Vermont railfan event About 80 “train catchers” boarded coaches behind Rutland No. 405 that Saturday. Some carried cameras, some notebooks, some with a buddy, some came alone. What did all of us have in common? Trains. I call us “train catchers” because like dream catchers, we anticipate a safe journey provided by our engine. We […]
Zone & Region: Northeast
How Amtrak’s long-distance capacity affects pricing: Analysis
WASHINGTON — It’s more expensive than ever to get into a bedroom or roomette on Amtrak’s overnight long-distance trains — if the accommodations are available at all on the preferred travel date. Coach passengers also endure high prices and sellouts when their destination is served by a once-daily, limited-capacity train that has an especially busy […]
News photo: A first at East Broad Top
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — A Friends of East Broad Top special on Saturday, Oct. 5, became the first train to operate on a section of newly restored main line trackage to the south of the railroad’s Rockhill Furnace headquarters. About 200 people were on board the six-car train that ran Saturday evening after the end […]
News photo: NJ Transit’s newest heritage unit
KEARNY, N.J. — NJ Transit has unveiled the newest member of its heritage locomotive fleet. On Saturday, Oct. 5, the agency posted a photo of GP40PH-2B No. 4208 on social media, freshly painted in Conrail blue. In posts on X.com, NJ Transit explained that Conrail was the immediate corporate predecessor to NJ Transit Rail Operations, […]
Amtrak breaks ground on new Philadelphia maintenance facility
PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak broke ground Friday to mark construction of its new heavy maintenance facility at Philadelphia’s Penn Coach Yard, a $462 million project slated for completion in 2027. Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose, and Samantha Silverberg, White House deputy assistant to the President for infrastructure, were among those on […]
Port strike ends on third day (updated)
The strike by dockworkers that shut down East Coast ports came to an end today (Thursday, Oct. 3) when the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance announced they had come to a tentative agreement on wages and an extension of the master contract. The agreement ended the strike on its third day. […]
The HO scale Pennsylvania RR Apple Gap layout
Facts and features Name: Pennsylvania RR Scale: HO (1:87)Size: 6′-8″ x 12′-6″Prototype: freelanced, inspired by PRRLocale: northeastern PennsylvaniaEra: changeable between 1870-1915, 1916-1942, and 1943-1959Style: island Mainline run: 31 feetMinimum radius: 36.5″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: none (flat)Benchwork: tabletopHeight: 511⁄2“Roadbed: corkTrack: Micro Engineering flexible code 83Scenery: foam board and Kingspan underlayment on 3 ⁄4” medium density […]
MBTA Green Line resumes operation after Tuesday derailment (updated)
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Service resumed late this morning (Thursday, Oct. 3) after a day and a half of shuttle-bus substitutions on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Green Line in the wake of Tuesday’s derailment of a Green Line train near Lechmere station in Cambridge. On Wednesday, the MBTA had said it was “unclear” when service […]
Amtrak, commuter railroads say Penn Station expansion will be required to handle growth
NEW YORK — Penn Station must be expanded to accommodate future traffic, according to Amtrak and the commuter railroads using the Manhattan rail hub. That is the conclusion of a report — commissioned by Amtrak, NJ Transit, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — released Wednesday after studying alternatives to expansion. The report determined that the […]
Protecting your railroad during home improvements
Next to “we are moving” some of the most disconcerting words a layout owner can hear is “we need home improvements.” Major changes to the house around a layout bring fear to our hearts: while models can be moved out of the way, all our hard work on track and scenery is suddenly in peril, […]
Dockworkers’ union rejects latest pay offer
The war of words continues as the strike by International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) workers against U.S. East and Gulf Coast port employers entered its second day. The job action primarily affects container handling and roll-on, roll-off services at ports and terminals from Texas to Maine, and comes as importers enter the critical end-of-year retail selling […]
Operation Toy Train announces expanded schedule for 2024
DINGMANS FERRY, Pa. — Operation Toy Train has announced the schedule for its 16th year collecting toy donations for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation and other organizations that benefit underprivileged children. This year, the program has expanded to include Southern California and New York’s capitol region, joining previous operations in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, […]