OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern could announce a tentative merger agreement as early as this week, according to a published report. Bloomberg cited sources familiar with the talks in its report on Friday. UP, the largest Class I railroad, and Atlanta-based NS confirmed last week that they are in advance discussions regarding […]
Pacific Fruit Express class R-40-27 and R-40-28 ice cooled refrigerator cars are now available in HO scale from Rapido Trains. The models, offered for the first time in plastic, are scaled from prototype blueprints and field measurements. Product features include wire grab irons; prototype-specific brake wheel, running boards, and cooling fan housings; and body-mounted Lincoln-Washington […]
GOLETA, Calif. — A 16-day project to replace a Union Pacific bridge beginning Aug. 1 will shut down the route used by two Pacific Surfliner round trips that extend to San Luis Obispo, Calif., as well as Amtrak’s Los Angeles-Seattle Coast Starlight. Replacement of the 127-year-old La Cañada Honda Bridge over Honda Creek in northern […]
Combining Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern into the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S. would create a 52,215-mile colossus that could offer seamless service from coast to coast, bypassing longtime interchange choke points in Chicago and at gateways along the Mississippi River. The two railroads confirmed today that they are in advanced merger discussions. The […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific reported record second quarter financial results this morning as surging coal volumes led the railroad’s traffic gains. “We are delivering on our strategy and our results demonstrate our commitment to leading the industry as we set new standards for safety, service, and operational excellence,” CEO Jim Vena told investors and […]
Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern confirmed this morning that they are engaged in advanced merger discussions that would create the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. “There can be no assurances as to whether an agreement for a transaction will be reached or as to the terms of any such transaction,” the railroads said. UP and NS […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has announced a pair of new domestic intermodal lanes, with new service linking the Pacific Northwest with Chicago as well as between Memphis and Dallas. On Saturday, UP will launch daily service from Tacoma, Wash., to its Global 4 terminal in Joliet, Ill., outside Chicago. “This service will be complementary […]
WASHINGTON — A Union Pacific conductor was seriously injured during a shoving move when the car on which he was riding sideswiped a trackmobile on an adjacent track, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report on the June 23, 2025, incident in Lexington, Neb. The incident occurred about 12:33 p.m., and involved […]
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and Union Pacific have reached tentative agreement on an interim 3% raise for BLET members while bargaining for a full contract continues. The union said in a press release that if ratified, the interim agreement would be effective Sept. 1 and provide the raise to […]
Broadway Limited HO UP Big Boy Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Stealth (no sound), $749.99; with dual-mode Paragon4 sound decoder, $849.99 Era: 1941 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 UP Big Boy features: Back-electromotive-force decoder Built-in capacitor pack […]
No railroad was better equipped to shoulder the heavy burden of wartime traffic thanks to the three types of Union Pacific steam locomotives that constituted its front line of defense: the 4-6-6-4 Challenger, arguably the most successful simple articulated ever made; the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, which easily wore the mantle “world’s largest steam locomotive”; and […]
Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin, is celebrating the return of Chicago & North Western 4-6-0 steam locomotive No. 1385 after more than a ten-year restoration effort. Trains.com staff writer Lucas Iverson was there to witness and capture No. 1385 as it arrived back at the museum on July 18, 2025, to the excitement […]
