At the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Pittsburgh Region desk F (foreground), the dispatcher for the Esplen (south end of the Ohio Connecting Bridge)–Brownsville, Pa., line works with a new style of trainsheet, while his colleague on desk I, Pittsburgh–Gould Tunnel, Ohio, uses the standard type in 1956. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
Type of Train: Freight
News & Products for the week of April 8th 2024
News & Products for the week of April 8th 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 8th […]
Ancora’s activist campaign gains support of Norfolk Southern investor (updated)
CLEVELAND – Ancora Holdings’ campaign to oust Norfolk Southern’s management team last week gained the support of New York investment management firm Neuberger Berman, which said it has concerns about the railroad’s operations, strategy, safety, and service. “We believe a change in management and refreshment of the board … are warranted and could stimulate improved […]
Norfolk Southern prunes intermodal network and puts focus on operating ratio improvement
ATLANTA – Norfolk Southern has pruned its intermodal network and made the operating ratio a key component of its executive compensation plans, the railroad announced yesterday amid its proxy battle with activist investor Ancora Holdings. NS has eliminated 53 low-volume intermodal lanes — or 15% of its intermodal network — that had limited growth prospects. […]
Report urges railroads to adopt growth strategies to regain freight lost to the highway
Class I railroads can continue business as usual and watch their earnings stagnate and profitability fall as their freight volume declines through 2030. Or they can make meaningful service improvements, become easier for customers to deal with, and launch new intermodal services that capture freight from trucks. Adopting a successful growth strategy will boost revenue, […]
Nova Scotia government ends subsidy for dormant portion of short line
CAPE BRETON, Nova Scotia — The government of Nova Scotia has ended a subsidy for a dormant section of short line in the province because it sees no chance the line will be restored to operation any time soon, the CBC reports. The move regarding the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway comes after […]
The latest CSX heritage locomotive: Western Maryland
CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs today released the first photos of the railroad’s Western Maryland heritage locomotive. The unit, No. 1852 in honor of the Western Maryland’s founding year, was rolled out of the paint shop in Waycross, Ga., and into the sun. It includes the railroad’s fireball logo. “Here is the latest Heritage Locomotive from […]
Norfolk Southern customers say activist investor’s short-term strategy would hurt service
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A vast majority of Norfolk Southern customers believe an activist investor’s plans for the railroad would worsen service and prompt them to shift some of their freight to truck or rival CSX, according to a Stephens, Inc. shipper survey released today. The Arkansas-based investment bank found that 91% of shippers believe […]
Eight charged in beer thefts targeting rail yards, warehouses in Northeast
NEW YORK — Eight men from the Bronx have been charged with involvement in a two-year string of beer thefts targeting rail yards and warehouses in the Northeastern U.S.. The thefts netted hundreds of thousands of dollars of beer; those involved face charges carrying maximum penalties ranging from five years to life in prison, according […]
U.S. rail traffic increases in March
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was up 4.2% in March compared to the same month in 2023, the second straight month of year-over-year gains, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Traffic for the week ending March 30 was also up, the 10th straight week showing gains compared to a year ago. The […]
Intramotev battery-electric hopper debuts on isolated Pennsylvania coal mine railroad
ST. LOUIS – Intramotev, which is converting standard freight cars into autonomous rail vehicles, says it has successfully deployed the world’s first self-propelled battery-electric railcar in a traditional freight train. In what Intramotev called a major step forward for sustainable freight transportation, the company’s ReVolt hopper has run more than 1,000 miles making trips between […]
Norfolk Southern begins detour moves of coal that normally moves through Port of Baltimore
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern today delivered the first coal train diverted from the closed Port of Baltimore to the railroad’s Lambert’s Point coal terminal in Norfolk, Va. The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge following a March 26 strike by a container ship blocked access to the NS-served Consol coal terminal. “At Norfolk Southern, […]