announced. Paint schemes on the first run of bulkhead flatcars include BNSF Ry. (BC Rail patchout and Mineral Red schemes); British Columbia Ry. (green with BCOL […]

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DOT report critical of railroads: PSR, rising rates, and mergers

WASHINGTON – A U.S. DOT report critical of railroads discusses pandemic-related supply chain problems and cites concerns with Precision Scheduled Railroading, Class I railroad consolidation, and rising railroad rates. Among the recommendations in the 141-page report, released on Thursday in response to a Biden administration executive order issued a year ago: Increased regulation of freight […]

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An opportunity for the millennial railroader: Analysis

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Class I railroads are hiring train crews to replace the droves of workers who retired or left the railroad during the coronavirus pandemic. Class I railroads currently employ less than 115,000 workers, 12% fewer than before the pandemic, according to Class I railroad data compiled by the Surface Transportation Board. Despite an […]

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News & Products for the week of February 24, 2022

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 February 24, 2022.   HO scale locomotives   Electro-Motive Division F7A diesel […]

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Asplund joins Rail Development Corp. as executive vice president

PITTSBURGH — Railroad Development Corp. has named Nathan M. (Nate) Asplund as executive vice president. In his new role, Asplund will be responsible for support and business development for RDC operations worldwide. Asplund will join RDC on March 1. Most recently, he was partner and president of Columbia Strategic Consulting Group, a Fort Worth, Texas-based […]

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Bipartisan infrastructure bill a boon for carload business? — Analysis

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Passenger and freight railroad projects will benefit from federal surface transportation dollars made available in President Biden’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in November. But freight railroads should also see residual value from increased carloads of construction-related materials as highway and infrastructure-heavy projects ramp up. This […]

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FRA report details Amtrak delays, other performance statistics

WASHINGTON — The Cardinal, Sunset Limited, and Texas Eagle were the Amtrak trains experiencing the most delays in fiscal 2021’s fourth quarter,   according to a report on Amtrak performance released Monday by the Federal Railroad Administration. The quarterly report on performance and service quality uses metrics defined by the rule issued in 2020 which requires […]

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Model railroad products for the week of February 17, 2022

Product news Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about model railroad products like 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 February 17, 2022.   HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division […]

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10 hot spots with Chase Gunnoe

10 hot spots with Chase Gunnoe: Identifying my 10 favorite train-watching spots in the U.S. is no easy task. There’s a lot of great spots here in the Mountain State that have earned my favoritism, but to showcase what the American rail landscape has to offer, I’ve selected these areas to witness railroading at its […]

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