Class I railroad executives tout growth prospects, customer focus

Top executives from Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern last week touted the industry’s growth prospects and the ways they are working to make railroads better able to compete against trucks. Their remarks, made at the RailTrends 2020 conference, came a day after consulting firm Oliver Wyman released a survey that showed […]

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Analysis: FRA seeks Amtrak, host railroad scheduling cooperation

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration’s release this week of its “Metrics and Minimum Standards for Intercity Passenger Rail Service” will require a revamp of virtually all U.S. intercity passenger train schedules, as well as operating agreements between Amtrak and its host railroads. That was the plan all along, according to FRA Administrator Ron Batory. […]

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News photo: RS1325 arrives at museum

The newest arrival at the Monticello Railway Museum is Illinois & Midland RS1325 No. 31, shown being shoved toward the diesel house on the museum grounds. The former Chicago & Illinois Midland locomotive, one of just two of its type built by EMD, was picked up from Norfolk Southern in downtown Monticello, Ill., on Nov. […]

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Detroit’s Delray Tower closed

DETROIT — One of the few remaining manned towers in the United States, and one of just two remaining in Michigan, was idled Monday, as CSX Transportation’s Delray Tower in Detroit — said to be the last tower to use strong-arm levers — was switched over to control of the CSX RN Dispatcher in Jacksonville, […]

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Digest: OmniTRAX CEO Shuba takes new position with parent company

Tuesday morning rail news: OmniTRAX CEO Shuba takes new role with parent company Kevin Shuba, CEO of short line company OmniTRAX since 2013, has accepted a new role with parent company The Broe Group, and will lead development of a company-wide growth plan for the multi-billion-dollar organization. Sergio Sabatini, OmniTRAX president since joining the company […]

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New model trains for the week of November 19, 2020

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 […]

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Digest: South Shore ends ‘mask optional’ cars

Monday afternoon rail news: With new state rules in effect, South Shore ends ‘mask optional’ cars South Shore Line commuter trains have done away with their “mask optional” car after Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued an executive order on Friday on mask rules to try to help slow the state’s surge in COVID-19 cases. The […]

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Atlas N scale Electro-Motive Division GP38 diesel locomotive

A new run of N scale Electro-Motive Division GP38 diesel locomotives is now available from Atlas Model Railroad Co. The Master Line models are offered in two versions. Silver series models have a factory-installed speaker, while Gold series locomotives have a dual-mode ESU LokSound Select sound decoder. The prototype. Electro-Motive Division produced the GP38 from […]

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News Photo: Battery-electric locomotive set to leave Erie

Wabtec’s FLXDrive battery-electric locomotive is reportedly set to leave the company’s Erie, Pa., locomotive plant to begin its trip to California, where the unit is scheduled to begin testing on the BNSF Railway. The locomotive was spotted outside the plant today, accompanied by two new BNSF diesels. Since its announcement in September 2019, plans have […]

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