Gulf Coast passenger filings pit Alabama against Mississippi

Selected comments of politicians, organizations, and communities on the fight over Gulf Coast passenger service, as expressed in letters to the Surface Transportation Board [see “Analysis: Amtrak defends its Gulf Coast access request in new STB filing,” Trains News Wire, April 29, 2021]: Calling for completion of traffic modeling Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R): “For […]

Read More…

Model railroad locomotive, freight car, structure, detail, tool, and club announcements for April 29, 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 April 29, 2021. HO scale freight cars  Association of American Railroads 50-ton […]

Read More…

EMD SD70MAC diesel locomotive profile

The 1990s were a decade of change for the rail industry. One of the biggest changes was ushered in by the introduction of the EMD SD70MAC diesel locomotive. The transformation of railroad rosters from D.C. traction locomotives to A.C. traction began, and the results have revolutionized railroads big and small. EMD’s SD70MAC was the first […]

Read More…

Digest: Amtrak selects Siemens to build new intercity trainsets

Amtrak selects Siemens to build replacements for Amfleet I cars, other aging equipment Amtrak has selected Siemens to build a fleet of 83 intercity trainsets for use on the Northeast Corridor, Palmetto, and various state-supported services. The selection of Siemens as the “preferred bidder” — which is currently building cars for use on state-supported trains […]

Read More…

Digest: Capitol Corridor memo expresses concern about Oakland ballpark plan

Oakland ballpark plan creates grade crossing issues, memo says The head of the agency operating California’s Capitol Corridor Amtrak service has voiced concerns about grade-crossing issues new a proposed new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics. The Waterfront District Ballpark adjacent to Jack London Square will require stadium visitors to cross a busy Union Pacific line […]

Read More…

What’s next in the battle for Kansas City Southern?

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Last year, a pair of infrastructure funds sought to take Kansas City Southern private. Last month, Canadian Pacific struck a $29 billion deal to acquire KCS. And today Canadian National topped that with an offer worth $33.7 billion. What’s next in the battle to acquire the smallest but fastest growing Class […]

Read More…

Athearn Genesis 2.0 HO scale SD80MAC

An HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD80MAC diesel locomotive is the newest addition to the Athearn Genesis 2.0 series. The model features prototype-specific details, light-emitting-diode (LED) lighting, illuminated number boxes and ground lights, and see-through etched-metal pilot steps. A short-run diesel. The mid-1990s saw longtime locomotive manufacturing rivals Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and General Electric in another […]

Read More…