California-inspired garden railroad

Santa Fe Super Chief model engine

A California-inspired garden railroad is what you can see in our Morning Glow Railroad. It was developed after watching numerous videos, reading many Garden Railways magazines, then determining the type of garden railroad I wanted to construct. Its theme is based on the type of natural setting that I enjoyed the most, namely a vacation […]

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CN expects to reopen mainline to Vancouver this weekend

Canadian National logo

NASHVILLE — Canadian National expects to have its severed British Columbia main line back in service by the weekend, which will help ease a logjam of traffic bound to and from Vancouver, Canada’s busiest port. Heavy rains lashed southern British Columbia last month, causing landslides, flooding, and major washouts in the directional running zone where […]

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Union Pacific lowers 2021 expectations as intermodal volume slumps

Yellow diesel brings train in to junction

NASHVILLE — Union Pacific has trimmed its volume, productivity, and operating-ratio expectations for the year amid sluggish operations and a sharp decline in international intermodal traffic due to global supply chain problems. UP now says it will see a 4% volume gain this year, down from the previous forecast of 5% growth; productivity gains will total […]

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Court upholds California high speed rail building plan

Stacked bridges for high speed rail construction

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A lawsuit seeking to halt California’s high speed rail project has again been turned down in a state court, with the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Sacramento ruling the project’s segmented building plan did not violate the state constitution. The Los Angeles Times, which describes the case as the last pending […]

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VIA unveils first new corridor trainset

Passenger train on curve with cab car leading

OTTAWA, Ontario — VIA Rail Canada has provided the first detailed look at its new equipment for corridor service, unveiling the first full trainset at the Ottawa station. A total of 32 Siemens-built trainsets will serve the Quebec City-Windsor, Ont., corridor. Testing of the first trainset will begin this month, with the first of the […]

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Study sees rail move to battery-electric propulsion as feasible, cost effective

Train of hopper cars rounds curve

BERKELEY, Calif. — A new study says railroads could save $94 billion over 20 years by reducing air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions — and help avoid health impacts including an estimated 1,000 premature deaths each year — by retrofitting diesel-electric locomotives with battery power. The study from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley […]

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Province seeks to amend constitution as a result of tax fight with Canadian Pacific (updated)

CP logo

REGINA, Saskatchewan — A long-running battle between Canadian Pacific and the province of Saskatchewan is leading to an effort to amend the provincial constitution to remove a disputed tax loophole for the railroad. The Canadian Press reports CP is suing the province for $341 million in taxes it has paid, arguing it is exempt from […]

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England to build rail bridge for endangered dormouse

Small brown animal

LANCASHIRE, England — Wildlife bridges are sometimes built over major highways at select locations in North America, trying avoid collisions between vehicles and animals that are often fatal to the wildlife and sometimes to drivers, as well. In Canada’s Banff National Park, such bridges have seen significant use by bears, moose, and elk. In England, […]

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Canadian government delays grade-crossing requirements

Transport Canada logo

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian government has extended deadlines for grade crossing improvements, while removing the lowest-risk crossings from the improvement requirements. Following up on a proposal made earlier this year [see “Digest: Canadian government proposes delay …,” Trains News Wire, June 21, 2021]. Transport Canada will provide a one-year extension beyond the original deadline […]

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STB adopts streamlined emergency temporary trackage rights rule

Surface Transportation Board logo

WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have adopted a final rule that will streamline the process railroads follow when applying for emergency temporary trackage rights. The new Surface Transportation Board rule, adopted in a decision today, eliminates a required 30-day notice period. Instead, the trackage-rights exemption would become effective within five days. The rule will make it easier […]

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Union Pacific N Scale and HO Scale inspiration gallery

Yellow Union Pacific locomotives lead an intermodal train over a double-track bridge.

Union Pacific N Scale and HO Scale inspiration gallery Union Pacific N Scale and HO Scale layouts offer model railroaders the option to create wide-open plains, vast rail yards, and craggy mountain canyons. Sometimes, these features appear on the same layouts.   This photo gallery blends top images from Daryl Kruse‘s N Scale Geneva (Illinois) […]

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CN main line in British Columbia shut down again

Canadian National logo

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canadian National has shut down service on its route to Vancouver as additional rain, flooding, and landslides continue to plague a hard-hit area in British Columbia’s interior. The CBC reports CN moved seven trains over the weekend before it elected to “proactively close its network” as rain was causing increased debris, […]

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