Innotrans trade fair opens in Berlin

Cab ends of red trainset and blue and white trainset on adjacent display tracks

BERLIN — The world’s biggest rail industry trade fair, InnoTrans, has returned after a four-year gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The show opened its doors in Berlin today (Tuesday, Sept. 20), with 2,834 exhibitors from 56 countries using the entire Messe Berlin exhibition grounds, which includes 26 buildings covering more than 1.7 million square feet, […]

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Norfolk Southern train derails in Southern Illinois

Norfolk Southern logo

ALBERS, Ill. — Twenty-six cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed Monday morning between the towns of Albers and New Baden, leading to an extensive response from authorities that included a hazardous-materials team as a precautionary measure. No injuries were reported. The Belleville News-Democrat reports the derailment was reported at 11:22 a.m., leading a response […]

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Lehigh Stone three-bay offset-side hoppers from the Kankakee Model Railroad Club

Model of red train hopper

Lehigh Stone three-bay offset-side hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Kit, $30; assembled with Kadee couplers, $35. Add $6 shipping per car. Manufacturer: Produced by Accurail, available from Kankakee Model Railroad Club, 197 S. East Ave., Kankakee, IL 60901 Features: Injection-molded plastic kit Plastic wheelsets Steel weight(s) Release Date: Available now Road name: Lehigh Stone (red […]

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Vote on rail labor deal awaits final contract language

Logo of SMART-TD union

WASHINGTON — Ratification of the tentative agreement between railroads and a dozen unions remains in limbo while final contact language is being formalized, according to a message from one of the operating unions to its members. A final version of the tentative agreement not expected until sometime this week at the earliest, the International Association […]

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Railroad strike duty: the job nobody liked

Center-cab diesel locomotive with freight cars passes brick station and open parking lot

Anyone who spent much time at all as an “excepted” (non-union) employee could expect, sooner or later, to be required to work railroad strike duty. This was especially true if he was a supervisor in the mechanical, engineering, or operating departments. Your personal feelings were inconsequential when these events occurred–you did what you had to […]

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Publicizing NYC’s Pacemaker service

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New York Central’s Pacemaker merchandise service debuted in 1946, with specially equipped and painted (vermillion and gray) boxcars. The railroad even painted five cabooses for the service, one of which trails this consist assembled for publicity photos. NYC photo […]

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Trinity 6,351-cubic-foot capacity four-bay covered hopper from Walthers

Model of gray hopper car in front of white background

Trinity 6,351-cubic-foot-capacity four-bay covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $49.98 Era: Early 2000s to present Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com 67-foot Trinity 6,351-cubic-foot capacity four-bay covered hopper features: Factory-installed wire grab irons See-through etched-metal walkways and crossover platforms One of two styles of trough hatches as […]

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Union Pacific drops Canadian Pacific from EMP intermodal program

Yellow locomotives moving double-stack cars with container crains in background

Union Pacific is booting Canadian Pacific out of the EMP domestic container pool. EMP, which rosters a 44,000-unit fleet of green 53-foot containers, is an interline intermodal partnership between UP and Norfolk Southern. CP, Canadian National, Kansas City Southern, and Florida East Coast also participate in EMP, which allows intermodal marketing companies to book loads […]

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Pacific Car & Foundry B-100-40 boxcar from Rapido Trains

Models of four boxcars with white background

Scale: N (1:160) Price: Single car, $36.95; three-pack, $110.85; and six-pack, $221.70 Era: 1976 to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Features Separate, factory-applied uncoupling levers, door latch mechanism, and end ladders Detailed Hydra-Cushion underframe Underbody brake rigging Road-number specific […]

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St. Louis celebrates reopening of Merchants Bridge

People in ribbon-cutting ceremony

ST. LOUIS — The 133-year-old Merchants Bridge celebrated its official reopening on Thursday, marking completion of a $222 million project to replace the vital structure connecting Missouri and Illinois near downtown St. Louis. The Mississippi River crossing dating to 1889 owned by the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis serves six Class I railroads and […]

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