China’s CRRC unveils first maglev train, capable of 373 mph

Streamlined blue and silver train with long nose

QINGDAO, China — Rail manufacturer CRRC has built its first maglev train, capable of a top speed of 600 kilometers per hour (373 mph). The train was unveiled this morning in the coastal city of Qingdao. Reuters reports the top speed would make the Chinese train the world’s fastest ground transportation, and could make possible […]

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Grant to provide $3.4 million to support Alstom expansion in Upstate New York

Alstom logo

HORNELL, N.Y. — A $3.4 million federal grant will help support the planned expansion of Alstom’s rail equipment manufacturing facility in Hornell. The Hornell Evening Tribune reports the U.S. Economic Development Agency is awarding the grant to the Hornell Industrial Development Agency for infrastructure work at the Shawmut Industrial Park, where Alstom is planning a […]

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First car arrives for Buffalo’s Flour-By-Rail Legacy Project

Rusted boxcar with grain silos in background

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The first railcar for the Flour-By-Rail Legacy Project in Buffalo’s Silo City neighborhood has arrived and is now on display. Buffalo Creek No. 3424, a 40-foot car built by the Pullman Co. in 1952, arrived at the project site on July 15 and has now been placed on its trucks on a […]

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Report says MTA significantly overestimated costs of restoring LIRR branch to operation

Tress growing through railroad tracks

QUEENS, N.Y. — A new report suggests an engineering study released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority significantly inflated the cost of restoring service on the Long Island Rail Road’s former Rockaway Beach Branch, abandoned in 1962 because of low ridership. The Transportation Economics and Management Systems Inc., or TEMS, report was commissioned by the group […]

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Train-watching platform opens in Fairport, N.Y.

Railfan viewing platform with Amtrak train passing in background

FAIRPORT, N.Y. —  A new train-watching platform has opened in this historic village east of Rochester in Upstate New York. Located at the junction of the CSX Rochester and West Shore Subdivisions, the three-track line sees 40-plus trains a day on the route linking the Midwest with the New England and the New York Metro […]

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BNSF restricts flow of containers from LA and Long Beach to Chicago

Container train passing under bridge

  FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway is limiting the flow of international containers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to its Logistics Park Chicago intermodal terminal for two weeks to work off a backlog of boxes that have built up in the Windy City. “BNSF is metering traffic from the West Coast […]

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News & Products for the week of July 22, 2021

Burlington Route General Electric 44-ton diesel locomotive.

O gauge locomotives  General Electric 44-ton diesel locomotive. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (black and gray); Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (zebra stripe scheme); Erie Lackawanna (black and yellow); Maine Central (green and yellow); Napa Valley Wine Train (green, white, and black); and U.S. Steel (red, green, and yellow). One road number per scheme. Die-cast metal […]

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News & products for the week of July 22

Wascosa era VI Shimmns tarp car.

Large scale freight cars  Wascosa era VI Shimmns tarp car. Hook-and-loop couplers, simulated tarp cover molded in closed position, and plastic wheelsets. $174.99. September 2021. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com Large scale passenger equipment Deutsche Reichsbahn era III Reko second-class diner Mitropa. Hook-and-loop couplers, molded interior seats, and plastic wheelsets. Interior lighting can be added using […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, passenger car, structure, and detail announcements for July 22, 2021

Northern Pacific 1947 North Coast Limited lightweight coach.

Product news  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. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 22, 2021. HO scale locomotives  MT-4 4-8-2 steam locomotive. Without skyline […]

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News photos: ‘Day One’ Charger en route to delivery

Black locomotive with red and blue arrow

RALSTON, Neb. — “Day One” is on trip No. 1. Siemens Charger ALC42, No. 301 the second locomotive in Amtrak’s 75-unit order for new long-distance locomotives, is en route from the Siemens plant in Sacramento, Calif, to Wilmington, Del., where Amtrak will take delivery. The locomotive, wearing the one-of-a-kind “Day One” scheme to commemorate the […]

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