Heart of Georgia Railroad profile

Heart of Georgia Railroad logo

Heart of Georgia Railroad summary The Heart of Georgia Railroad (HOG) is a short line railroad that operates in Georgia and Alabama. It’s owned by Genesee & Wyoming Incorporated. With 233 miles of standard-gauge track from the former Seaboard Air Line Railroad, the railroad specializes in intermodal port traffic between Midville, Ga., and Mahrt, Ala. […]

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Henderson Overton Branch Railroad profile

Blacklands Railroad logo

Henderson Overton Branch Railroad summary The Henderson Overton Branch Railroad (HOB) is a Class III short line railroad that operates in east Texas. The contracted Blacklands Railroad provides the operation for the line. As part of the former International & Great Northern Railroad Company, 14 miles of standard-gauge track connects the railroad’s namesake towns of […]

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Lhoist North America profile

Grey diesel locomotives pulling a freight train across a bridge.

Lhoist North America summary Lhoist North America (LNAX) is a short line railroad that operates in Tennessee. It’s owned by the Lhoist Group, a Belgium-based company that is a global leader in lime, dolime, and minerals. Heading west from Rockwood, the 15.5-mile railroad of standard-gauge track traverses the Cumberland Plateau to reach the Crab Orchard […]

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CN operations chief Ed Harris: ‘Tighter schedule adherence … is near and dear to my heart’

Shiny new read and black locomotives on freight train

MONTREAL — When it comes right down to it, railroading is not a complicated business, Canadian National Chief Operating Officer Ed Harris says. It’s all about sticking to a schedule, following the operating plan no matter what, and running safely. Harris, who served as CN’s operations boss from 2005 to 2007, was named COO on […]

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Norfolk Southern reports record financial results but issues cautious outlook

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern set fourth-quarter and annual records for revenue and profits, but expects a slowing economy and declining freight demand to produce flat revenue and earnings this year. The big unknown: Will the railroad’s ongoing service improvements allow NS to offset anticipated traffic volume declines as the economy weakens? CEO Alan Shaw, speaking […]

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News & Products for the week of January 23rd 2023

An image of a model locomotive

News & Products for the week of January 23rd 2023 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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 23rd 2023.   […]

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Track buses for Digital Command Control

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Track buses for Digital Command Control: Layouts wired for direct-current block control have several isolated track sections called blocks. Each block has an electrical switch that controls which DC throttle powers that track section. In theory, a Digital Command Control (DCC) layout could be wired as one large block with two wires feeding the power […]

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Grand Central Madison, terminal for MTA’s East Side Access, debuts

Interior of not-yet-completed commuter rail station in New York

NEW YORK — The path to the opening of Grand Central Madison — the new Long Island Rail Road terminal in Midtown Manhattan, deep beneath Grand Central Terminal — has been long, arduous, and incredibly expensive. Now that it has arrived, officials at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hope it will be viewed for its transformational […]

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Genesee & Wyoming agrees to settlement over Clean Air Act violations (updated)

Genesee & Wyoming logo

WASHINGTON — Genesee & Wyoming will spend up to $42 million to correct Clean Air Act violations regarding locomotives under an agreement announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency. A complaint that was also filed Tuesday alleged that G&W and a number of its subsidiaries operated diesel locomotives with rebuilt […]

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Massachusetts legislation calls for MBTA commuter-line electrification

MBTA purple and silver commuter locomotive. Governor reacts following more close calls on MBTA

BOSTON — Bills have been introduced in both houses of the Massachusetts legislature that would require electrification of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail lines by the end of 2035, the Boston Herald reports. The bills include an ambitious goal of electrifying by Dec. 31, 2024, three segments that serve what are defined as environmental […]

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Canadian National expects recession to put a dent in traffic volume

Train with red locomotive approaching curve

MONTREAL — Canadian National met all of its financial targets for 2022, but the railway issued a cautious outlook for this year with the expectation of a mild recession and soft traffic volumes. “Without a doubt we are in an uncertain economic time,” CEO Tracy Robinson told investors and analysts on CN’s earnings call on […]

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