The Burlington Northern RR began operations in March 1970, the product of a merger between the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Great Northern; Northern Pacific; and Spokane, Portland & Seattle. It was also the railroad I grew up with in Crookston, Minn., my hometown in northwest Minnesota. For many years, I’ve been researching the early years […]
PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority may not meet an Oct. 31 federal deadline to complete inspections of its fleet of Silverliner IV railcars, despite around-the-clock efforts, the agency’s general manager said last week. General Manager Scott Sauer, in a Sept. 16 city council hearing, said the agency may ask for an extension, KYW-TV […]
Back after a bit of a hiatus, it’s our latest edition of Recommended Reading: Articles from elsewhere that you might find of interest. First up this time around, former Trains editor Kevin Keefe wrote our obituary of the late, great Don Phillips, but we thought you might also like to see the Washington Post version, […]
DURANGO, Colo. — The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge has resumed trips to Silverton following repairs to flood-damaged tracks. The Durango Herald reports excursions over the full length over the 45.4-mile route resumed on Saturday (Oct. 18) after several days of abbreviated trips to Cascade Canyon, about 26 miles. Trips to Silverton had been suspended […]
WASHINGTON — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Friday it would not accept the recommendations of a Presidential Emergency Board appointed to address the dispute between the Long Island Rail Road and five unions. The unions, meanwhile, hailed the recommendations issued earlier in the day, which called for raises totaling 14% (uncompounded) over four years, retroactive […]
CHICAGO — One of the major pieces of Chicago’s CREATE program marked a milestone on Wednesday, Oct. 15, as the first CSX Transportation train crossed the Forest Hill Flyover on the city’s South Side. The new structure separates CSX’s main line from tracks used by Metra, the Belt Railway of Chicago, and Norfolk Southern. The […]
Trains.com sits down with Third & Townsend Models President Jay Escamilla on October 15, 2025, to discuss the recent amalgamation of Sunset Models, 3rd Rail, and Golden Gate Depot brands, and what it means for modelers. Jay details the companies’ commitment to producing the most prototypically accurate O (1:48) and HO (1:87.1) scale models in […]
In September 2025, Sunset Models Inc., along with its subsidiary 3rd Rail Division and Golden Gate Depot, found a new home in the form of Third & Townsend Models. From this recently-established partnership will be the distributor overseeing the companies’ continual and expanding productions of high-end, O and HO scale models in brass, plastic, and […]
The Atlas O Fall 2025 Premier catalog was recently published on the manufacturer’s website. Highlights include: New locomotives GP30 The locomotive includes Proto-Sound 3.0, onboard DCC/DCS decoder, detachable snowplow, O-42 operation, and road-specific ditch lights. Available roadnames: BNSF; NKP; Indiana & Ohio; Norfolk & Western; Raritan Central. Available in 3-rail version only. Price: $729.95. New […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Pinsly Railroad Co. has begun operating its newest short line, the 36-mile Georgiana & Andalusia Railroad in southern Alabama. The former Three Notch Railway interchanges with CSX at Georgiana, Ala. The Georgiana & Andalusia Railroad is set to make infrastructure investments to support the growth of both current and future rail-served customers […]
KNOB NOSTER, Mo. — About 20 cars of a Union Pacific train derailed early today (Friday, Oct. 17) west of the town of Knob Noster, closing a major highway and leading to the cancellation of Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner. KMMO Radio reports the derailment occurred about 2 a.m. and led to a closure of a […]
GATINEAU, Quebec — Incidents in which train crews fail to recognize and follow signal indications remain one of Canada’s key transportation safety issues, the Transportation Safety Board said this week in updating its ongoing Watchlist of such issues. It also noted that fatigue management continues to be an issue across all modes of transportation. “These […]
