A BNSF Railway intermodal train heads east through Lisle, Ill., in June 2019. Continuing escalation of the U.S.-China trade war puts more forms of rail cargo at risk. TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — Large-volume customers that U.S. and Canadian railroads count on are increasingly being hit by the escalating China trade war. Agriculture and automobiles are […]
A loaded D&I Railroad rock train heads south over South Dakota-owned track at Fairview, S.D. on Nov. 4, 2016. The state plans to sell its rail lines. Steve Glischinski PIERRE, S.D. — The state of South Dakota is getting out of the railroad business. The South Dakota Railroad Board announced this week it will be […]
A view of the wreckage of derailed Amtrak Cascades Train 501 on Dec. 18, 2017. The passenger cars in the picture were made by Talgo. Steve Carter SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Transportation has been awarded a $37.5 million Federal Railroad Administration grant to replace three state-owned Talgo 6 trainsets used on Amtrak […]
A Metra UP West train departs La Fox, Ill., and heads towards its final stop in Elburn on July 29, 2019. PTC-related changes to schedules for a number of UP West trains are among schedule adjustments announced by Metra. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Metra will make minor schedule adjustments on five of its routes […]
SEATTLE — Bill Gates: Software mogul or railroad tycoon? Gates is best known for being the co-founder of Microsoft, a founding father of the personal-computing era, his current career as a philanthropist, and his status as one of the richest people on the planet. He’s also an investor in railroad stocks. Cascade Investment LLC, the […]
BISMARCK, N.D. — A North Dakota State University study says it would be feasible to convert BNSF Railway’s Bismarck-Mandan bridge into a pedestrian crossing of the Missouri River, but such a conversion would be expensive. The study by the university’s Department of Architecture and Landscape Architecture places the costs of the conversion of the bridge […]
WASHINGTON — Short line operator OmniTRAX is throwing in the towel on its Central Texas & Colorado River Railway. OmniTRAX this week filed to abandon the 67.5-mile line, citing its dim prospects and millions of dollars in operating losses since it acquired the route in 2016. The prime culprits: New crushed rock traffic that never […]
The underside of a specially equipped boxcar on CSX Transportation. CSX Transportation JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation has significantly improved its key safety metrics during the past 18 months, with the railroad’s personal injury rate leading the industry so far this year and train accidents at their lowest levels in company history. CSX’s key safety […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD70 diesel locomotive with Spartan cab. Canadian National (Illinois Central sublettering, two road numbers), Conrail (“Quality” lettering, four numbers), Illinois Central (as-delivered scheme in four numbers, with yellow sill stripe in three numbers), and Norfolk Southern (Conrail Quality patchout in two numbers, Thoroughbred scheme in four numbers). Road-number-specific details, factory-installed […]
Greg Squires Canadian Pacific website Tracy L. Miller Canadian Pacific website CALGARY, Alberta — Mark Redd will succeed Robert Johnson as Canadian Pacific’s executive vice president in charge of operations next month, the railway announced this week as part of broader changes to its operating team. Johnson, a BNSF Railway veteran who joined CP in […]
Bill Zuback O gauge Pullman-Standard covered hopper from Atlas O Price: $84.95 Min Curve: O-45 Features: Positionable hatch covers with working batten bars and locks; factory-installed and painted wire grab irons; see-through plastic running boards; and sprung, die-cast metal 100-ton trucks with rotating bearing caps. Road names: New paint schemes (two road numbers per road […]
Hub Group is viewing its intermodal business as a glass half-full, while Schneider sees theirs as half-empty, based on second-quarter results the companies released last week and comments made in investors’ conference calls. Both companies provide services in intermodal, trucking, and supply chain management. Hub Group and Schneider saw intermodal revenue increases despite lower volumes. […]
