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 […]
RENO, Nev. – Rank-and-file members of railroad labor unions are disappointed with the Presidential Emergency Board’s contract recommendations and overwhelmingly support a strike, according to an online survey conducted by Railroad Workers United. Nearly 83% of those surveyed said the PEB’s recommendations fell short of their expectations. Nearly 8% expressed neutral sentiments, while the remaining […]
Earlier this month, Trains drove alongside BNSF Railway’s Southern Transcon from Barstow, Calif., to Belen, N.M., to see how North America’s busiest freight railroad and intermodal corridor is faring amid the crew shortages that have affected operations. BNSF’s California and Southwest divisions have been among the hardest hit in the country as the big four […]
General Electric ET44 diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $174.99; with dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder, $269.99 Era: 2014-present (depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 7598 Highway 411, Benton, TN 37307; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com Features: Road-number-specific details Factory-installed details including wire grab irons, m.u. clusters, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, and […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway executives have thanked customers for their patience regarding the limited embargo on carload traffic bound for California that began on June 27 and is now set to expire next month. “Beginning Monday, Sept. 5, shipments may move into California without a permit. We recognize the embargo has led to […]
KEYTESVILLE, Mo. — A Missouri circuit court judge has denied requests to delay lawsuits over the June derailment of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief while the National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the accident remains active. KOMU-TV reports Judge Terry Tschannen ruled Monday that, while certain information may not be disclosed while the NTSB is investigating, the […]
Electro-Motive Diesel SD70ACe diesel locomotive Scale: N (1:160) Price: Direct-current model with Next18 connector, $119.99; with dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder, $219.99 Era: 2007-present (depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 7598 Highway 411, Benton, TN 37307; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com Features: Road number-specific details Factory-installed details including wire grab irons, m.u. clusters, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, and […]
General Electric AC4400CW Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $204.99; with dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder, $299.99 Era: 1995 to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 7598 Highway 411, Benton, TN 37307; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com Features: Road-number-specific details Factory-installed wire grab irons, m.u. clusters, uncoupling levers, windshield wipers, and more […]
NEW YORK — Domestic intermodal service is running at historically low levels, with trains routinely arriving a day or two behind schedule, J.B. Hunt executives say. “We never saw numbers like this before the pandemic,” Darren Field, J.B. Hunt’s intermodal president, told an investor conference this week. “It’s really a labor and crew issue for […]
Electro-Motive Division GP40 Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: To be announced Era: April 1966 to present (varies depending on paint scheme Manufacturer: ClassOneModelWorks.com, 8610 NW 107th Terrace, Kansas City, MO, 64153; 816-243-0044; ClassOneModelWorks.com Features: Road- and unit-specific body styles Flat cap 48” fans Diamond mesh radiator intake screen Early triangular fuel tank mounts Ribbed cab base […]
PERRIS, Calif. — The Federal Railroad Administration is investigating last week’s incident involving a leaking tank car that led to evacuations and closure of an interstate highway for about a day. The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports the FRA’s Hazards Materials Division will look at preparation and loading of the tank car, the car’s move from origin […]
FORT WORTH, Texas – BNSF Railway on Sept. 4 will end its embargo on certain types of carload traffic bound for California, saying that the restrictions enabled the railway to reduce traffic backlogs on its Southern Transcon. “BNSF is terminating our California permit embargo on Sunday, September 4. As anticipated, our weekly number of permits continued […]
