News & Products for the week of May 19th 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 May 19th, […]
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian National aims to squeeze as much capacity as possible out of the Port of Vancouver, where a combination of water, development, and terrain make it difficult to physically expand. CN CEO Tracy Robinson says coordination is essential to getting the most out of the British Columbia port, which last year […]
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BREWSTER, Ohio — Following its two-week stay at the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, Nickel Plate Road steam locomotive No. 765 made a historic detour on its way back to the Indiana Northeastern Railroad. On May 5, the 2-8-4, owned and operated by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, departed the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic, heading southbound […]
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Reflecting the sting of steep tariffs levied on Chinese imports, eastbound international container volume out of Southern California declined to the lowest level in six months during the week ending May 18, according to data from RailState. The weekly volume was down 5% compared to the prior week and declined 10% compared to the four-week […]
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GOWANDA, N.Y. — Montreal Locomotive Works M636 diesel No. 636 debuted May 17, 2025, in its new paint scheme for the New York & Lake Erie Railroad (NYLE). The 1970-built locomotive was acquired by the short line in 2024 from the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad. Initially debuting on the railroad’s Santa Express excursions […]
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CHICAGO — Metra has taken over operation of the three Union Pacific lines previously operated by the freight railroad under a Purchase of Service Agreement, the commuter operator has announced. The changeover took place on Friday, May 16, according to a recent filing with the Surface Transportation Board. That it occurred without fanfare was intended, […]
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Sometimes rail photography is all about being in the right place at the right time. Pierre Dion photographed this five-unit consist of CP Rail C-630Ms and C-424s in front of the Pont-Rouge station. The crew of the westbound freight is waiting for a relief crew to arrive. Pierre took the photo on his freelanced HO […]
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Members of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers–Transportation Division (Yardmasters) have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with BNSF Railway. The five-year agreement, covering more than 320 yardmasters at BNSF, follows the national pattern along with other work rule/process modernization. “This ratification is affirmation of all […]
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Lionel’s No. 671 Pennsylvania RR S2 steam turbine is one of the classic O gauge locomotives of the postwar era. Lionel released it for the first full product line of the post-World War II era in 1946. But the brilliant minds in the Engineering Department at Lionel were almost certainly taking their first steps in […]
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ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota legislators have passed a bill withdrawing $77 million in funding for development of Northern Lights Express passenger service between the Twin Cities and Duluth, Minn., with one lawmaker calling the proposed rail service “effectively dead.” Along with defunding the passenger project, House File 1143 also cut special education funds by […]
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Steam locomotive manufacturers and aftermarket sound companies have come a long way in producing realistic sound, to a point. These systems usually have a single speaker mounted face down in the floor of the tender. Projecting sound downward and bouncing it off the track and ballast results in heightened bass and low definition between the […]
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It’s 7:30 a.m. and our Trains crew has arrived at the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad and Museum in Mineral, Wash. for a steam engine cab ride. It’s about a two-hour plus drive from Carnation, Wash. where I run, own and operate my own short line electrified private railway. Today though, I’m a guest crew member […]
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