SQUAMISH, British Columbia — The mayor of Squamish is asking British Columbia’s Minister of Transportation and Transit to convene consultations over Canadian National Railway’s plan to end operations on 214 miles of its former BC Rail line through Squamish. In Canada, consultations are a formal process to gather information and opinions from affected parties and […]
Locomotives & rolling stock MTH Electric Trains, 7393 Washington Blvd. Ste. 101, Elkridge, MD 21075 has announced 50 Waffle Boxcars as part of the Premier line. The boxcars feature sliding doors, metal handrails, and O-31 operation (20-99481 shown). Estimated delivery in February 2026. Price: $84.95. Website: mthtrains.com Trainworld, 751 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11218, is […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — A shelter-in-place order has been lifted for Fort Worth residents living near the site of a Union Pacific derailment today (Aug., 31, 2025), according to the Fort Worth Fire Department. The Fire Department responded to the derailment at UP’s Davidson Yard southwest of downtown Fort Worth in about 10:40 a.m., and […]
Retired Model Railroader Managing Editor Jim Kelly remains active in honing his N scale skills and craftsmanship. The result has been the fourth incarnation of his Tehachapi Pass layout. Set in 1985, both the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and Southern Pacific traverse the 2% grade between Bakersfield and Tehachapi, Calif., with the famous Tehachapi […]
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators today gave the green light to Watco’s acquisition of the 420-mile Michigan regional Great Lakes Central Railroad. Watco has been an equity investor in the GLC since 2013 and in March sought to have its acquisition of the railroad exempt from Surface Transportation Board review, which is common in straightforward shortline […]
What a week this was for unexpected twists and turns in the Class I railroad merger landscape. First, on Monday Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett said the company would not bid on CSX or Norfolk Southern, which had been viewed as potential merger partners for the Berkshire-owned BNSF Railway. A BNSF-CSX combination, in particular, had […]
PITTSBURGH — Wabtec this week introduced its EVO Advantage engine, which features eTurbo technology that improves fuel efficiency by as much as 7%. The EVO Advantage — which is currently undergoing extensive field testing — will be available for Evolution series Tier 3 and Tier 4 locomotive modernizations, the manufacturer said this week. “The heart […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has added 15 new Focus Sites in eight states, with a dozen of the large-scale development properties located on connecting short line railroads. UP’s 39 Focus Sites generally include 125 or more acres that are suited for custom-built warehouses or industrial facilities. “Our partnerships with short line railroads are helping […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has opened a nine-mile stretch of second main track in Southern California to support premium intermodal service out of its Inland Empire Intermodal Terminal at West Colton Yard. The work, between South Fontana and Bon View, Calif., on the Alhambra Subdivision, included installation of double track, rebuilding two bridges and […]
WalthersMainline HO 41-foot ballast hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $31.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Features on WalthersMainline HO 41-foot ballast hopper: 36” turned-metal wheels mounted on plastic axles Body-mounted Proto-Max metal couplers Factory-applied brake details, crossover platforms, and longitudinal doors Heavy, die-cast metal underframe Injection-molded […]
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department yesterday urged the Surface Transportation Board to closely scrutinize Norfolk Southern’s bid for full control of the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line, warning that the move could choke off competition at one of the Port of Virginia’s intermodal terminals. The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said the 129-year-old Belt Line — […]
Athearn HO Johnstown America BethGon Coalporter Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Five-pack, $234.99 Era: 1990s to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com Athearn HO BethGon Coalporter features: 36” metal wheelsets with RP-25 contour Body-mounted McHenry scale couplers Etched-metal crossover platforms Factory-applied brake wheel and formed-wire […]
