Meet John Ciesla

Man standing in front of layout

What was your first train set (or locomotive)? Meet John Ciesla: I grew up with my father’s prewar American Flyer trains. These were the famous S scale, O gauge trains that came out in the late 1930s. With the advent of WWII, new cars and locomotives were nonexistent, but he still managed to find a […]

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Sound Transit committee recommends Timm as new CEO

Woman with short hair and black coat

SEATTLE — Julie Timm, currently CEO of the Greater Richmond (Va.) Transit Co., has been recommended by a selection committee for the CEO position of Sound Transit. The full Sound Transit board will vote on the nomination June 23, after the board’s committee made its recommendation last week. Timm was selected from a group of […]

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California congresswoman urges STB to reject CP-KCS merger

KCS3947Laredo

U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., has urged the Surface Transportation Board to reject the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, arguing that the first Class I combination in two decades would stifle competition. “The proposed merger represents a grave threat to competition in the domestic rail industry, which is already highly consolidated,” Porter wrote in […]

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American Z Line June 2022 locomotive announcements

blue and white locomotive

American Z Line June 2022 locomotive announcements Scale: Z (1:220) Price: Contact manufacturer Era: Nickel Plate Road Alco PA-1, December 1947 to November 1961; Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Electro-Motive Division SW1000, 1966 to 1970 Manufacturer: American Z Line, 6142 Northcliff Blvd., Dublin, OH 43016, 614-764-1703, americanzline.com EMD SW1000 features: AutoLatch couplers Directional light-emitting-diode lighting Blackened […]

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Atlas O 40-foot General American Transportation Corp. Airslide covered hopper

blue colored hopper

40-foot General American Transportation Corp. Airslide covered hopper Scale: O (1:48) Price: $79.95 (undecorated, $74.95) Era: 1953 to 1980s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas O, 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com 40-foot General American Transportation Corp. Airslide covered hopper features: See-through running boards and brake wheel platform Separate, factory-applied grab irons and […]

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Cost pressures prompt Union Pacific to reduce financial outlook

Yellow locomotives leading train of double-stacked containers over bridge

OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific has lowered its financial expectations for this year in light of rising fuel prices, inflation, and the impact of its sluggish operations. It’s now unlikely that UP will reach an operating ratio of around 55% for the year, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Hamann told an investor conference on Tuesday. UP […]

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Union Pacific joins RailPulse freight car location monitoring joint venture

Train with yellow locomotives in flat area

OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific has joined the RailPulse joint venture that will provide customers with real-time location information for freight cars wherever they are on the North American rail network. UP becomes the second Class I railroad to participate in RailPulse, alongside founding member Norfolk Southern. The company’s other partners include shortline holding companies […]

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