The group representing railroads in bargaining with rail labor unions says it welcomes the move to mediation in the two-year-old negotiations, a move the group representing unions reflects the fact railroads “are not bargaining in good faith.” The National Railway Labor Conference, which represents its member railroads in national labor matters, says in a Monday […]
Product news Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest news on new model railroad products such as locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 27, 2022. See all products […]
CALGARY — Canadian Pacific has released a short video on its social media channels showing the first of its three hydrogen fuel-cell locomotives converted from diesels. You can see it here on Facebook, and here on Twitter. The railroad says the locomotive, built from a former SD40-2F and dubbed the H20EL (for “Hydrogen Zero-Emissions Locomotive”) […]
Polka dot plant introduction Common name: Polka-dot plant, Freckle face Latin name: Hypoestes phyllostachya Plant type: Annual USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, slightly acidic soil; sun to part shade Plant size: 12-18″ (species), 6″ (hybrids) Who gets to decide how large a leaf is okay for a garden railway? The gardeners […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Travelers planning to take Amtrak between Washington, D.C., and Florida now have two choices: The Miami-New York Silver Star, which also serves Tampa and Orlando, and Auto Train, operating from Sanford, Fla. (near Orlando), and Lorton, Va., just south of the Nation’s Capital. A third choice, the Miami-New York Silver Meteor, has been […]
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is considering a forced abandonment of a branch line owned by Roaring Camp Railroads as part of a move to railbank the line for possible future commuter-rail use — a move opposed by Roaring Camp. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports Roaring Camp, which operates […]
NEWINGTON, Conn. — Connecticut will add additional CTrail trains on the Hartford line as of today (Monday, Jan. 24) to offset the loss of service resulting from Amtrak cuts, while other Amtrak trains will be replaced by bus service, the state Department of Transportation announced. Amtrak announced cuts to its Springfield Shuttle and other service […]
DEL MAR, Calif. — After a lengthy but unsuccessful effort to negotiate an agreement, the San Diego’s North County Transit District has voted to proceed with plans to install a safety fence along its tracks on the coastal Del Mar Bluffs. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the district board voted 7-0 on Jan. 20 to […]
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Railroad Historians of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society are sponsoring a branchline excursion using Reading & Northern’s Budd RDCs on Saturday, April 23. The fundraising trip will cover Reading & Northern’s main line and branches, which include trackage from the Reading, Jersey […]
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has responded to Union Pacific criticism of his policies, which it says play a part in much-publicized thefts from intermodal containers, by suggesting the railroad doesn’t do enough to protect its trains. The South Bay Daily Breeze reports that Gascon, in a letter to UP […]
WILMINGTON, Mass. — An error by a signal contractor apparently led to a fatal accident in which a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train struck a vehicle, killing its driver, on Friday. The Boston Globe reports that MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement that “human error” is the focus of the investigation by […]
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An Amtrak train suffered minor damage and delays Friday after striking a wheel from the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train near Springfield. The State Journal-Register reports about six cars of the NS train derailed while it was working at a spur in the Scheels area, south of Springfield. The locomotive of […]
