Watco to partner on development of Oklahoma logistics facility

Map of planned Ardmore, Okla., logistics park

ARDMORE, Okla. — Watco will be one of the partners in a $124 million project to turn the Ardmore Industrial Airpark into a multimodal logistics facility with more than 200 acres available for transloading, warehousing, distribution, and manufacturing. The Global Transportation & Industrial Park of Oklahoma, or GTIP, iis n the heart of the Chicksaw […]

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U.S. rail traffic still up in July, but margin decreases

Weekly table showing U.S. rail traffic by commodity

WASHINGTON — Overall U.S. rail traffic for July was up 3.8% over July 2020, according to statistics released by the Association of American Railroads. The numbers include 904,670 carloads, an increase of 55,969, or 6.6%, over July 2020, and 1,066,169 containers and trailers, an increase of 15,450 units, or 1.5%. While the figures showed an […]

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Overland Route

Steam locomotive smoking profusely with passenger cars in tow

Overland Route A trim Southern Pacific 4-6-2 makes better than 60 mph with Overland Limited east of Elko, Nev., in 1918, when Overland Route rail service was already nearly 50 years old, and the top trains were numbered 1 and 2. Fred Jukes photo […]

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Meet the Modeler: John Hudak

Photo of Joh Hudak’s layout with car parked very close to it

What was your first train set (or locomotive)?  My first train set was the Lionel 1434W Burlington GP diesel with three passenger cars from 1955 or 1956. Being a passenger set, it had limited play value for me. I also had a no. 52 fire car. My trains are primarily from this era (i.e. prewar, […]

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Moffat Road Museum acquires West Side Shay No. 8

Black steam locomotive with silver smokebox

GRANBY, Colo. —  An iconic geared steam locomotive is relocating within Colorado. Former West Side Lumber Co. Shay No. 8 has been sold by the Royal Gorge Route Railroad in Cañon City to the Moffat Road Railroad Museum in Granby and will be moved this month. No. 8 has been on display at the Cañon […]

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News report: Thales near sale of signal business to Hitachi

Thales logo

PARIS — Global technology firm Thales is on the verge of selling its rail signal business to Hitachi for about $2 billion, Reuters reports. The French firm, which provides electronic systems for aerospace, defense, and digital security applications, plays a significant role in European railways, with its European Train Control System used in 42 countries. […]

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‘Shasta Daylight’

Looking up at orange and red diesel locomotives on curved steel trestle

Shasta Daylight The Oakland-bound Shasta Daylight rumbles over the big, curved trestle at Redding, Calif., in mid-1950. The Shasta was diesel-powered from its July 1949 launch. James L. Martin photo […]

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Canadian National, Canadian Pacific set grain records

Canadian National and Canadian Pacific logos

Canadian National and Canadian Pacific have both announced records for Canadian grain movement in the just completed 2020-21 crop year, with CN setting a second consecutive record and CP reaching a new mark for the fourth consecutive year. CN says it moved more than 31 million metric tons of grain, bettering last year’s mark of […]

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