Category: Top News

Norfolk Southern transforms eroded shoreline into green oasis as part of sustainability initiative

Sep 3rd, 2020

NORFOLK, VA (PRNewswire) — Oysters, river otters, shore birds, and other wildlife have a new place to call home along an industrial stretch of the Elizabeth River that Norfolk Southern has reclaimed as a living shoreline. The innovative sustainability project, completed recently, has transformed a stretch of severely eroded shoreline at the railroad’s Lamberts Point terminal into a green oasis in an area where ship repair and port businesses operate. The initiative advances significant environmental, community, and business goals. “This project reflects our long-standing commitment to be a good community steward,” said Josh Raglin, chief sustainability officer. “We are restoring habitat that not only beautifies the shoreline and contributes to a healthy river ecosystem, but also will help protect important business assets at our terminal. We view it as a sustainability triple play.” For years, Norfolk Southern has worked closely with the Elizabeth River Project, a community nonprofit in Hampton Roads whose mission…

No. 4141 to head funeral train transporting Bush to final resting place at presidential museum

Dec 4th, 2018

George H.W. Bush, the nation’s 41st president, will be transported to his final resting place in a funeral train headed by the very locomotive he drove 13 years ago. Union Pacific No. 4141, an SD70ACe known as the “George Bush 41” locomotive, heads a 13-car funeral train that will transport Bush’s body from Spring, TX, to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station for burial Thursday. Using a train to transport the body of a deceased person is something that many people don’t see often. Traditionally, the family would hire or purchase a second-hand Cadillac hearse to move the body to the resting place. Using a train is something that not many would be to afford, which is probably why it’s reserved for important people like Bush. Bush will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol through Wednesday, then be flown to Houston to lie in repose…

U.S. model manufacturers scramble to find new producer after factory in China closes unexpectedly

Aug 1st, 2018

This story has been updated since its original publication date Manufacturing in China has been growing over the years due to its low costs. Of course, companies need to ensure they find the right manufacturer and are doing pre-shipping inspections on the products (more info on that here: https://www.jonble.com/pre-shipment-inspection/) to ensure they aren’t faulty or low quality. However, every system runs into issues and this has happened to multiple companies as a factory in China that manufactures model trains has closed, leaving some U.S. model railroad companies seeking a new supplier and facing delays. InterMountain Railway Co., Atlas Model Railroad Co., Bowser and Fox Valley Models announced this week that some new locomotives and rolling stock will be delayed or canceled because of the unexpected closing of one of the industry’s top manufacturers. Creating their own manufacturing factory with the implementation of plant networks they could have possibly avoided this…

Atlas Model Railroad Co. acquires Walthers N Scale Locomotive and Rolling Stock Tooling

Jun 22nd, 2018

Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc., and Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. have reached an agreement under which Atlas will purchase all N-scale locomotive and rolling stock tooling owned by Walthers, including the Walthers and Life-Like lines. Atlas will incorporate the tooling into its Atlas Master, Atlas Classic, and Trainman N scale lines, the company said in a statement today. Walthers will continue to offer N-scale items in its Cornerstone, SceneMaster, and Walthers Controls brands, including new items as well as items currently in those lines. “We feel that this tooling has found a great home with Atlas,” Wm. K. Walthers President Phil Walthers said. “They have a strong N-scale offering and these tools will help them bring some exceptional products back to the market.” Tom Haedrich, Executive Chairman at Atlas said the tooling fits right in with the company’s existing N-scale lines. “We are committed to producing them with the latest…

Great Train Expo acquired by Train Show, Inc.

Apr 22nd, 2014

CAROL STREAM, IL – The Great Train Expo has a new home. Train Show, Inc., announced today that it has acquired the assets of Great Train Expo (GTE), the traveling model railroad show that visits about a dozen U.S. cities each year annually. Train Show Inc. is the corporate parent of Greenberg’s Train and Toy Show, Great Midwest Train Show and World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour. GTE features operating layouts, vendor sales, exhibits, demonstrations and workshops, and has been a regular in the Midwest and Southwest. Train Show Inc. will be sponsoring shows in many of the venues formerly used by the organization, just look out for their logo on every trade show banner. The traveling shows are always widely attended by businesses from various sectors of the rail and transportation industries and are also fantastic opportunities for exhibitors to promote their products and services to a wider audience. For…

Grapevine Vintage Railroad announces return to service for rehabilitated 117-year-old locomotive

Oct 9th, 2013

  GRAPEVINE, TX – The Grapevine Vintage Railroad announced today that “Puffy” will ride again. The tourist railroad’s 117-year-old steam engine No. 2248, affectionately known as “Puffy,” will return for a series of short excursions beginning Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. The locomotive, a former Southern Pacific 4-6-0, has undergone extensive repairs since being sidelined in December 2010. Puffy will head short excursion trains each Friday evening until Thanksgiving, when the North Pole Express begins holiday runs. GVR’s GP7 diesel locomotive will assist. GVR crews have been working in earnest for several months to return Puffy to the road. A piston, rings and cylinder cap were machined to fix damage during a run to Hodge Yard in Fort Worth almost three years ago. At the time, the failure was the second in two years that forced the locomotive out of service. In September, Puffy could be seen making short test runs from the shop in Grapevine. Puffy, built…