WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. rail traffic rebounded for the week ending Nov. 11, with overall volume up 3.4%, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. That bounce came after two straight weeks in which traffic had declined compared to the same week a year earlier. The latest week’s traffic included 497,348 carloads and […]
Type of Train: Freight
Railroads once again emphasize interline intermodal as way to compete with trucks
Class I railroads, which pruned their interline intermodal service as the Precision Scheduled Railroading operating model spread in the U.S. over the past few years, have rediscovered joint service and say it’s a way to capture freight moving on the highway. Several interline intermodal initiatives have been announced since May. Among them: The Canadian National-Union […]
Union Pacific eyes faster domestic intermodal schedules
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One of the first decisions that Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena made after rejoining the railroad in August was to take 24 hours out of the schedule for Falcon Premium interline cross-border intermodal service. At an investor conference on Tuesday, he was asked whether there were other similar opportunities to improve intermodal […]
Jerry Strangarity’s Reading Co. in HO scale
Jerry Strangarity’s Reading Co. in HO scale last appeared in the November 2010 issue of Model Railroader magazine. Since our last visit, he’s completed three more scenes on the layout: West Philadelphia, Reading/Hamburg, and Birdsboro. Enjoy this video showing a mix of steam and diesel locomotives running through eastern Pennsylvania in the 1930s and 1940s. […]
Jerry Strangarity’s Reading Co. in HO scale
Jerry Strangarity’s Reading Co. in HO scale last appeared in the November 2010 issue of Model Railroader magazine. Since our last visit, he’s completed three more scenes on the layout: West Philadelphia, Reading/Hamburg, and Birdsboro. Enjoy this video showing a mix of steam and diesel locomotives running through eastern Pennsylvania in the 1930s and 1940s. […]
BNSF and J.B. Hunt to shift Mexico cross-border intermodal service to Ferromex via Eagle Pass gateway (updated)
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway and J.B. Hunt are shifting their Mexico intermodal service to Ferromex via the Eagle Pass gateway, a route they say is a day faster than the current BNSF-Canadian Pacific Kansas City routing via Laredo, Texas. The cross-border service will move to Eagle Pass on Jan. 1, BNSF and J.B. […]
News & Products for the week of November 13th 2023
News & Products for the week of November 13th 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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of November 13th […]
Federal regulators to establish passenger rail advisory committee
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board is creating an advisory panel that will guide the board on passenger and commuter rail issues. The Passenger Rail Advisory Committee will have 18 voting members that will include representatives from Amtrak, commuter rail agencies, intercity operators other than Amtrak, a state that provides funding for Amtrak service, a […]
Flexi-Van
New York Central’s Flexi-Van concept went through multiple versions in its lifespan. This Mark III edition required the tractor to support the container while it was pivoted into place on the car due to the car’s end-turntable configuration. New York Central photo […]
BNSF train derails west of Denver, blocking Zephyr route (corrected)
PINECLIFFE, Colo. — Fifteen cars of a BNSF freight train derailed early today (Sunday, Nov. 12) in the Rocky Mountain foothills west of Denver, leading to a closure expected to block Union Pacific’s main line for 36 hours, according to preliminary estimates. KCNC-TV reports the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office was informed of the derailment at […]
Ohio Rail Development Commission approves funding for two rail infrastructure projects
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Rail Development Commission has approved grants to support a pair of rail infrastructure projects in the state. In a Nov. 9 meeting, the commission approved $1 million in support for $5.1 million in rail projects at the JSW Steel USA facility in Mingo Junction, Ohio, and a $125,000 grant for […]
Regional Rail adds two Midwestern short lines to portfolio
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. — Shortline holding company Regional Rail LLC is expanding its holdings, having agreed to acquire Indiana Eastern Railroad and the Ohio South Central Railroad, the company announced today (Friday, Nov. 10). Indiana Eastern is a 43-mile short line headquartered in Liberty, Ind., operating between Richmond, Ind., and Fernald, Ohio. It was established […]