WASHINGTON — The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has ratified a five-year agreement with the National Carriers Conference Committee, bargaining group for Class I and other railroads. The union represents about 3,500 freight rail workers nationwide. “This agreement reaffirms our commitment to securing strong contracts that provide economic stability for our members and their families,” […]
The latest Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers gives rail a B- grade, which was above the C average given to American infrastructure overall. The report recommends that railroads continue to harden their physical plants to better resist increasingly frequent, longer duration, and more powerful natural disasters. “Rail lines face considerable […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX announced it has reached a five-year tentative contract agreement with the Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen, which represents 1,215 workers at the railroad. In addition to wage increases, the agreement includes health and welfare benefits, vacation improvements, and improvements to seven local work rules, the union said on its website. The agreement […]
BOONTON, N.J. — The long-lost New Jersey car from the post-World War II “Merci Train” has been rediscovered and will be returned to the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey for restoration. The URHS reports the car has been donated by the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City. It was […]
SEATTLE — Sound Transit’s board will vote on the appointment of Dow Constantine as its new CEO at its meeting on Thursday, March 27. The agency announced Monday (March 24) that Constantine, currently King County Executive and part of its 18-member board, was its preferred candidate. The board had selected that top candidate at meeting […]
News & Products for the week of March 24th 2025 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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of March 24th, […]
WASHINGTON – Union Pacific will serve the $5.8 billion steel mill that Hyundai Motor Group will build in Louisiana. The electric arc furnace facility, announced today during a White House ceremony, will supply steel coils for U.S. Hyundai and Kia plants as well as U.S. automakers, Hyundai said. The mill will be built at the […]
WASHINGTON – A Trump administration port fee proposal designed to boost the U.S. shipbuilding industry could potentially scramble international intermodal traffic, shift some container business to ports in Canada and Mexico, and help Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City in the process. Last month the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative floated a plan […]
I model the Western Maryland Ry. (WM) from the 1920s to before the start of World War II. Appropriate commercial models of coal hoppers for my modeling era are limited in large scale. I was using LGB two-bay and Bachmann three-bay hoppers as stand-ins, but I wanted accurate, period-specific coal hoppers for my rolling stock […]
Frank Kotnik was introduced to toy trains as a child. Someone gave his father a secondhand Lionel set and accessories from the early 1950s. When Frank was three, around 1963, his dad surprised him with a simple tabletop layout. The engine captivated the young tot, sparking a lifetime interest in the hobby. Frank is a […]
Lionel has reissued the U28C diesel locomotive for the first time since 2012. The model was announced in the 2024 Volume 1 catalog. This six-axle unit was not that common on prototype railroads, and its unique appearance will allow it to stand out on your layout. The prototype was produced by General Electric between February […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The strike by 1,500 Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority workers will continue after members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 voted down the latest offer from the VTA board. Public broadcaster KQED reports that in voting today (Monday, March 24) more than 80% rejected the updated offer including 11% in pay […]
