News Photos: Historic Ohio tower demolished

Heavy equipment next to rubble from demolished building

FOSTORIA, Ohio — Fostoria’s historic Jackson Street Tower, which housed the nation’s first Centralized Traffic Control equipment, has been demolished. The former New York Central structure was torn down as part of an ongoing effort by CSX Transportation to remove old, unused structures along its routes. It was the operator in the Jackson Street Tower […]

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Sugar Express to operate steam Santa Train special on Saturday

Steam locomotive leads train on curve

CLEWISTON, Fla. — U.S. Sugar’s Sugar Express will operate a Santa Train powered by ex-Florida East Coast 4-6-2 No. 148 this Saturday, delivering toys for the Toys for Tots programs in Moore Haven, Clewiston, Belle Glade, and Martin County. The trip will begin with a 7:30 a.m. arrival in Belle Glade, Fla. The train will […]

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Calgary-Banff rail proposal sees price rise, seeks funds from province

Rendering of three-car passenger train at station in mountains

BANFF, Alberta — The company seeking to build a rail connection between Calgary International Airport and Banff National Park now says the project will cost C$1.5 billion, and is seeking financial contributions from the province of Alberta. But the CBC reports Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says that while he believes the project has merit, the […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic continues to lag compared to 2020

Weekly table showing U.S. rail traffic by commodity, plus intermodal units

WASHINGTON — The months-long trend in U.S. rail traffic — with increased carload volume more than offset by lagging intermodal movements — continues in the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Dec. 4, 2021, railroads originated 255,044 carloads, a 3.9% increase over the same week in 2020, but the […]

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Visit an amazing 4′ x 8′ O gauge layout featuring Lionel, MTH, and K-Line trains

John Cunius' O gauge layout and the cover of Toy Train Layouts for Small Spaces.

John Cunius is truly the “Chairman of the Board” when it comes to his O gauge layout. The display, in a corner of his train room, puts the “fun” in “functional.” It has shelves underneath that hold his collection of locomotives, cars, and other equipment. See this and many other space-saving designs in Classic Toy […]

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Visit an amazing 4′ x 8′ O gauge layout featuring Lionel, MTH, and K-Line trains

John Cunius' O gauge layout and the cover of Toy Train Layouts for Small Spaces.

John Cunius is truly the “Chairman of the Board” when it comes to his O gauge layout. The display, in a corner of his train room, puts the “fun” in “functional.” It has shelves underneath that hold his collection of locomotives, cars, and other equipment. See this and many other space-saving designs in Classic Toy […]

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Canadian Pacific commits to New Orleans-Baton Rouge passenger train if KCS merger is approved (updated)

Amtrak train on track next to strip of grass

NEW ORLEANS — A senior Canadian Pacific official told New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La., civic leaders on Wednesday that the railroad will permit a single passenger round trip between the two cities, without any infrastructure improvements, if CP’s merger with Kansas City Southern is approved by the Surface Transportation Board. James Clements, Canadian Pacific’s […]

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CP shareholders back Kansas City Southern merger

Red, yellow, and black locomotive at grade crossing

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific shareholders today overwhelmingly approved the railway’s proposed merger with Kansas City Southern. KCS shareholders will vote on the $31 billion deal on Friday. Some 99.9% of CP’s investors voted in favor of the issuance of 277 million CP common shares to Kansas City Southern’s common stockholders. CP shareholders also approved […]

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MBTA staffing shortages lead to trolley, bus service cuts

Yellow and white streetcar at station

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will cut service on its Mattapan trolley line, as well more than 30 bus routes, because of an operator shortage. Boston.com reports the agency announced Tuesday that the cuts will be effective Dec. 19. Employee attrition has outstripped the ability to find new employees, officials say, leading to […]

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Analysis: Infrastructure gets scaled back in coal country

Rail line at curve with only ties remaining from a removed siding.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Seldom-used rail sidings and excess segments of double track are under review in coal country as CSX Transportation assesses its needs to handle coal traffic. In the past few months, the railroad’s engineering forces have taken a close look at infrastructure in the central Appalachian coalfields served by its former Chesapeake & […]

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Metrorail supervisor was watching streaming video at time of wrong-way incident, report says

Logo of Washington Metrorail Safety Commission

WASHINGTON — A supervisor apparently was watching streaming video on his computer when a DC Metrorail train operator took his train the wrong way out of a station, delaying the response to the operating error, according to a report from the independent agency responsible for the Metrorail system. The same report, delivered at Tuesday’s meeting […]

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Sketching with Steve: What’s wrong with this picture?

A magazine showing an HO scale track plan is lying open on a large paper drawing of the same plan

Today’s sketch was drawn long before Sketching with Steve was a gleam in anyone’s eye. It was 2008, and I’d been with Model Railroader less than a year. Finally, the resources to build my HO scale version of the Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern Ry. in 1906 were within my reach! I drew this track plan […]

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