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Category: News

Union Pacific, NS latest railroads to reach union agreements for paying workers for sick time

Feb 21st, 2023

Updated March 3 Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern reached agreements in recent weeks with unions to pay workers for time off related to sickness. In February, NS reached deals with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, one of the industry’s largest unions, and National Conference of Firemen and Oilers for up to seven paid sick days per year for members working at the railroad. The new benefit is available to approximately 3,000 BMWED railroaders who maintain the company’s track and infrastructure and 200 mechanical workers represented by NCFO. UP announced Monday that employees represented by NCFO and Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC) will receive access to up to seven paid days to use for sickness, effective April 1. “Union Pacific employees currently receive paid personal days off, and we will continue to work with other unions to address paid sick time solutions,” the company said on Twitter. The railroad…

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CSX reaches agreements with two more unions on paid sick leave for railroad workers

Feb 9th, 2023

Updated Feb. 10, 2023 CSX said on Friday that it has struck deals with two additional railroad unions to provide paid sick leave to its employees. The agreements were reached with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which represents railroad machinists, and the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO), which represents the company’s utility workers. CSX said about 500 workers in the unions will get four paid sick days and be able to convert three of their personal leave days into sick days.  Earlier this week CSX reached similar agreements with the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way (BMWED), which represents engineering employees, and the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), representing mechanical workers. About 5,000 workers are represented by the unions. Retroactive to Jan. 1, every CSX maintenance of way employee will receive four paid sick days and up to three paid personal leave days per year,…

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Atlas Model Railroad Co. adds to vehicle line, purchases HO-scale tooling from River Point Station

Dec 16th, 2022

HILLSIDE, NJ — Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc. announced today that it has purchased the HO-scale vehicle tooling along with designs for certain previously unannounced products from River Point Station Fine Scale Models. The deal follows Atlas’ purchase of RPS’s N-scale line two years ago. HO vehicle molds acquired include the Ford Expedition EL and F-250 and F-350 pickups, plus others, Atlas said in a statement. In all, tooling was acquired for 23 models. “Previously, in December of 2020, River Point Station announced that they would be streamlining their product line and would cease producing N-scale vehicles and we did not want to see a void left in the market, so we acquired the N-scale tooling,” Atlas CEO Paul Graf said. “After a successful launch of N-scale models utilizing this tooling, we are happy to announce that we have acquired RPS’ HO-scale vehicle tooling as well and look forward to…

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Amtrak enters new era of passenger rail on heels of increased FY2022 ridership, capital investments

Dec 8th, 2022

Amtrak entered a new era of passenger rail in October after ridership increased in FY2022 following two years of significantly lower boardings resulting from the pandemic. Ridership grew 89 percent in the fiscal year ending in September, while the nation’s passenger railroad restored and expanded service plus launched major infrastructure projects across its network. During the year, Amtrak hired a record number of employees and put the building blocks in place to modernize infrastructure, major stations and trains. “We worked hard to restore service and grow ridership in the face of lingering impacts from the pandemic, all while modernizing our assets to make train travel a better experience for customers,” Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said. Amtrak ridership increased in FY2022 because demand for service surged in the second half following last winter’s Omicron wave, with overall ridership reaching about 85 percent of pre-covid levels. Northeast Corridor, state-supported and long distance…

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America returns to rails as U.S., Amtrak ridership levels surge, move closer to recovery from pandemic

Nov 1st, 2022

By TIM BLACKWELL/Cowcatcher Magazine America is returning to the rails in earnest. U.S. passenger rail ridership is making a significant recovery from covid-19, which put the brakes on public transit and Amtrak in spring 2020. Boardings on national, regional and local networks from coast to coast are closing in on pre-pandemic levels, despite gaps in service and equipment, according to the latest available data. Public rail ridership through September had returned to 60 percent of pre-covid boardings, according to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and Amtrak trips were up 52 percent through 10 months of its fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. APTA’s latest quarterly data shows that rail ridership in June surged 36.4 percent compared to the same period in 2021. Boosted by a $70 billion federal infusion last year, public transit is earning back riders on all transit modes. APTA reported in early October that ridership on…

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  • Current Issue: March/April 2023

     

     

    INSIDE THIS ISSUE

  • General Purpose

    Nearly 75 years after the first General Purpose locomotive rolled off the assembly line at General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division, the workhorse diesel is still doing the job it was meant to do. The four-axle “Geep” is making main line moves, switching industries and doing short road work on mostly secondary railroads. Introduced in 1949 as the “ugly duckling” GP7, it has settled into a comfortable role and is always in demand, whether by lease or purchase. The Cowcatcher looks at the locomotive’s rise and some of its popular variations.

  • NRail Celebrates 50 Years

    NTRAK is a household name in model railroading and has something to celebrate. NTRAK and T-TRAK organizations within NRail have blossomed in the last 50 years to become the glue or common thread of modular model railroading and promote N scale in most areas of the U.S. and Canada and other countries.

     

     

  • M.T.H. Regaining Footing

    Its future once uncertain, O model maker M.T.H. Electric Trains is moving forward with a new business plan making new model train products sold exclusively within the company’s dealer network.

     

  • PLUS…

    Columnist Michelle Kempema goes behind the scenes with an O-scale model railroad club looking to change its image. …

     

    BNSF goes BIG on intermodal plans to build a massive facility in Barstow, CA, to expedite container shipments. …

     

    The Rock Island’s Memphis-Californian went west to El Paso and took a lot of good company. …

     

     

    THESE STORIES AND MORE, PLUS A FULL CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS AND THE BUSINESS PULSE OF THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY!

     

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  • Back Issues

    Miss the January/February 2023 issue or other Cowcatcher editions? Be sure to check out our Back Issues page for any issues you may have missed. We have expanded descriptions for issues published beginning in 2007. Click here to order.

     

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  • Product News & Review

    InterMountain HO ADM Corn Syrup Car

     

    The Cowcatcher reviews InterMountain Railway Co.’s newly released HO-scale Trinity Industries 19,600-gallon corn syrup car. The tank car is one of several in the company’s second release.

     

    More product reviews!

     

    See product news!

     

  • Railroad in Focus

    Cowcatcher Magazine routinely features short lines and regional railroads that roam the Midwest and Southwest. Features include color photographs and maps, but an overview of operations and latest business trends.

     



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