Minnesota steam locomotive makes test runs

Steam engine under plume of smoke

DULUTH, Minn. — The Lake Superior Railroad Museum’s Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 2-8-0 No. 332 has returned to operation with weekend test runs. The locomotive ran Nov. 4 on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. The museum’s steam crew, headed by Scott Carney, operated the engine between the museum in downtown Duluth and the siding at […]

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News & Products for the week of November 6th 2023

An image of a model freight car in a yellow paint scheme

News & Products for the week of November 6th 2023   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 November 6th […]

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Locomotives we love: Lionel No. 225E 2-6-2 steam engine

man holding model locomotive next to layout

I must have been 11 or 12 years old when I saw Lionel´s 1938 catalog. I turned to page 16 and saw locomotive 225E at the head of set No. 183E, a three-car freight train, and set No. 182E with three red passenger cars. I fell in love with the locomotive. It wasn’t the Baldwin […]

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Five mind-blowing facts — New York Central passenger trains

Streamlined diesel locomotives at passenger terminal. Five mind-blowing facts — New York Central passenger trains.

Mind-blowing facts — New York Central passenger trains We are 50-plus years into the Amtrak era, which began on May 1, 1971. A few Amtrak trains still carry the identity of the conveyances they imitate — California Zephyr, Empire Builder, and Crescent — to mention a few. What lives on today is a contemporary train […]

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President Biden announces $16.4 billion in funding for Northeast Corridor projects (updated)

Map of infrastructure projects on Northeast Corridor

BEAR, Del. — President Joe Biden announced that 25 Northeast Corridor projects will receive a total of $16.4 billion in funding in an appearance today at Amtrak’s maintenance facility in Bear, Del., near Wilmington. The funding comes from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Pasenger Rail Program. It includes $4.7 billion for the […]

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Cincinnati voters to decide on railway sale Tuesday

CINCINNATI — Voters in Cincinnati go to the polls this Tuesday, Nov. 7, to determine whether the city should sell its railway to Norfolk Southern, after a campaign that has seen a host of conflicting claims and endorsements. The matter, on the ballot as Issue 22, asks voters to approve the sale of the Cincinnati […]

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City of Mobile sends lease for Gulf Coast stop to Amtrak

Two women holding signs supporting Gulf Coast Amtrak service

MOBILE, Ala. — After months of waiting for completion by city of Mobile attorneys, an agreement has been sent to Amtrak for a land lease that would provide a stop for two daily passenger round-trips to New Orleans. The delay in finalizing the agreement, sent to Amtrak last week, is one factor that has pushed […]

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Federal grant boosts Port of Long Beach rail yard improvement project

Aerial view of rail yard at port

LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Port of Long Beach has received a $52.6 million federal grant for its ongoing project to improve its Pier B railyard, which is reconfiguring the 171-acre yard to improve cargo flow, ease road congestion, and decrease air pollution. The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports officials announced the grant on Friday, Nov. […]

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Denver RTD to install Automatic Train Stop system at site of light rail accidents

Damaged light-rail train in roadway

AURORA, Colo. — The Denver-area Regional Transportation District will install an Automatic Train Stop safety system at a sharp 90-degree curve that has been the site of two light rail derailments, one of which shut down the RTD’s R Line through Aurora for more than two months, Colorado Public Radio reports. As described in a […]

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LA’s Metrolink plans four-day shutdown in December

Commuter train passes under signal bridge

LOS ANGELES — LA-area commuter rail operator will shut down all service for a four-day period at the end of December to allow for installation of a new signal system and other work. The service suspension is set for Tuesday, Dec. 26, through Friday, Dec. 29, and will cover the entire seven-line, five-county system, including […]

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Canada launches registration requirements, database for transport of dangerous goods

Transport Canada logo

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian government has launched new registration requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods, along with a new database for those who import, transport, or otherwise handle such goods. The regulations cover goods being moved by rail, road, or other means. The new regulations, which went into effect on Friday, Nov. 3, […]

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BNSF Railway’s third quarter earnings decline nearly 15% amid volume slump

Man climbing on front steps of orange locomotive

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s profits, revenue, and volume all declined in the third quarter, parent company Berkshire Hathaway reported on Saturday. BNSF’s pre-tax earnings fell 14.6%, to $1.6 billion, as revenue declined 12.4%, to $5.6 billion. The railway’s operating ratio increased 0.7 points to 68.4%. Overall volume declined 4.8% in the quarter, while average […]

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