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• Trainyard Tech L.L.C. obtained a contract from Union Pacific Railroad to replace 1980s vintage computer terminals and touch screens with modern HMI workstations at the North Platte East Hump Yard in North Platte, Neb. Trainyard Tech will employ its CLASSMASTER™ system, which is designed to use commercial off-the-shelf software products running on Microsoft’s Windows XP platform. CLASSMASTER features auto calibration, graphic playback, real-time hump list display, electronic track blocking, automatic report generation, AEI Integration, remote diagnostics and maintenance, and locomotive speed control.

• The Andersons Inc.’s Rail Group reported third-quarter revenue of $28 million and operating income of $5.2 million vs. $34 million and $5.8 million, respectively, in third-quarter 2007. The group noted higher gross profit from leasing business in part because of a higher utilization rate and larger fleet, which increased 6 percent year over year to 24,007 cars and locomotives. The average utilization rate reached 93.2 percent in the quarter vs. 92.5 percent in third-quarter 2007. The rail-car repair and manufacturing unit also registered higher gross profit.

• Harsco Corp. has secured a new $220 million, 364-day credit facility, which was co-arranged by Citibank and the Royal Bank of Scotland. The credit deal replaces a $450 million facility that expires this month. Harsco retains an option to increase the facility’s size by $80 million pending lenders’ consent.

• Wabash National Corp. has launched the Transportation Equipment Purchasing Consortium with four other transportation industry suppliers to “increase efficiencies and economies of scale in the procurement of raw materials, component parts and services,” the company said. The other consortium members are Kentucky Trailer, Utilimaster Corp., Federal Signal Corp. and VT Specialized Vehicles Corp. Wabash National produces the RoadRailer® dual-mode trailer that can be moved via rail and highways.