The invisible railroad problem: Analysis

A side view of a train passing a rural grade crossing with railroad crossing sign, a lowered gate, and flashing red warning lights

Why is it that no one notices railroads until there’s a derailment, blocked grade crossing, or a massive supply chain problem like we saw in 2022? If it weren’t for bad press railroads wouldn’t get any at all. It’s as if the railroad industry – all 140,000 miles of it – is invisible until things […]

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News & Products for the week of January 3rd 2024

A model factory structure

News & Products for the week of January 3rd 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 January 3rd […]

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Montana Rail Link folded back into BNSF Railway

Blue and white locomotives on train in mountains covered with snow under blue skies

FORT WORTH, Texas — Montana Rail Link officially became a fallen flag on Jan. 1 when the regional railroad ceased operations and became BNSF Railway’s MRL Subdivision. Burlington Northern leased the former Northern Pacific main line from Jones Junction, Mont., to Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1987. In January 2022 BNSF and MRL announced an agreement to […]

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European rail freight to see major changes in 2024

Green and gray diesel lcomotive with tank cars

Europe’s biggest rail freight companies are facing major challenges in 2024, despite efforts by politicians to encourage more freight movement by rail and less by road. In some countries, new ownership or new companies are challenging established operators and providing business opportunities for smaller companies. In most of Europe, the biggest rail freight company is […]

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News Wire’s top stories of the year, 2018-2023

Welcome to 2024, News Wire readers. There’s no predicting what the new year has in store for us, but in case you’ve been otherwise occupied over the holiday season, here’s a chance to review our recent history of top News Wire stories of the year, as well as this year’s Top 10 (actually 11) topics, […]

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Top 10 stories of 2023, No. 1: East Palestine

Black cloud of smoke above town

Norfolk Southern’s disastrous hazardous materials wreck in East Palestine, Ohio — which put the railroad industry’s safety record under a withering spotlight — is Trains News Wire’s top story for 2023. The Feb. 3 derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border likely was caused by the catastrophic failure of a wheel bearing on a covered hopper carrying […]

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David Parks’ Cumberland West in HO scale

David Parks’ Cumberland West in HO scale | In this Trains.com Video exclusive, modeler David Parks shares his large HO (1:87) scale layout built in Northern California. David has deftly combined elements of the Baltimore & Ohio and Western Maryland railroads as they operated in 1953 in and around Cumberland, Maryland. As narrated by 0ur […]

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Model Railroader’s favorite products of 2023

A model locomotive in a red paint scheme

Model Railroader’s favorite products of 2023: As 2023 draws to a close, and we look forward to a new year, Model Railroader‘s Cody Grivno and Bryson Sleppy take a look back at some of their favorite model railroad products of 2023.   Tangent Scale Models HO scale Burlington Northern International Car Co. wide-vision cabooses For […]

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David Parks’ Cumberland West in HO scale

David Parks’ Cumberland West in HO scale | In this Trains.com Video exclusive, modeler David Parks shares his large HO (1:87) scale layout built in Northern California. David has deftly combined elements of the Baltimore & Ohio and Western Maryland railroads as they operated in 1953 in and around Cumberland, Maryland. As narrated by 0ur […]

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Outgoing STB Chairman Oberman lauds railroad growth initiatives, condemns Wall Street influence

Yellow locomotive with train of trailers and containers

CHICAGO — Martin J. Oberman isn’t ready to retire just yet. That much was clear from his impassioned talk at a recent Northwestern University Transportation Center gathering. Sharing the bill with the group’s annual holiday luncheon keynote speaker, veteran transportation analyst Anthony B. Hatch, the Surface Transportation Board chairman announced his decision in November to […]

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