Union Pacific derailment in Iowa leads to brief propane leak

Union Pacific logo with Building America slogan

AMES, Iowa — Twenty-seven cars of a Union Pacific train derailed Thursday afternoon in Ames, briefly leaking propane from one car. KDSM-TV reports the derailment occurred about 1:30 p.m., with Ames Fire Chief Rich Higgins saying he did send an evacuation notice to nearby industrial plants after the propane leak was discovered. A Union Pacific […]

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Tangent HO 40-foot combo-door boxcar

Tangent 40 foot combo door boxcar

Over the past 14 years, Tangent Scale Models has become well-known for its line of highly detailed HO and N scale models. That tradition continues with the company’s latest release, a newly tooled HO scale Pullman-Standard PS-1 40-foot combination-door boxcar. The model has railroad-specific details, Pullman-style ladders and bracket grab irons, and Kadee scale couplers. […]

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PRR K4s engine No. 1361 to be restored in $2.6 million campaign

Man speaking in front of locomotive boiler in building

ALTOONA, Pa. — Pennsylvania Railroad Class K4s 4-6-2 steam passenger locomotive No. 1361 will be restored to operating condition under a $2.6 million campaign announced Thursday by the Railroaders Memorial Museum and its partner, engineering consulting firm FMW Solutions LLC. Making the announcement was C. Wick Moorman, chairman of a newly reconstituted museum board and […]

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Atlas O announces models from MTH tooling

Sample page from Atlas O catalog

Atlas O in June released a new catalog offering products made from recently acquired MTH Trains tooling. The company acquired the majority of MTH’s Premier line of locomotives and rolling stock molds in spring 2021. The latest product announcements are titled the Atlas O Premier Catalog. In it are the first two offerings, a GE […]

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Fall TCA York meet is on

Outside of York, PA fairgrounds building

After cancelling the last three York, Pa. meets, the Train Collectors Association Eastern Division is preparing to host a grand re-opening show Oct. 21-23 at the York Fairgrounds. The organization’s board has decided “to return to the pre-pandemic format of a three-day show; beginning at Noon on Thursday through Saturday,” according to its Summer 2021 […]

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Durango & Silverton set to go coal-free in 2021 season

Steam locomotive in yard

DURANGO, Colo. — In a break from its 140-year history, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad appears to be on the way to running an entire season without using a coal-burning locomotive. The Durango Telegraph reports the railroad is set to handle the season with two steam locomotives converted from coal to oil firing, […]

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Mail call

Carts and workers handling mail outdoors at large passenger terminal

Mail call Carts of mail sacks crowd the northeast side of the new New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal in 1954. The stub-end terminal features 12 passenger tracks ending at an open-air concourse. James G. La Vake photo […]

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Pandemic accelerates operational changes at BNSF Railway

Intermodal train snakes through curves

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s increasing use of longer trains is the most visible element of a broader effort to boost efficiency and productivity. Since the onset of the pandemic BNSF has been combining trains, blending different types of traffic in the same trains, and operating more double-length loaded unit trains of grain and […]

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Rapido N scale The Canadian 10-car set

Line of passenger cars

The flash of light on fluted stainless steel made its way through our Canadian Canyons layout recently thanks to Rapido’s new N scale Canadian 10-car set, and these models are available at your favorite dealer now. The Canadian debuted in 1955 with all new cars from Budd of Philadelphia. Canadian Pacific ordered a total of […]

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Athearn Genesis 2.0 HO EMD SD60M diesel

Athearn Genesis 2.0 HO EMD SD60M diesel

A newly tooled HO scale Electro-Motive Division (EMD) SD60M diesel locomotive has been added to Athearn’s Genesis 2.0 line. The model, based on the three-window North American-cab 
version of the road locomotive, features ground lights, vinyl m.u. cables and trainline hoses, and molded traction motor detail on the gear boxes. Meet “triclops.” Electro-Motive Division produced […]

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Digest: Canada’s TSB to investigate seasonal increase in grade-crossing accidents

Transportation Safety Board of Canada logo

Transportation Safety Board to investigate winter increase in grade-crossing accidents The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is opening an investigation to determine why grade-crossing accidents increase during winter months. The agency’s statistics show such accidents increase by 61% in non-vacation winter months (January and February) compared with non-vacation, non-winter months (May, June and September). Along […]

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