52-foot mill gondola Scale: HO (1:87.1) and N (1:160) Price: Single car (HO, $37.99; N, $34.99); three-pack (HO, $94.99; N, $89.99). Add $5 for Primed for Grime. Era: 1980s to present Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com 52-foot mill gondola features: Refined end-sheet molded details; upgraded rivet and bolt detail; and new wire […]
Type of Train: Freight
CP reaches agreement with another Iowa town on funding to address merger impacts
LeCLAIRE, Iowa — Another eastern Iowa community has approved an agreement with Canadian Pacific over the railroad’s planned merger with Kansas City Southern, while a city which rejected an earlier offer is now on record opposing the merger. KWQC-TV reports that LeClaire, Iowa, will receive $750,000 to address impacts of the merger under an agreement […]
Waste shippers complain about CSX service in the Northeast
WASHINGTON — Waste shippers have complained to federal regulators regarding deteriorating service on CSX Transportation in the Northeast. The National Waste & Recycling Association, a trade group representing 70% of the private sector’s waste and recycling market, told the Surface Transportation Board that its members prefer to reach commercial solutions with their rail carriers. “However, […]
West Virginia’s Beech Mountain manages to keep hauling coal
ALEXANDER, W.Va. — West Virginia’s Beech Mountain Railroad, operated by United Coal subsidiary Carter-Roag Coal Co., is still hauling Sewell coal, despite the loss of the usual destination for its coal because of the war in Ukraine. United Coal supplies the mammoth Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, but the plant was devastated by Russian […]
UP train derails in Arkansas
JONESBORO, Ark. — Eleven cars of a Union Pacific train derailed early Tuesday morning, closing two streets in central Jonesboro, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. The derailment occurred about 3:30 a.m., leading to a coal spill, but involved no hazardous materials. No injuries were reported. The Jonesboro Police Department reported on its Facebook page that the […]
Conowingo Models 24-foot wood tank car, v2
24-foot wood tank car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: No trucks or couplers, $40; Tichy Train Group archbar trucks and Kadee No. 148 couplers, $45; Kadee No. 509 archbar trucks and No. 148 couplers, $50. Manufacturer: Conowingo Models; conowingomodels.com 24-foot wood tank car features: Bands with 3-D printed hose clamps Metal tie rods 3-D printed valve Tichy Train […]
40-foot low cube containers from Athearn
40-foot low cube container Scale: HO (1:87.1) an N (1:160) Price: Three-pack, $39.99 Era: Present Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com 40-foot low cube containers features: Injection-molded plastic Stackable Release date: October 2023 Paint schemes: Capital (dark green); Herc Rentals (gray and yellow); Mobile Modular (tan); Ocean Network Express (Cherry Blossom Magenta with white […]
Federal regulators say five of seven Class I railroads were ‘revenue adequate’ last year
WASHINGTON — Five of the seven Class I railroads operating in the U.S. were revenue adequate in 2021, the Surface Transportation Board said on Tuesday. Being revenue adequate means a railroads achieved a rate of return equal to or greater than the board’s calculation of the average cost of capital to the freight rail industry. […]
BLET reaches tentative agreement with BNSF-Montana Rail Link
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — BNSF Railway has reached a tentative agreement with the union representing 500 of regional Montana Rail Link’s 1,200 employees. MRL announced on Jan. 10 that it was terminating its lease with BNSF and that the Class I railroad would resume operations and maintenance of the former Northern Pacific main line [see “Montana […]
STB extends deadline for environmental comments on CP-KCS merger
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has extended the deadline for environmental comments on the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger. The comment period now will run through Oct. 14 instead of Sept. 26, the STB announced on Tuesday. The STB said no further extensions would be permitted. The board granted the extension to allow […]
HO and N scale 30,000-gallon ethanol tank cars
30,000-gallon ethanol tank car Scale: HO (1:87.1) and N (1:160) Price: Single car (HO, $52.99; N, $38.99); three-pack, (HO, $131.99; N, $96.99). Add $5 to $13 for Primed for Grime models. Era: 1999 to present Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com 30,000-gallon ethanol tank car features: Separate, factory-applied brake wheel, walkway platform, manway, […]
Amtrak, freight railroads maintain positions in latest Gulf Coast filings
WASHINGTON — The latest round of filings in the Amtrak Gulf Coast dispute essentially find the parties stating their old arguments in new ways. Amtrak again argues CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern fail to show two daily passenger round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., will cause unreasonable impairment to freight service, while the […]