BNSF quarterly earnings improve on volume, revenue increases

Train rounds curve in mountains

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s third-quarter profits increased on the strength of higher intermodal, industrial products, and coal volume. The railroad’s operating income grew 12%, to $2.6 billion, as revenue increased 12%, to $5.5 billion, BNSF’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, reported on Saturday morning. The railroad’s operating ratio improved 0.2 points to 59.5% as […]

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Rail organizations applaud passage of infrastructure bill

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — Major rail groups have applauded Friday’s passage of a major infrastructure bill by the U.S. House of Representatives which will include major funding for freight and passenger projects. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature. The $1.2 trillion bill includes $550 billion in entirely new investments, the Washington Post […]

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Land negotiations begin for Lac-Mégantic bypass

Map of Lac-Megantic Bypass

LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — Negotiations for purchase of the land needed to build a rail bypass around Lac-Mégantic and the surrounding area have begun, Transport Canada reports. The submission of the first offers is part of an ongoing process of rerouting the Canadian Pacific main line away from the community devastated by the 2013 derailment and […]

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CRP&A adds collections of Gildersleeve, Glattenberg

Logo of Center for Railroad Photography and Art

MADISON, Wis. — The Center for Railroad Photography & Art will acquire the collections of photographers Tom Gildersleeve and Gordon Glattenberg. The two Santa Clarita, Calif., residents, friends since 1963, are noted for color photography in the 1950s and 1960s, when most photographers were using black and white film. The Center notes their collections will […]

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Regional Rail to operate Port Manatee Railroad

Blue and yellow genset locomotive with freight cars

PALMETTO, Fla. — Pennsylvania-based Regional Rail LLC has signed an agreement to operate the short line at Port Manatee in Palmetto, Fla. The agreement runs through at least 2036 with options through 2051. The railroad, which began operation in 1970, includes more than 7 miles of track with a connection to CSX Transportation. It has […]

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Metrorail testing plan approved, but reduced service will continue through November

WMATA (DC Metro) logo

WASHINGTON — The independent Washington Metrorail Safety Commission has approved a plan for testing and returning DC Metrorail’s newest railcars to service, but the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will still face reduced levels of service through at least the remainder of November. The Washington Post reports the safety commission’s approval means Metro will begin […]

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New contractor selected to complete Purple Line project

Logo of Maryland light rail Purple Line

RIVERDALE, Md. — Maryland Transit Solutions has been selected as the contractor to complete Maryland’s much-delayed Purple Line light rail project. Purple Line Transit Partners, the consortium which will operate the 16-mile, 21-station line between Bethesda and New Carrollton, announced the decision Friday in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Transportation. The winning bidder, one […]

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How are a crane’s hooks secured for transit?

A brown-and-silver wreck crane is seen in transit, its boom secured to the deck

Q: I have a couple of 25-ton cranes on my layout. While running them in a work train, the hooks swing, giving them an unrealistic look. Are the hooks normally tethered to the boom when the cranes are being transported? I couldn’t find any photos of actual cranes during transport. – Steve Favale, Buffalo, N.Y. […]

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Horseshoe Curve diesel receives new paint

Freshly painted dark green locomotive with gold lettering

A repainting of the Pennsylvania Railroad GP9 diesel locomotive on display at Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark near Altoona, Pa., headlines several developments at the historic site where Norfolk Southern’s former-PRR Pittsburgh Line climbs the Allegheny Mountains. A final detail — applying yellow safety paint to the handrails — took place this week on the […]

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Trackside Photos: A logger in the woods, a boxcar in the country, and a diesel under an overpass

A geared steam locomotive crosses a wood truss bridge over a creek in a wooded scene

Send us your photos Trackside Photos is a showcase for the work of Model Railroader readers. Send your photos (digital images 5 megapixels or larger) to: Model Railroader, Trackside Photos, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; or upload them to http://fileupload.kalmbach.com/contribute. For our photo submission guidelines, contact associate editor Steven Otte at sotte@mrmag.com. […]

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