WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today approved Montana Rail Link’s plan to terminate its lease with BNSF Railway, paving the way for BNSF to regain control of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Although the STB’s decision is effective on April 7, the date for BNSF to […]
Type of Train: Freight
Big Skies & Iron Rails, Crude Oil Trains
Railroads move a significant volume of crude oil, so it’s no surprise that Tom Danneman frequently frames these extensive unit trains traversing the expansive American West. These big trains and even bigger skies are all part of what makes Tom’s brand of contemporary railfanning so compelling to view – but only as part of the […]
Class I railroads announce new hot bearing safety measures in wake of East Palestine derailment
WASHINGTON — Class I railroads are taking several steps to improve their wayside detection systems — including installing an additional 1,000 hot bearing detectors this year — in the aftermath of the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The Association of American Railroads announced a multi-step safety plan this morning, a day […]
CSX empty coal train hits rock slide and derails in West Virginia’s New River Gorge
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An empty CSX Transportation coal train struck a rock slide and derailed in Sandstone, W.Va., on Wednesday morning. All four of the train’s locomotives and nine coal hoppers derailed, the railroad said in a statement. The boulders are estimated to be 10 feet high and 25 feet long. “The lead locomotive had […]
Lac-Mégantic bypass opponents ask for environmental impact study
MONTREAL — Residents of the area near the planned Lac-Mégantic bypass, as well as environmental groups, are asking the Canadian government for an environmental impact study of the planned bypass route, citing concerns on drinking water resources and wetlands. The Canadian Press reports the groups and individuals have made the request in a letter to […]
Big Skies & Iron Rails, Crude Oil Trains
Railroads move a significant volume of crude oil, so it’s no surprise that Tom Danneman frequently frames these extensive unit trains traversing the expansive American West. These big trains and even bigger skies are all part of what makes Tom’s brand of contemporary railfanning so compelling to view – but only as part of the […]
FRA launches 60-day assessment of Norfolk Southern safety
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration announced this evening (Tuesday, March 7) that it would conduct a 60-day supplemental safety assessment of Norfolk Southern Railway, joining the National Transportation Safety Board, which has announced its own investigation of NS safety practices. “After a series of derailments and the death of one of its workers, we […]
NTSB launches special investigation of Norfolk Southern safety practices (updated)
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a special investigation into Norfolk Southern’s safety practices in light of a spate of recent accidents. “Given the number and significance of recent Norfolk Southern accidents, the NTSB also urges the company to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices, with the […]
Norfolk Southern employee killed in Cleveland accident (updated)
CLEVELAND — A Norfolk Southern employee has been killed in a collision between a train and a dump truck this morning (Tuesday, March 7), according to news reports. WJW-TV reports the accident occurred early this morning on the rail line through the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works steelmaking facility, and that the victim has been identified by […]
BLET ratifies agreement with KCS and Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern in advance of CP-KCS merger
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen ratified have ratified a contract agreement with Kansas City Southern and the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern in the event of a KCS-Canadian Pacific merger, and with Pittsburgh’s Union Railroad. Ratification of both agreements was announced March 3. The KCS and DM&E agreement is […]
Wheel bearing expert: To prevent derailments, railroads should equip freight cars with sensors
Installing sensors on freight cars is the only way to prevent another disastrous derailment like the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern hazardous materials wreck in East Palestine, Ohio, a wheel bearing expert says. Constantine Tarawneh, a mechanical engineering professor who heads the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, […]
News & Products for the week of March 6th 2023
News & Products for the week of March 6th 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 March 6th 2023. […]