News & Products for the week of April 29th 2024

Two model locomotives in a yellow and gray paint scheme

News & Products for the week of April 29th 2024   Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of April 29th […]

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NS says activist investor violated Railway Labor Act by negotiating deal with engineers’ union (updated)

Crew member walks across front of locomotive as another train passes on adjacent track

Norfolk Southern says activist investor Ancora Holdings violated the Railway Labor Act when it negotiated a deal with the general chairmen of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen in exchange for the union’s support in its proxy campaign. The BLET in February was vehemently opposed to Ancora’s plan to oust Norfolk Southern’s management and […]

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UP train derails on key Portland, Ore., bridge (updated)

Derailed cars on curve leading onto bridge

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Union Pacific train derailed early this morning at the east end of Portland’s historic Steel Bridge, closing the heavily used bridge while authorities assessed its structural integrity. The derailment also meant the vertical lift portion of the bridge could not be raised, impacting ship traffic on the Willamette River. “The issue […]

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BNSF line closed by washout in Kansas (updated)

BNSF Railway logo

PRESCOTT, Kan. — It’s been a rough few days for BNSF Railway. In the latest incident, the railroad advised customers today (Monday, April 29) of a washout that occurred Sunday afternoon near Prescott, Kan., on its Fort Scott Subdivision. In an updated report, BNSF announced the line had been reopened at 2:15 p.m. CT. Prescott […]

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Influential proxy advisory firm recommends that Norfolk Southern shareholders side with activist investor Ancora Holdings (updated)

Red, white, and black locomotives with train of equipment for training first responders

In a significant boost to activist investor Ancora Holdings, one of the two major proxy advisory firms has recommended that Norfolk Southern shareholders vote in favor of six of its seven dissident board candidates. Glass Lewis made the recommendation in a report issued on Sunday, which concludes that Ancora has made a compelling case that […]

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NS activist investor and engineers’ union reached agreement last week

Industry observers had wondered why the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen — which had vehemently opposed an activist investor’s plans to oust Norfolk Southern’s management team — flip-flopped on Friday and decided to support Ancora Holdings’ calls for change at the railroad. The reason became apparent on Sunday, when the SMART-TD union that represents […]

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Crew members injured as UP train derails in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Union Pacific logo without slogan. UP Bailey Yard explosion appear to be accidental.

LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — The engineer and conductor of a Union Pacific train were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following a derailment early this morning, the Lee’s Summit Fire Department reports. The fire department responded to a call at approximately 12:45 a.m. of a derailment in the Unity Village area between Rhinehart […]

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Fire crews aim to extinguish fire at BNSF derailment Saturday night

Burning railroad cars at derailment site

LUPTON, Ariz. — Crews from New Mexico’s McKinley County Fire & Rescue plan to extinguish the burning cars of a BNSF train tonight (Saturday, April 27), the Albuquerque Journal reports. The train derailed and caught fire Friday afternoon, closing Interstate 40 near the Arizona-New Mexico border and leading to evacuation of Navajo Nation residents within […]

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Missouri congressman seeks to block two-person crew rule

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — A Missouri congressman has introduced a resolution seeking to nullify the Federal Railroad Administration’s two-person crew requirement announced earlier this month. U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Springfield, Mo.) introduced the Congressional Review Act resolution in the wake of the FRA requirement [see “FRA issues rule requiring two-person train crews,” Trains News Wire, April 2, […]

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News photos: BNSF train derailed by tornado in Nebraska

Aerial view of derailed freight cars

WAVERLY, Neb. — A BNSF train was derailed this afternoon when it was struck by a tornado between Waverly and Lincoln, Neb.. The tornado was one of a series in an outbreak across the Midwest today (Friday, April 26). KSBN-TV reports the incident occurred about 3:25 p.m., according to a BNSF representative. There were no […]

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BNSF derailment, fire close Interstate 40 (updated)

Aerial image of burning railcars

GALLUP, N.M. — A BNSF Railway train derailed and caught fire near the Arizona-New Mexico state line at midday Friday, forcing the closure of Interstate 40, KOB-TV reports. The derailment on BNSF’s Gallup Subdivision about 12:42 p.m. Mountain Time, according to an initial BNSF report to customers. BNSF places the incident near Lupton, Ariz., approximately […]

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