With its fast-moving, extensive-length, and often technicolor appearance, intermodal freight transportation along the rails of North America is interesting to view anywhere! But when set amongst a dramatic backdrop of the Mountain West region, you’ll find it hard not to be completely captivated by the magical culmination of engineered efficiency and striking natural beauty. That’s […]
Montana Rail Link, for all intents and purposes, is over. Simply awaiting STB approval before the final chapter is written and the company fades into the history books. The story began in 1987, when a new company was formed to lease the former Northern Pacific mainline, then owned by Burlington Northern, from Sandpoint, Idaho, to […]
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators will issue a decision by March 8 on Montana Rail Link’s request for permission to discontinue service over 656.47 miles of track in Montana and Idaho as part of the early termination of its lease with BNSF Railway. In a decision released today, the Surface Transportation Board accepted MRL’s petition, set […]
Did you think railfan/professional photographer Tom Danneman would end his unique treks to the American West after one year? Not a chance! In this new phase of his explorations, you’ll enjoy an even more scintillating look at expansive western scenery and the full scope of trains running through it. Look for a mix of short-form, […]
Did you think railfan/professional photographer Tom Danneman would end his unique treks to the American West after one year? Not a chance! In this new phase of his explorations, you’ll enjoy an even more scintillating look at expansive western scenery and the full scope of trains running through it. Look for a mix of short-form, […]
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — The community of Spokane Valley has gained the last of the funding it needs for a $38 million grade crossing project with the announcement the Washington State Department of Transportation will contribute $5 million toward an underpass for Pines Road at its intersection with the BNSF main line. The Spokane Spokesman-Review […]
WASHINGTON – The big four U.S. Class I railroads have told federal regulators that their service is at or near pre-pandemic levels thanks to improved train crew staffing levels. BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific each pointed to improvements in their key operating metrics in updated reports filed on Friday with the […]
The Lionel Legacy ES44AC has returned quickly the train-maker’s catalog with new road names. It seems that when tooling sells well, we’ll certainly see it again sooner rather than later. Judging by the model’s re-issue for 2022 after being last offered 2019, it can be assumed that they are popular with collectors of modern motive […]
SANDPOINT, Idaho — BNSF has opened its second bridge over Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho, providing a second track at a previously one-track bottleneck nearly a year ahead of schedule. The nearly mile-long bridge, next to a structure built by Northern Pacific in 1904, opened on Sunday, Nov. 20. “We are excited about the […]
Follow Trains.com videographer Kevin Gilliam as he explores U.S. railroading action from a trackside perspective. And when the opportunity arises, you’ll also find other notable contributors capturing footage of contemporary railroad operations – everything from steam-powered tourist train to Class I heavy haulers to Amtrak Northeast Corridor high speed Acela sets. Of course, you’ll never know […]
WASHINGTON — Montana Rail Link has moved one step closer to closing up shop and turning over its operations to BNSF Railway. MRL on Nov. 18 asked federal regulators for permission to discontinue service over 656.47 miles of track in Montana and Idaho as part of the early termination of its lease with BNSF, according […]
WILLMAR, Minn. – BNSF Railway has opened a new 2.8-mile wye track west of Willmar that allows trains to bypass the city. Referred to as the “Willmar Bypass” the new track links BNSF’s busy Marshall Subdivision and its Morris Subdivision, the former Great Northern mainline. It allows eastbound Morris Subdivision trains to head onto the […]
