Western Maryland 2-10-0 1109 leads empty coal hoppers and other freight cars west at famous Helmstetter’s Curve on WM’s main line west of Cumberland, Md. Today the right of way hosts Western Maryland Scenic Railway tourist trains and a bike path. Ed Theisinger photo […]
Type of Train: Freight
The MTH Erie 0-8-8-0 Angus
The MTH Erie 0-8-8-0 Angus models a steam engine in the railroad’s L1 class. Three were built in 1907 and numbered 2600-2602. These were the only articulated camelback locomotives ever made. In that year, this was the largest locomotive in existence. Weighing in at 410,000 lbs., these behemoths could develop 94,000 lbs. tractive effort. This […]
Chemical shippers say rail service remains mired below pre-pandemic levels
WASHINGTON — Most chemical shippers say railroad service has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to a survey released today by the American Chemistry Council. Some 77% of ACC members surveyed said rail service was worse in January than it was in early 2020 before the pandemic hit. Some 22% said service had returned […]
Freight derailment disrupts Fort Worth commuter rail operation (updated)
FORT WORTH, Texas — Full TEXRail service to downtown Fort Worth has been restored as of 4 p.m. CDT after a disruption earlier today because of a freight train derailment, transit agency Trinity Metro said in a Twitter post. Service between the normal terminus of TEXRail service, the Fort Worth T&P Station, and the North […]
Victim identified in death at Decatur, Ill., industrial railyard
DECATUR, Ill. — A man who died in while operating a locomotive at an Archer-Daniels-Midland rail yard on Tuesday has been identified by the Macon County coroner, WAND-TV reports. Robert L. Dautel Jr., 66, of Morrisonville, Ill., died of blunt force injury of the chest due to injuries sustained an accident described as a collision […]
Cimarron Valley Railroad marks start of $15 million upgrade project
HUGOTON, Kan. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and other officials were on hand Wednesday for groundbreaking ceremonies to mark the beginning of $15 million in improvements for the Cimarron Valley Railroad. KSCB Radio reports funding includes money from private sources, from the federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, or CRISI, grant program, and from […]
U.S. weekly rail traffic continues slide, compared to 2022
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic saw its largest weekly drop so far this year, measured against 2022 traffic, in the week ending April 8, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Traffic for the week was 451,336 carloads and intermodal units, down 11.2% from the same week a year earlier. It is the […]
Icing reefers on the Erie
The Erie’s icing platform at Marion, Ohio, handled a lot of meat and other perishable traffic. Here, carts on the upper-level platform service a pair of Wilson meat reefers. The two Pacific Fruit Express reefers at right will receive chunk ice from the main platform. A large ice plant is in the background. Erie Railroad photo […]
Labor leaders welcome FRA’s train makeup safety advisory, while railroads emphasize their train-building tools and techniques
Rail labor leaders welcomed the safety advisory that the Federal Railroad Administration issued last week that encourages railroads to take steps to reduce the in-train forces that can cause long trains to derail. Railroads, meanwhile, said they were reviewing the advisory to make sure their operating practices are in line with the FRA’s recommendations. “For […]
Norfolk Southern tightens train makeup standards for long trains
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has tightened its train makeup standards for long, heavy trains in order to reduce the in-train forces that can cause derailments. The new restrictions — part of the railroad’s broader push on safety in the wake of the disastrous Feb. 3 derailment in East Palestine, Ohio — have caused significant increases […]
Patriot Rail to serve new Denver-area industrial park
DENVER — Infrastructure company Rocky Mountain Industrials Inc has reached agreement with Patriot Rail Co. to provide service at the Rocky Mountain Rail Park, a 620-acre project some 29 miles east of downtown Denver in Adams County, Colo. The development features direct interchange with Union Pacific and is adjacent to Interstate 70. “The RMI team […]
News & Products for the week of April 10th 2023
News & Products for the week of April 10th 2023 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 April 10th 2023. […]