MONTREAL — Canadian National has begun refusing certain hazardous materials shipments in preparation for an Aug. 22 work stoppage. CN said the decision was made in light of a lack of progress in negotiations with Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, which represents the railway’s engineers and conductors in Canada. “CN has initiated the first step of […]
WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway has told federal regulators that it’s prepared for the upcoming fall grain harvest, but defended its performance last year amid weather-related disruptions to the broader supply chain. Surface Transportation Board Chairman Robert E. Primus requested the update from BNSF, which he said had struggled to handle the fall harvest in recent […]
GLEN ROCK, N.J. — A New Jersey congressman wants Amtrak and NJ Transit passengers to receive full refunds for significantly late trains, as well as those that are canceled. U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Bergen County) on Monday announced plans to introduce the “All Aboard Act.” It would include a Passenger Bill of Rights requiring automatic […]
After a Aug. 10 event involving Gov. Gavin Newsom and other elected officials and VIPs, public service using Caltrain’s electric multiple-unit trainsets began on a limited basis on Sunday, Aug. 11, between San Jose, Calif., and San Francisco [see “Caltrain to place first electric trainsets in service,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 9, 2024]. Two of […]
Paul J. Dolkos, a longtime contributor to the pages of Model Railroader magazine and its annuals and special issues, passed away on August 9, 2024. Paul became interested in trains and model railroading as a teenager. His second hobby was photography. Paul’s first MR cover photo, a scene on the Severna Park Model Railroad Club’s […]
News & Products for the week of August 12th 2024 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 August 12th […]
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has released the full schedule for the 10-state “Heartland of America” tour by Big Boy No. 4014, to begin Aug. 28 in Cheyenne and return there Oct. 23. As previously announced, public display events are planned for Sunday, Sept. 8, in Rochelle, lll.; Sunday, Oct. 6, in Houston; and Thursday […]
Drones With artificial intelligence growing at breakneck speed, businesses worldwide are experimenting with drone technology. No longer just a topic for science fiction, the use of drones has expanded rapidly over the last decade in a wide range of industries, including railroading. In the 2010s, Class I railroads gradually embraced the use of drones within […]
You might recognize my name as a restorer of Lionel trains, this having been my livelihood for more than 50 years. Some people may question my sanity in giving up “secret” painting tips that I have used for decades; I don’t mind at all. If I can make the hobby more enjoyable to my fellow […]
Stand by, helpers While my life is beyond the daily grind of being a working railroader, there are three things I miss: No. 1: The sound, which I can still get while out railfanning. No. 2: It took me many years as an engineer to realize I missed working as a conductor with a caboose. […]
Choosing the right O-gauge, 3-rail track can put you on the right track when building a layout in scale, semi scale, or even a mixture of both. It all starts with three deciding factors: Layout size Types of trains you plan to run Your budget From these determinations come three options for the types of […]
In my January 3, 2022, Garden Railways article, I detailed how I used landscaping timbers as the roadbed for my garden railway. The railway was built in the summer of 2013. Now, 11 years later, after successfully operating trains without any track or roadbed problems, I’m ready to do a much-needed maintenance service of this […]
