T-TRAK Project Part 8: Ballast, backdrops, and a riverbed

Black, gray, and silver model railroad track showing examples of track with finished surrounding scenery including grass, bushes, and gravel ballast next to plain track by itself on tan painted wood.

Modelers David Popp, Brian Schmidt, and Bryson Sleppy continue the scenery process on their T-TRAK modules in an attempt to make them look more like the prairies of Colorado. T-TRAK is a modular N scale railroading system that uses foot-wide boxes plugged together to build tabletop layouts. In this eighth installment of the T-TRAK series, […]

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DC Metrorail retires 2000-series railcars

Subway train pulling into station

WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail has retired its 2000-series railcars, the oldest equipment in its fleet. The cars’ last day of service was Friday, May 10, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a press release. The cars, built by Italy’s Breda with final assembly in Beech Grove, Ind., debuted in 1983, arriving about two […]

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Metro-North completes new 400,000-square-foot shop building

Group of people on floor of shop building

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. — Metro-North Railroad has completed upgrades to its maintenance facilities at Croton-on-Hudson, opening a new 400,000-square-foot Harmon Shop building to complete a multi-year project. The facility opened on Friday can handle repairs for the entire Metro-North electrified fleet, including 12 carhoists, four pedestal tracks, and multiple door-level and roof-level platforms to aid in […]

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Move by Canada’s labor minister will delay possible start of strikes at CN, CPKC

CN_Earnings_Lassen

OTTAWA, Ontario — A move by Canada’s labor minister is likely to delay the start of a possible strike by operating crews against Canadian National and Canadian Pacific. Labor minister Seamus O’Regan Jr. announced Thursday on social media site X that he had asked the Canada Industrial Relations Board to “look into maintenance of activities […]

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Colorado governor signs bill requiring wayside detectors, creating rail safety office (updated)

Coal train on curve

PUEBLO, Colo. — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday signed into law a rail bill including a requirement for wayside detectors and creating a new Office of Rail Safety to consider and enforce further regulations. Polis signed the bill in a ceremony at the Pueblo Union Depot. Pueblo was chosen as the site as the […]

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TSB of Canada issues report on signal overrun incident, cites importance of supervision of new employees

Map showing rail line in Quebec and Labrador

DORVAL, Quebec — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada on Thursday released an investigation report into a February 2023 incident on the Quebec North Shore & Labrador Railway that the agency says highlights the importance of proper supervision for newly qualified employees. The Feb. 22 incident occurred about 9:33 p.m. at Mai Station, Quebec, and […]

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Canadian National to move headquarters to new location in Montreal

Office tower with CN logo at top

MONTREAL — Canadian National Railway will relocate its headquarters to a new location in Montreal beginning in 2028, the company and real estate developer Kevric announced Thursday. CN will move to Kevric’s 600 DLG project, located at 600 De La Gauchetière Street West in downtown Montreal, and will cover the first 18 floors of the […]

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G&W celebrates namesake short line’s 125th anniversary with pair of heritage locomotives

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Short line holding company Genesee & Wyoming Industries today celebrated the 125th anniversary of its namesake original short line — the 14-mile salt-hauler Genesee & Wyoming Railroad — with an excursion and the unveiling of two heritage locomotives. The gleaming units, C44-9 No. 1899 and GP38-2 No. 125, sport that same orange […]

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Union Pacific releases schedule for Big Boy ‘Westward Bound Tour’

Steam locomotive smokes profusely among trees

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has released the schedule for Big Boy No. 4014’s “Westward Bound Tour” to Roseville, Calif., and back, which begins June 30, and concludes July 26, and will include one excursion — July 14 from Roseville to Sparks, Nev. The locomotive will be on display for two days in Roseville (July […]

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Norfolk Southern shareholders back CEO Alan Shaw but give activist investors three board seats (updated)

ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern shareholders delivered a split verdict today, sparing CEO Alan Shaw while electing three of activist investor Ancora Holdings’ insurgent director candidates and ousting its independent chair, Amy Miles. Investors sent a clear message that ends the bitter proxy fight. They backed Ancora’s desire for change but sought to give Shaw & […]

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Maersk begins planning for possible Canadian rail strike

Logo for container shipping company Maersk

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Shipping and logistics company Maersk has begun developing contingency plans for a possible strike by Canadian National and CPKC crews in Canada, including having ships call at Tacoma, Wash., rather than Vancouver, British Columbia. In a customer advisory, Maersk said it is working with CN, CPKC, and terminal operator DP world to […]

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