ScaleTrains S gauge wood reefer

Color photo showing B end details of S gauge wood refrigerator car painted yellow-orange, mineral brown, and black on white background.

The fourth model to join the ScaleTrains S-Helper Service lineup is a 41-foot wood refrigerator car. The model, based on an American Car & Foundry prototype from the 1920s, features plastic construction; factory-installed and painted wire grab irons; and sprung, die-cast metal trucks. Prototype history The review sample we received is decorated as Santa Fe […]

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Grupo Mexico’s quarterly profits rise on intermodal, auto, and ag growth

Freight train with orange and yellow locomotives passes through passenger station

MEXICO CITY — Grupo Mexico’s transportation division — which includes Ferromex, Ferrosur, Florida East Coast Railway, and Texas Pacifico — reported higher third-quarter operating income last week as revenue grew despite flat volume. The transportation division’s operating income grew 9%, to $235 million, as revenue increased 8.9%, to $871 million. The railroads’ combined operating ratio […]

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BNSF third-quarter profits rise on higher rates, improved operations

BNSF freight train with plam trees lining the track

OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s third-quarter profits rose primarily due to higher rates and more efficient operations, corporate parent Berkshire Hathaway reported on Saturday. Pre-tax income rose 3.6%, to $1.91 billion, on flat revenue of $5.88 billion. Net income grew 4.8%, to $1.44 billion. The railway’s operating ratio was 64.1%, a 1-point improvement over a […]

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NTSB issues final report on UP conductor fatality in Kenosha, Wis.

Diagram of scene of fatal accident involving Union Pacific conductor and Metra train in Kenosha, Wis.

WASHINGTON — The conductor of a Union Pacific train was standing in a track adjacent to his train for an unknown reason when he was struck and killed by a Metra train, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its final investigation report on the Sept. 4, 2024, accident in Kenosha, Wis. The incident occurred […]

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A remarkable coincidence

Black and white image of a lady watching a train depart into the dark night.

[Ed. — This adventure is excerpted from a story originally appearing in Trains, September 1984. It, along with 45 other railroad stories, can be found in a forthcoming Trains/Classic Train book: Tales of the Rails, due out in March 2026. Visit shop.trains.com to order your copy.] On June 27, 1955, I witnessed a veteran locomotive […]

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Metrolink, LA Metro prepare for Dodger victory celebration

Map showing route of Los Angeles Dodgers World Series parade and nearby transit stations

LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail operator Metrolink will offer additional service on Monday, Nov. 3, for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series victory parade, the agency announced today (Sunday, Nov. 2). LA Metro is also providing special service, including Dodger Stadium Express buses to the ticketed celebration at the stadium; those buses will be free […]

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Explosion of maintenance-of-way equipment in Delaware leads to significant damage

Firemen work near smoking remains of maintenance-of-way machinery destroyed by explosion

BEAR, Del. — No one was injured, but several structures sustained damage following the explosion of a propane tank on  Delmarva Central Railroad maintenance equipment Saturday afternoon (Nov. 1, 2025). Officials say a 500-pound propane tank exploded about 12:30 p.m. because of a malfunction “during the heating process of the tracks,” Robert Fox, deputy chief […]

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Fundraiser seeks to restore former Pennsylvania Railroad Glen Mills station

Ornate brick railroad station decorated with bunting

WEST CHESTER, Pa. — The West Chester Railroad Heritage Association is continuing efforts to raise $85,000 for the exterior restoration of the Glen Mills train station, built in 1882 by the Pennsylvania Railroad on its West Chester line. Glen Mills and its ornate brick structure was served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority until 1986. […]

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News photo: NJ Transit light rail marks anniversary of U.S. independence

Light rail vehicle wrapped with design including U.S. flag, Revolutionary War imagery, and the words "Celebrating America's 250th"

TRENTON, N.J. — NJ Transit has become the latest rail entity to mark the coming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, wrapping a trainset from its light rail River Line with graphics marking the anniversary in 2026. Photographer Adam Reich captured the trainset testing at the Trenton Transit Center last week. It is one of the […]

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Senators ask STB to look closely at UP-NS merger proposal

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators have asked the Surface Transportation Board to conduct a “rigorous and comprehensive evaluation” of the proposed Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger, expressing concern about its impact on agricultural producers and its possible impact on competition. “Already highly consolidated, the current landscape of railroads as it exists today represents […]

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Illinois transit bill could boost Quad Cities passenger rail project

Passenger train stops at station

MOLINE, Ill. — The transit bill passed early Friday (Oct. 31) by Illinois legislators doesn’t just address the financial needs and governing structure of transit operations in the Chicago area. Tucked into the bill’s more than 1,000 pages are two provisions that legislators say should boost the long-running effort to launch rail passenger service between […]

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Broadway Limited HO track inspection car

Color rendering showing end of HO scale fluted-side track inspection car with stainless steel sides, green-tinted window glazing, and green, blue, and white graphics on white background.

Broadway Limited HO track inspection car Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $139.99 Era: 1975 to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Broadway Limited Imports, 9 East Tower Circle, Ormond Beach, FL 32174; 386-673-8900; broadway-limited.com Broadway Limited HO track inspection car features: Compatible with code 70, 83, and 100 rail Era-specific light packages Individually controlled light […]

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