House bill seeks to allow some online training of new railroad hires

Man in suit standing in front of American flag

WASHINGTON — An Ohio congressman has introduced a bill which would allow trainees for railroad jobs to complete some aspects of their training online. U.S. Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville, Ohio) introduced the Rail Employee Training Modernization Act last week, saying that existing regulations require employees to take part in classroom instruction, which delays training because […]

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Union ratifies three-year agreement with VIA Rail

Logo of Canadian union Unifor

MONTREAL — Members of Canada’s Unifor union have ratified the contracts from last month’s tentative agreement between the union and VIA Rail Canada covering some 2,400 VIA worker. The union represents on-board personnel, maintenance workers, and those in VIA’s customer center and administrative offices. The new agreements will be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2022, and […]

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Texas Coastal Bend Railroad, newest Watco line, begins operations

Blue locomotive with light blue curving stripe

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Watco’s newest short line, the Texas Coastal Bend Railroad, is scheduled to begin operation today (Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022), taking over 12 miles of trackage owned by the Port of Corpus Christi along with 8.5 miles of Union Pacific trackage rights. The railroad unveiled two locomotives with the port’s logo at […]

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DC Metro hires new chief operating officer

WMATA (DC Metro) logo

WASHINGTON — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority has hired a new chief operating officer, replacing the official who resigned in the fallout of the agency’s failure to maintain certification for its train operators. The Washington Post reports Brian Dwyer, whose three decades in public transportation most recently include three years at consulting firm WSP, […]

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House bill would expand STB’s authority over railroad service

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board would get more teeth under a shipper-friendly bill that would reauthorize the agency that regulates freight railroads. The Freight Rail Shipping Fair Market Act, introduced Tuesday, would give regulators more authority to deal with service emergencies, require railroads to include service standards in contracts with customers, and give shippers […]

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40-foot American Car & Foundry boxcar from Walthers

green boxcar

40-foot American Car & Foundry boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $31.98 (undecorated, $29.98) Era: 1960s to 1980s Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com 40-foot American Car & Foundry boxcar features: Injection-molded plastic 10-panel body Tall ladders on the B (brake wheel) end Short ladders on the A […]

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Knoxville Locomotive Works General Electric 25-ton diesel locomotive from PIKO America

green and black large scale locomotive

Knoxville Locomotive Works General Electric 25-ton diesel locomotive Scale: Large (1:24) Price: $449.99 Era: Modern Manufacturer: PIKO America, LLC, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego, CA 92120; piko-america.com Knoxville Locomotive Works 25-ton diesel locomotive features: R/C pocket remote with pre-programmed buttons to control speed, direction, horn, and whistle (remote includes CR2025 battery) Powered by […]

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Broadway Limited Imports Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy steam locomotive

model of a Big Boy

Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy steam locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $869.99 Era: 1940s to present (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; 386-673-8900; broadway-limited.com Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy steam locomotive features: Die-cast metal boiler, tender body, and chassis Synchronized puffing smoke with chuff sound […]

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