BNSF prepares for container surge

Intermodal train passing small station

While U.S. logistics providers wait out the post-trade war lull in import shipments, BNSF Railway is setting up its network to handle an expected surge following a pause in tariffs between China and the United States. “I guess probably the most overused words in logistics is this ‘air pocket’ that hit us the last couple […]

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US rail traffic ekes out another week of gains over 2024

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. weekly rail traffic remained above 2024 levels for the week ending May 24 — but barely. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, traffic for the week was 488,709 carloads and intermodal units, a 0.7% gain over the same week in 2024. It marked the 13th consecutive week where traffic […]

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Walthers HO ACF 5250 covered hopper

Color photo of HO scale covered hopper painted gray with red and black graphics on white background

Walthers HO ACF 5250 covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $34.98 Era: 1960s to 2000s Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers HO ACF 5250 covered hopper features: 36” turned-metal wheels on plastic axles All-new tooling from rails to roof Based on prototypes used to haul plastic […]

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OmniTRAX named operator of the Port Muskogee Railroad

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — OmniTRAX has added a 30th railroad to its stable, the 8.1-mile Port Muskogee Railroad in the Sooner State. The short line holding company and Port Muskogee today announced that they have signed a railroad facilities operating agreement covering the inland port’s rail network. “OmniTRAX is excited to expand our Oklahoma rail service […]

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Meeting set on latest options to reroute rail line through Del Mar, Calif.

Passenger train passing construction equipment along beach

SAN DIEGO — The effort to relocate the Surf Line rail route through Del Mar, Calif. — or not — is once again soliciting public comment. The San Diego Association of Governments will host a meeting on the latest set of proposals for line relocation — including one option that would leave the route where […]

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Websites with freight car photos

Color photo of weathered hopper car painted green and yellow.

Q: What website is best for finding prototype photos of freight cars to help with realistic weathering? — Jim Veronico A: Though some websites are certainly better than others, I’m reluctant to declare a single website as the “best” for finding prototype freight car photos. Over the years, I’ve found that using multiple sites helps […]

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ASLRRA Jake Awards honor railroads with top safety records

Black, gray, and yellow locomotives lined up in yard

WASHINGTON – Nearly 400 railroads earned Jake Safety Awards from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association – including 357 that had zero reportable injuries in 2024. To achieve a Jake Award, an ASLRRA member railroad must perform better than the average Federal Railroad Administration reportable injury frequency rate per 200,000 person-hours worked at […]

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Mexico’s Maya Train sustains heavy losses, needs freight to become profitable, official says

White and green passenger train

Mexico’s Maya Train — built to attract tourists to sites on the Yucatan Peninsula — has little chance of becoming profitable without the development of freight traffic on the route, the operation’s general director said this month. The news site Infobae reports that, at a seminar of the Mexican Railway Association earlier this month, Gen. […]

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Toy train parts suppliers

model train with screwdriver and assorted parts around it

One of the questions we receive quite regularly is where to find parts. Sooner or later, it’s likely you’ll need a part for your locomotive or rolling stock. It could be as simple as replacing traction tires or as complicated as a postwar rehab project. In either case, we’ve got you covered! For each retailer, […]

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High-pressure short line

20200512

Alabama, Tennessee & Northern No. 11, a General Electric 45-ton center-cab diesel, switches high-pressure tank cars for a refinery on Blakely Island at Mobile, Ala. The railroad, which otherwise consisted of about 200 miles up the west side of the state, operated a car ferry and docks to reach this trackage. It was merged into […]

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News & Products for the week of May 26th 2025

A white model tank car

News & Products for the week of May 26th 2025   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. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of May 26th, […]

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