Pinsly Railroad CEO named to STB rail-shipper panel

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Pinsly Railroad Co. CEO Ryan Ratledge has been appointed to a three-year term on the Surface Transportation Board’s Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council. “I am honored to represent Pinsly Railroad Company and small railroads across the country on the RSTAC committee,” Ratledge said in a statement released on Wednesday. “I look forward to […]

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GATX says demand for freight car leases is holding steady

Black tank car

CHICAGO — Rail equipment lessor GATX Corp. on Tuesday reported lower North American profits as expenses grew faster than revenue during the third quarter. The North American rail segment profit declined 31%, to $70.7 million, as revenue increased 6.4%, to $296.5 million. The company said the decline in the segment’s profit was due to lower […]

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Build a simple Arduino-based DCC system

A steam locomotive sits on the track of a basic oval HO scale model railroad connected to a homemade DCC controller

This article will help you build a simple Arduino-based DCC system. Growing up in the 1980s I was living the dream. I had an HO layout on a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood in my parents’ basement in Reading, Pa., a soldering iron, a nearby RadioShack, and a subscription to Model Railroader. My favorite […]

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Scuff pads for scenery

Color photo showing scenicked section of model railroad with trees in foreground and scuff pad in background and sky blue backdrop

Q: I’ve been trying to find the video Cody Grivno hosted a few years ago where he showed how to make a low-profile forest background using, I think, a furnace filter. I’m not talking about making furnace filter pine trees. This was more like cutting a continuous row of tree tops out of filter material […]

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Wabtec earnings surge on higher freight and transit revenue

PITTSBURGH — Wabtec on Wednesday reported stronger earnings as the equipment manufacturer’s revenue and profits grew in both its freight and transit segments. “We delivered a very strong quarter evidenced by continued growth in our backlog, sales, margin, and earnings,” CEO Rafael Santana said on the company’s earnings call. The company’s operating income increased 17%, […]

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Officials approve feasibility study for Austin-San Antonio commuter rail

Passenger train in background with station in foreground

AUSTIN, Texas — Officials in Travis County have approved a contract for a feasibility study of a commuter rail operation between Austin and San Antonio, Texas. At a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, the Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved a $124,953.50 contract with consultant HNTB Corp. for a “high-level engineering feasibility study” for […]

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Startup company targets blocked crossings with sensor network

Tank car blocking street behind lowered crossing gate

Oculus Rail, a startup company based in Norfolk, Va., wants to cure a railroad headache: Frequently blocked grade crossings that frustrate motorists and communities alike. The company aims to build a grade-crossing sensor network that can help reroute traffic and emergency vehicles around blocked crossings. Oculus Rail — which launched a smartphone app last week […]

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2026 Trains tour of Switzerland announced

Train with red passenger cars on curving stone bridge leading to tunnel

Join Trains Magazine June 8-20, 2026 for an unforgettable rail tour of the magic and wonder of Switzerland’s mountains and railways. Organized by our tour partner, Special Interest Tours, this 11-night, 12-day adventure includes: Rail excursions include: Bernina Express Gotthard Panorama Express Furka steam train Oberwald-Realp Gornergrat excursion by rail Excursion to Rochers-de-Naye by rail […]

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Rail-making Steelton, Pa., plant to be closed permanently

Logo of steelmaker Clieveland-Cliffs

STEELTON, Pa. — The Cleveland-Cliffs Steelton plant, which had been one of just three U.S. locations producing railroad rails, will be closed permanently as of Jan. 13, 2026. The plant just southeast of Harrisburg, Pa., had been closed in June in a move the company described as temporary but indefinite [see “Rail-making Steelton, Pa., steel […]

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