Canadian National questions foundation of CP-KCS merger application

Train with Kansas City Southern, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific locomotives passes one with Canadian Naitonal power

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern have vastly overestimated traffic and revenue growth that would flow from their proposed combination, making the rest of their merger application a house of cards, Canadian National claims in a regulatory filing. The CP-KCS merger application is so “riddled with errors” that the Surface Transportation Board should not […]

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Rapido Trains announces Canadian 66-foot bulkhead flatcar

Side and end view illustrations showing Canadian and U.S. railroad paint schemes on HO bulkhead flatcar.

A 66-foot bulkhead flatcar based on a Canadian prototype is the latest HO scale freight car announced by Rapido Trains. The release date for the model has not been announced. Paint schemes on the first run of bulkhead flatcars include BNSF Ry. (BC Rail patchout and Mineral Red schemes); British Columbia Ry. (green with BCOL […]

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KR Models provides update on HO scale Shay

Side view of HO scale Shay geared steam locomotive.

KR Models recently shared a new video and images of a second pre-production sample of its HO scale Shay. The model, based on the Lima-built 50-ton two-truck Class B geared steam locomotive, is scheduled for release this fall. Road names announced for the model include Arcata no. 7, Canadian Pacific no. 111, Merrill & Ring […]

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Trainfest 2022 announced

Trainfest logo

  Kalmbach Media and the Great American Train Shows will partner to produce Trainfest 2022, the renowned national model train show. The event is scheduled to take place in November at a venue in the greater Milwaukee area. Details on the show will be announced later in March. “We are excited to have the show […]

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Unions ask for end to mediation over national contract

Logos of 10 unions that make up the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition

  WASHINGTON — Two unions involved in the negotiations for a new national rail labor contract have asked to be released from mediation with the coalition representing railroads, instead requesting to move to arbitration. In a letter dated Feb. 23, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division of the Teamsters Rail Conference, and the […]

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BNSF plans capital spending increase in 2022

Double-stack container train passing maintenance equipment

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF will increase capital spending to $3.55 billion in 2022, after a spend of $2.97 billion in 2021, the railroad reported in its fourth-quarter financial summary. Of that $3.55 billion, $2.71 billion is budgeted for maintenance and replacement, including 14,000 miles of track surfacing or undercutting; replacement of 381 miles of […]

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Canadian rail accidents showed slight increase in 2021

GATINEAU, Quebec — Rail accidents increased in Canada in 2021, while still remaining below the five-year average for such incidents, according to preliminary statistics released Monday by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. Air transportation and pipelines also saw increases, while marine accidents decreased. The TSB suggested in a press release that the increases likely […]

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