BETTENDORF, Iowa — Canadian Pacific has agreed to pay the city of Bettendorf $3 million to address the community’s concerns over increased traffic resulting from its planned merger with Kansas City Southern. The Quad Cities Times reports that the agreement — which is subject to Surface Transportation Board approval of the merger — was agreed […]
HOMEWOOD, Ill. — Canadian National will spend $485 million on capital projects in eight states as the U.S. portion of its capital plan for 2022, the railroad has announced. Overall, the company will spend more than C$2.6 billion on its capital program. It had previously announced almost C$2 billion in Canadian projects [see “CN announces […]
CALGARY, Alberta — The Alberta government is not willing to support a proposed Calgary-Banff passenger rail operation in its current form, saying it presents too great a financial risk. The Globe and Mail reports that Alberta Transportation Minister Prasad Panda says the plan underestimates the capital costs and the annual financial contribution from the province, […]
The governors of New York and New Jersey have signed an agreement detailing how the two states will fund their portion of the Northeast Corridor’s Gateway bridge and tunnel projects. The Memorandum of Understanding signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy addresses funding for the Portal North bridge over […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A state budget agreement passed last week releases the final $4.2 billion in bond funds for California’s high speed rail project, while also creating a new inspector general position to provide oversight for the troubled project. The San Jose Mercury News reports the budget deal allows the 171-mile Central Valley section of […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic in June was down 3.2% from 2021 levels, providing mixed indicators about the state of the nation’s economy, according to the Association of American Railroads. The June figure included a 1.5% decline in carload traffic and a 4.6% drop in intermodal units. “As conjecture grows about the direction of the […]
OTTUMWA, Iowa — The City of Ottumwa has agreed to purchase the city’s Amtrak depot, currently owned by the Iowa Heartland Historical Connection. The Ottumwa Courier reports that, by a 4-1 vote on Tuesday, the Ottumwa City Council agreed to purchase the building at a cost of $480,000, funds included in bond approvals earlier this […]
Alco RS-series diesel locomotives Scale: N (1:160) Price: Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $139.95 (undecorated, $129.95); with dual-mode ESU LokSound sound decoder, $249.95 (undecorated, $239.95). Era: 1950s through 1980+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com Alco RS-series diesel locomotive features: Accumate couplers Blackened metal wheels Directional golden-white […]
Electro-Motive Division DDA40X diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $429.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $599.99. Add $10 for Primed for Grime model. Era: Late 1960s to early 1970s Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com Electro-Motive Division DDA40X diesel locomotive features: All-wheel electrical pickup Celcon handrails and […]
Modeler Dave Abeles answers a series of questions regarding his model railroading journey. In this video, Abeles explains his young start, and how his passion for trains has kept him coming back to the hobby for years. Not only does he offer his advice to novice hobbyists, he also discusses some of his own experiences […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada workers have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, according to the Unifor union. In voting by workers across Canada from June 20 to July 1, members of Unifor Council 4000 were 99.3% in favor of a strike, while Unifor Local 100 members voted 99.4% in favor. “The strike vote result […]
American Z Line June 2022 announcements Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: Great Northern Electro-Motive Division SW1500 diesel locomotive, September-October 1967 to early 1970s. Wabash Alco PA-1 diesel locomotive, 1949 to early 1960s. Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com EMD SW1500 features: AutoLatch couplers Prototype-specific details Directional light-emitting-diode lighting Blackened metal wheels Traction […]
