Athearn N scale acid tank car

Color photo showing brake end of N scale tank car painted black with yellow and white graphics on white background.

A 13,600-gallon sulfuric acid tank car is now part of the N scale Athearn Genesis line. The newly tooled model, based on a Union Tank Car Co. prototype, features a plastic body; many separate, factory-applied details; and body-mounted McHenry double-shelf couplers, available for the first time in 1:160. Prototype history Athearn offers the sulfuric acid […]

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OmniTRAX adds second switching contract for Wyoming soda ash service

Night view of mine facility

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. — OmniTRAX has signed an agreement to provide switching for WE Soda’s Westvaco soda ash mine in Green River, Wyo., its second such announcement for service in Green River in little more than a week. Westvaco is the largest North America facility for WE Soda, the world’s largest soda ash producer. Under […]

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TSB of Canada seeks rail investigator

Logo of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada

DORVAL, Quebec — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is seeking a regional senior investigator for its rail department. The job involves leading and supporting investigations of rail occurences across Canada, developing investigation reports, and communicating results to the public. It is open to individuals residing in Canada, as well as Canadian citizens and permanent […]

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CEO of German national rail company Deutsche Bahn is fired

BERLIN — The CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s troubled national rail company, has been fired. Broadcaster Deutsche Welle reports Richard Lutz, who had been CEO since 2017 and had a contract through March 2027, was dismissed by Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder today (Aug. 14, 2025).  A DB representative said Lutz would continue as a caretaker […]

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NTSB probe of Norfolk Southern derailment focusing on spring switch maintenance

WASHINGTON — A Norfolk Southern train that derailed last month in Illinois — spilling hazardous materials and injuring two crewmen — occurred as the train rolled through a spring switch that had just undergone maintenance work, the National Transportation Board said today. Eastbound NS train 167 derailed at 5:44 p.m. on July 18 near Browns, […]

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Model Railroader Photo of the Day: Snow-capped mountains

A diesel locomotive with a mountain in the background on a model railroad layout

With snow-capped mountains in the background, Denver & Rio Grande Western GP35 no. 3042 brings a Denver-bound local freight past Little Lake. The scene, photographed by Lou Sassi, is on Frank Czubryt’s O scale Denver Union Terminal layout. Model Railroader‘s Photo of the Day features images from our archives, celebrating decades of model railroad heritage […]

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Tickets for upcoming fall excursions behind N&W No. 611 now available

Streamlined steam locomotive running through the fall foliage.

STAUNTON, Va. — Tickets for the upcoming Shenandoah Valley Limited fall excursions behind Norfolk & Western No. 611 are now available for purchase, ranging from $128 to $318 per person. The J-class 4-8-4 is poised to return to the Buckingham Branch Railroad for the first time since 2023 [See “Norfolk & Western No. 611 to […]

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BLET ratifies contract extension with New York & Atlantic

Green and black locomotives with freight train

NEW YORK — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified a two-year contract extension with the New York & Atlantic Railway, the union has announced. The agreement includes a $1 per hour pay increase to all pay grades effective June 1, 2025, as well as two raises totaling 8% through the […]

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Atlas Trainman HO EMD GP38-2

Color photo showing cab and short hood of HO scale EMD hood unit painted crimson and black with white graphics and yellow and white stripes on white background.

Atlas Trainman HO EMD GP38-2 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker and 21-pin plug for Digital Command Control decoder, $179.95; with ESU LokSound decoder, $274.95 Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas Trainman HO EMD GP38-2 features: Body-mounted Accumate couplers with factory-installed trip pins Cab […]

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Inside the merger mind of Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena

Single locomotive with train of containers

OMAHA, Neb. — When Jim Vena walked into the Union Pacific Center for the first time as CEO two years ago today, he was toting a black, spiral bound notebook that he takes everywhere. Among the entries jotted on the back pages — where he lists ideas, priorities, and possibilities — was a single word, […]

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U.S rail traffic remains above 2024 levels

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic remained ahead of 2024 levels for a sixth consecutive week, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Aug. 9, traffic totaled 511,194 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 3% compared to the same week a year ago. That includes 227,327 […]

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The Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger could boost traffic by nearly 10%

OMAHA, Neb. — The proposed Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern transcontinental merger could lead to nearly 10% traffic growth by 2030 — a significant turnaround for railroads that have yet to rebound to their pre-pandemic volume levels. UP and NS did not provide traffic growth projections as part of their July 29 merger announcement. Rather, […]

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