Two Canadian Pacific trains derail in Canada

Canadian Pacific Railway beaver logo

BASSANO, Alberta — About a dozen cars of a Canadian Pacific grain train derailed Wednesday afternoon in Bassano, about 85 miles southeast of Calgary, the CBC reports. It was one of two derailments involving CP grain trains on Wednesday. The other occurred in Kamloops, British Columbia. An eyewitness told the CBC about a dozen cars […]

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BNSF claims CP-KCS merger will throw Houston terminal into gridlock

Kansas City Southern train leaves terminal

A Kansas City Southern intermodal train heads for the Union Pacific Brownsville Subdivision at Robstown, Texas, in November 2017. Bill Stephens WASHINGTON – Projected traffic increases from the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger will put the critical Houston terminal into gridlock, BNSF Railway has warned federal regulators this week, citing a new analysis. CP and […]

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CP, KCS dispute Metra merger contentions, but vow to support commuter operations

Commuter train arrives at station; water tower with name Roselle is in the background

WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific believes concerns by Chicago’s Metra over its proposed merger with Kansas City Southern are largely unfounded, based on erroneous analysis, and involve unreasonable requests for conditions to the merger. But for all that, CP says it is committed to supporting Metra operations and improving its relationship with the commuter agency. The […]

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Virginia short line railroad expands into tourist railroading

Logo of the Buckingham Branch Railroad

STAUNTON, Va. — Virginians will soon enjoy a regularly scheduled tourist train. The commonwealth’s Buckingham Branch Railroad, a 275-mile short line freight railroad, has expanded into tourist railroading with the launch of its Virginia Scenic Railway. Diesel-powered climate-controlled passenger trains will join local freight, overhead CSX Transportation trains, and Amtrak’s triweekly Cardinal on the scenic […]

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New Mexico’s Rail Runner extends fare discount, will add trains

SANTA FE, N.M. — The New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter-train service has extended a fare discount that began in April, as well as announcing a forthcoming service expansion. The Albuquerque Journal reports that Gov. Michelle Luhan Grisham announced Wednesday that the 75% fare reduction — which lowered tickets to $2.50 for a day pass […]

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State Department of Transportation joins Montana passenger rail agency

Logo of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority

MISSOULA, Mont. — The agency seeking to revive Amtrak service through southern Montana has added a significant new member — the state’s Department of Transportation. The Missoula Current reports that the department has joined the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority as an ex officio member, a move described by authority Chairman Dave Strohmaier as “a […]

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U.S. rail traffic remains below 2021 figures

Weekly table showing U.S. rail traffic by commodity type, plus total intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic remains below 2021 figures in the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Both carload and intermodal traffic were down for the week ending July 9, with 207,450 carloads, a 1.3% decline from the corresponding week in 2021, and 230,150 containers and trailers, a 4.7% drop. The combined […]

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General Electric ES44 Evolution Series diesel from Walthers

black, gray, and red illustration of a locomotive

General Electric ES44 Evolution Series diesel Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin DCC plug, $169.98; with dual-mode ESU sound decoder, $219.98. Era: 2003 to present Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218, 414-527-0770, walthers.com Two- or four-vent dynamic brake vent as appropriate Six powered axles Light-emitting diode headlights […]

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Amtrak urges regulators to reject CN’s request to gain control of KCS’s former Gateway Western trackage

Passenger train passes freight

WASHINGTON – Amtrak has urged federal regulators to reject Canadian National’s quest to obtain Kansas City Southern’s former Gateway Western trackage as a condition of the proposed Canadian Pacific-KCS merger. CN aims to create a new single-line route dubbed the Springfield Speedway that would link Kansas City and St. Louis with Chicago, Detroit, and Eastern […]

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Athearn Pullman-Standard 5,277-cubic-foot capacity boxcar

brown boxcar illustration

Pullman-Standard 5,277-cubic-foot capacity boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $39.99 Era: 1975+ to present (varies depending on paint scheme). Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com Pullman-Standard 5,277-cubic-foot capacity boxcar features: 10-foot Pullman-Standard doors Body-mounted McHenry scale couplers Injection-molded plastic body Machined metal wheels with RP-25 contours Minimum radius: 18” Photo-etched metal crossover platforms Separate, […]

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Atlas International Car Co. NE-6 center-cupola caboose

red caboose

International Car Co. NE-6 center-cupola caboose Scale: N (1:160) Price: $33.95 (undecorated, $23.95) Era: 1940s to 1980s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com PHOTO CAPTION Atlas Model Railroad Co. N scale Master Line Chicago, West Pullman & Southern International Car Co. NE-6 center-cupola caboose no. 207. International […]

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CP-KCS merger will snarl key Chicago rail junction, CN tells regulators

Container train under overhead signals

WASHINGTON – The Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger will snarl rail traffic in Chicago, particularly at a key junction where CP operates on trackage rights over Canadian National and Metra, CN has told federal regulators. CP says the merger will generate significant growth in intermodal and automotive traffic that will be sorted at its Bensenville […]

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