Richard Arsenault’s S gauge railroad (shown in the February 2003 issue of Classic Toy Trains) illustrates the drama that a grade can add to a model railroad. The battle of man versus mountain can be won in S, O, or Standard gauges only if the inclines aren’t too great. Classic Toy Trains file A […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Officials agree to reopen Eagle Pass rail gateway after meeting with Union Pacific executives
OMAHA, Neb. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection will allow the Eagle Pass, Texas, railroad gateway to reopen at midnight tonight after a visit by a delegation of Union Pacific executives led by CEO Jim Vena. The bridge linking Eagle Pass with Ferromex at Piedras Negras, Mexico, has been closed since Wednesday due to the […]
East Palestine street along NS main line to reopen Monday
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – A through east-west roadway paralleling the Norfolk Southern Fort Wayne Line track here will reopen on a limited basis Monday, Sept. 25. It was closed for 7 months during an environmental cleanup of the derailment and toxic-chemical spill that occurred Feb. 3. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that East […]
Brightline inaugurates Orlando service
The mood was one of celebration and accomplishment as the first Brightline train pulled into the new Orlando International Airport station on Friday. The arrival signaled the start of revenue service between Miami and Orlando, linking major population centers and attractions in the northern and southern portions of Florida. [see “Brightline Orlando to launch service […]
Union Pacific officials seek reopening of Eagle Pass gateway to Mexico
OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific executives are traveling to Eagle Pass, Texas, today to encourage officials to reopen the Mexico rail border crossing that has been shut down since Wednesday due to the surge in migrants crossing the Rio Grande. Thousands of migrants waded their way to U.S. soil this week, straining resources in the […]
$178 million CRISI grant awarded for Gulf Coast rail
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration announced today $178 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program funding to restore Amtrak service from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala. The funding will help to build a platform for the Mobile end of the service, as well as additional track upgrades. “We’ve been fighting to […]
Second-busiest Texas-Mexico rail border crossing shut down due to migrant crisis (updated)
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency has shut down the Eagle Pass, Texas, border crossing – the second-busiest rail gateway to Mexico – due to the worsening migrant crisis. Union Pacific and BNSF Railway interchange with Ferromex at the Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras gateway, where about 16 trains per day cross the Rio Grande, according […]
UP Bailey Yard explosion appears to be accidental
OMAHA, Neb. — Investigators report the explosion that occurred in Union Pacific’s North Platte, Neb., Bailey Yard on Sept. 14, appears to be accidental, but it’s not yet clear what caused it, according to an AP news story. At the time of the explosion the car holding the container was not moving. It was located […]
STB seeks more information about UP-CPKC trackage rights dispute
WASHINGTON – Federal regulators have asked Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific Kansas City to provide more information regarding their ongoing dispute over CPKC trackage rights on UP between Beaumont, Texas, and the ports of Houston and Galveston. The Surface Transportation Board, in a decision posted today, also denied CPKC’s request for an expedited decision by […]
Influx of migrants along rail lines prompts Ferromex to suspend northbound service to US border (updated)
Ferromex to suspend northbound service MEXICO CITY – Ferromex has temporarily suspended operations in some areas of Mexico due to the large numbers of migrants seeking to hop freight trains to the U.S. border. The railroad announced the unusual move yesterday and said that 60 northbound trains were currently being held for safety reasons. In […]
AskRail hazmat app for first responders integrated into dispatch systems in East Palestine, Ohio, area
The Association of American Railroads and Norfolk Southern have integrated AskRail, the industry’s hazardous materials app for first responders, into the emergency management dispatching systems for Columbiana County, Ohio, and Beaver County, Pa., which serve the East Palestine, Ohio, area. The AskRail app helps ensure that first responders can quickly access train consist information to […]
Swiss Spectacular, Part 11: Cogwheel to the clouds
MONTREUX, Switzerland — Climb every mountain … That sometimes seems to be the motto for the Swiss people, and for its railway builders. There are 26 cog (or rack) railways in Switzerland, according to Wikipedia; given the source, view that number as something less than definitive, but it should at least be in the ballpark. […]