Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, structures, electronics, train sets, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroader’s editors have news on for the week of Dec. 10, 2020. HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP9 and GP9B diesel locomotive. GP9: Canadian […]
Saturday morning rail news: Operator shortages curtail light rail service in Seattle, Tacoma With COVID-19 cases increasing, Sound Transit will temporarily reduce peak-hour service on its Link light rail lines as of Monday, Dec. 7, because of a shortage of operators. Trains will run every 12 minutes during peak periods; service during other times will remain unchanged. […]
More Friday morning rail news Stockton Diamond gets $100 million grant from California The Stockton Diamond project, which seeks to replace a busy at-grade Central California rail crossing with a flyover, has received a $100 million grant from the California Transportation Commission. The Manteca Bulletin reports the grant will help fund a $237 million project that plans […]
Friday late morning rail news: Washington’s Point Defiance Bypass likely to reopen in spring or summer 2021 The Washington State Department of Transportation projects Amtrak train service will return to the Point Defiance Bypass in spring or summer 2021. The website Urbanist, reporting on an online presentation by WSDOT Operations Program Manager Jason Biggs, says Amtrak will begin testing […]
Electro-Motive Division GP38 and GP40 diesel locomotives. New numbers. GP38: Norfolk Southern (thoroughbred scheme, two numbers) and RJ Corman (red, silver, and white scheme). GP40: Baltimore & Ohio (blue and yellow) and Southern Pacific (speed lettering). New paint schemes. GP38: Conrail (American Revolution Bicentennial scheme in one road number, blue with white sill stripe in […]
Tuesday morning rail news: Two women charged with terrorist attack after disrupting BNSF signaling in Washington Two Bellingham, Wash., women have been charged with a terrorist attack and other violence against a railroad carrier after allegedly placing a shunt on BNSF Railway tracks near a Bellingham grade crossing, disrupting crossing gates. The Bellingham Herald reports Samantha […]
Tuesday midday rail news: Amtrak lands contract to operate Metrolink trains Southern California commuter rail service Metrolink has awarded Amtrak a new contract to operate its services, effective Jan. 1, 2021 and expiring June 30, 2025. As part of the contract, Amtrak provides and manages engineers and conductors to operate Metrolink trains. Amtrak, which was […]
Friday afternoon rail freight and logistics news: UP opens Minneapolis intermodal terminal, will launch service to LA Union Pacific will begin offering intermodal service to Minneapolis-St. Paul in January 2021 following today’s opening of its Twin Cities Intermodal Terminal in Minneapolis. The new service will feature domestic intermodal service between the Twin Cities and Los […]
HO scale locomotives Alco S-4 diesel locomotive. New paint schemes: CP Rail (red, white, and black with Multimark herald); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (pinstripe scheme); Baltimore & Ohio (blue and yellow); Grand Trunk Western (black and red with “wet noodle” herald); Pennsylvania RR (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel and yellow); and Southern Pacific (black and […]
Still more Wednesday morning rail news: Transit agencies combine with Amtrak to form regional ‘Mask Force’ A group of transit agencies in New York and Philadelphia areas have joined with Amtrak to create a regional ‘Mask Force’ to encourage mask compliance on public transit. New York’s MTA, NJ Transit, the Port Authority of New York […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division F-series diesel locomotives. Burlington Northern (Northern Pacific “Pinetree” scheme patchout; F7A, F7B, and F7A-B set in one road number each), Denver & Rio Grande Western (Aspen Gold, silver, and black; F9B in one number; F9A-B set in two numbers), Milwaukee Road (1970s orange and black; F7A in one number and […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued its final rule establishing metrics and a minimum standard to measure on-time performance and service quality for Amtrak trains, a rule hailed by the passenger railroad as “a victory for Amtrak customers.” The rule requires Amtrak and host railroads to certify Amtrak schedules, sets an on-time minimum […]
