Looking to add a model of one of the newest freight cars on the rails to your HO layout? Then you’ll want to check out the Greenbrier 5-trough transverse coil gondola from Rapido Trains. The model, based on a prototype introduced in 2021, features plastic and die-cast metal construction, 36″ metal wheelsets, and metal semi-scale […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern will continue backing sustainability-focused technology startups through an expanded partnership with Georgia Tech Advanced Technology Development Center, committing $250,000 annually for the next two years to support the center’s Sustainability Tech program. The investment extends a collaboration launched in 2023 that created a sustainability-focused program within the Georgia Tech incubator. Since […]
WASHINGTON — In the latest in a recent series of rail safety bills, U.S. Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced on Wednesday, March 4, that they would introduce legislation requiring railroads to maintain visual track inspections in conjunction with automated track inspection systems. U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) is leading the companion […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic was up by a small margin for the week ending Feb. 28, 2026, according to the Association of American Railroads. Volume for the week was 516,729 carloads and intermodal units, a gain of 1.6% over the same week a year ago. That included 238,131 carloads, up 6.9%, and 278,598 containers […]
WASHINGTON — Freight railroad safety improved last year, with the overall train accident rate down 14% and the industry setting all-time low records for derailments and accidents caused by equipment and track, the Association of American Railroads said today, citing data from the Federal Railroad Administration. Human-factor accidents declined by nearly 20% in 2025, which […]
Round 2, a collectibles company and portfolio company of Praesidian Capital, today announced it has acquired Lionel, LLC, a historic brand founded more than 125 years ago. In a press release sent to Classic Toy Trains, the arrangement will create the Lionel Brands Group. The deal unites two category leaders under one roof, giving the […]
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have ratified a new four-year agreement with Alstom, the contract operator of Maryland Area Rail Commuter trains. The union also announced that train and engine service employees at Watco’s Austin Western Railroad have voted to join the union. The contract with Alstom, retroactive […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration will provide $100.3 million in funding to support public transit systems in host cities for this summer’s World Cup soccer tournament, the agency announced Tuesday (March 3). The money will support planning, capital, and operating expenses for matches and related events; will be apportioned according to a formula involving […]
HOMEWOOD, Ill. — Canadian National today unveiled two locomotives to launch its celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying the units “represent the dual pillars of the American story: independence and innovation.” Locomotive No. 1776 features a “Screaming Eagle” design. “The ‘Screaming Eagle’ has deep historical roots,” the railway says in a press […]
Menards has released a structure with a presidential twist: a house based on Ronald Reagan’s boyhood home. Reagan’s primary boyhood home is located at 816 S. Hennepin Ave. in Dixon, Ill., This two-story, white frame house is where he and his family lived from 1920 to 1923. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places, […]
In this product review video, Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno examines the Athearn HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD40-2. Cody begins with the prototype history, noting that EMD produced more than 3,900 units between January 1972 and February 1986. These six-axle units were rated at 3,000 horsepower and featured a 16-cylinder 645E3C diesel engine. The […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak has scheduled a week of urgent track repairs at New York’s Penn Station to coincide with the final week of the current service changes accommodating the Portal Bridge cutover, NorthJersey.com reports. The work is scheduled to begin March 9 and end March 15, the same day that work is slated to […]
