Holiday Trains: a Journey to Remember This Season

A red passenger car reflects the holiday lights from a brightly decorated depot with a passenger platform paved with brick

Tis the season for trains Checking the list twice for holiday specials Tis the season for winter holiday trains! My advice for holiday planners hoping to have a wonderful winter train ride is to follow Santa’s example: make your list and check it twice. However, if you get a lump of coal, consider that a […]

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Walthers HO 40-foot double-sheathed boxcar

Color photo showing B end of of brown HO scale boxcar with red, white, and black graphics on white background

Walthers HO 40-foot double-sheathed boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO 40-foot double-sheathed boxcar features: 5-5-5 Murphy steel ends 33” turned-metal wheels on plastic axles Detailed AB brake gear Andrews trucks Based on later rebuilds and upgrades of older, wood […]

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Federal shutdown affects railroad regulatory agencies (updated)

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration will furlough 23% of its staff as a result of the partial government shutdown that began today. The agency’s Office of Railroad Safety — which is responsible for investigating rail accidents as well as inspecting railroad equipment and facilities to ensure compliance with federal regulations — will continue working […]

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VIA Rail delays test of nonstop Montreal-Toronto service

trains under bridge

VIA Rail Canada has postponed its plan to test nonstop service between Montreal and Toronto, CBC reports. VIA Rail had sought to test express train service between Canada’s largest cities beginning Sept. 29, but said it would have to hold off due to “operational constraints” on Canadian National. The express service would shave 30 to […]

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WalthersProto HO EMD NW2 diesel locomotive

In this product review video, Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno takes a deep dive into the WalthersProto HO scale (1:87.1) EMD NW2 diesel locomotive. Cody starts with the prototype history of the NW2, which was produced by the Electro-Motive Division from February 1939 through December 1949. The review sample is decorated as Union Pacific […]

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WalthersProto HO EMD NW2 diesel locomotive

In this product review video, Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno takes a deep dive into the WalthersProto HO scale (1:87.1) EMD NW2 diesel locomotive. Cody starts with the prototype history of the NW2, which was produced by the Electro-Motive Division from February 1939 through December 1949. The review sample is decorated as Union Pacific […]

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ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car

Color photo showing B end of S scale wood refrigerator car painted orange, brown, and black with white graphics on white background

ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car Scale: S (1:64) Price: $59.99 Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Road NE Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car features: Detailed brake system Equipped with American Flyer-compatible wheels and operating couplers Fish-belly underframe Freestanding vertical brake staff Injection-molded plastic body Metal handrails and grab irons […]

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BNSF to shippers: Speak up about UP-NS merger (updated)

Train rounding curve in mountains

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway says Union Pacific’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern will reduce rail competition, raise rates, curtail service, and likely lead to an operational meltdown. BNSF unveiled a position paper on the UP-NS combination yesterday while encouraging customers to voice their concerns with the Surface Transportation Board, which will review the […]

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STB proposes streamlining, improving rail data collection

NS freight train in farm country

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today proposed streamlining and improving reporting requirements for Class I rail carriers, including the weekly operational performance measures that serve as a network bellwether. The board aims to improve the quality of performance data that the railroads report each week. It also proposes adding two new service measures: An […]

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Signal workers’ union rejects tentative contract agreement

FRONT ROYAL, Va. — The Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen has rejected the tentative agreement reached with the National Carriers Conference Committee, the union said on Tuesday. The rank and file voted the agreement down, with 52.89% casting “no” votes. “Our members have spoken,” BRS President Mike Baldwin said in a statement. “The BRS remains committed […]

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SMART-TD welcomes departure of CSX CEO

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The SMART-TD union today welcomed the departure of CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs, saying the appointment of Steve Angel as chief executive is an opportunity to improve the labor-management relationship. “With the appointment of Steve Angel as CSX’s new Chief Executive Officer, SMART TD hopes that this change can mark the beginning of […]

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