Overall volume at the big six Class I railroads declined an average of 6% during the third quarter, as coal continued to plummet and carload struggled to recover compared to pre-pandemic levels. Intermodal, however, returned to positive territory in the third quarter, notching 1% growth, on average, at the big systems, according to a review […]
Tuesday midday rail news: Preservation group receives donation of 1917 N&W business car The Norfolk & Western Business Car 300 Preservation Society has accepted the donation of Business Car No. 300, a 1917 Pullman-built car. In an announcement on the group’s Facebook page, Bryan Lalevee, president of the 501c3 non-profit organization, said, “After three years of […]
Three Canadian National locomotives have been repainted into heritage paint schemes, and more are reportedly on the way. Photographs circulating on the internet show locomotives painted in Grand Trunk blue and red; the red, white, and blue BC Rail paint scheme; and the black Illinois Central scheme known to railfans as the “death star” design. […]
Friday morning Canadian rail news: Canadian government to require new switching rules as a result of fatal 2017 accident The Canadian government is requiring railroads to develop new rules for switching operations as a result of a Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigation into a fatal accident at Canadian National’s Melville, Saskatchwan, yard in 2017. In […]
HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division GP39-2 diesel locomotive. BNSF Ry. (Santa Fe patchout in two road numbers, Heritage III in one number), CSX (blue, yellow, and gray scheme in three numbers, Reading Co. patchout in two numbers), Delaware & Hudson (Reading Co. patchout in one number, 1989 rebuild in two numbers), Reading Co. (green-and-yellow scheme), […]
Wednesday morning rail news: Freight, Amtrak service to New Orleans disrupted as hurricane approaches The New Orleans Flood Protection Authority plans to begin closing the city’s floodgates today in preparation for Hurricane Delta, which will interrupt the flow of freight traffic through the city, Norfolk Southern is advising customers. The storm is projected to make landfall […]
Monday afternoon rail news: Watco to develop storage facility, launch new switching operation Shortline and transportation services company Watco plans to create a storage-in-transit yard near Joliet, Ill., and provide switching services for the facility and adjacent customers under a newly formed subsidiary, Elwood, Joliet & Southern. The facility will make use of a former repair […]
Thursday midday rail news: Valley Metro orders 14 new Siemens light rail vehicles Phoenix-area transit agency Valley Metro has ordered 14 S700 light rail vehicles from Siemens Mobility to join 11 of the trainsets already in service. The equipment, to be built in Sacramento, Calif., will help accommodate the needs of an expanding system, and […]
HOMEWOOD, Ill. — Shovels were out Monday, manned for the cameras by masked Amtrak, Metra, and civic officials that helped arrange $29 million of federal and local funding that will enhance the original 1923 Illinois Central Homewood, Ill., facility with features that make it completely accessible to passengers with disabilities. Construction began in July on […]
More Friday morning rail news: Project manager selected for Chicago-Rockford passenger effort The long-running effort to restore passenger rail service between Chicago and Rockford has moved forward, with the Illinois Department of Transportation hiring engineering services firm WSP USA as the proposal’s project manager. The Rockford Register Star reports state Sen. Steve Stadelman announced the […]
HO scale locomotives Southern Pacific classes AC-4 and AC-5 4-8-8-2 Cab-Forward steam locomotives. Both classes offered in fantasy Daylight scheme, with black boiler with Southern Pacific lettering in two numbers, and with gray boiler with Southern Pacific Lines lettering. One number per scheme unless noted; also available painted but unlettered (AC-4 with black boiler and […]
Tuesday morning rail news: San Diego-area agency seeks STB order protecting maintenance work on eroding coastal bluffs The North County Transit District, which operates the San Diego-area Coaster commuter trains, has petitioned the Surface Transportation Board for an order to keep the city of Del Mar and the California Coastal Commission from regulating maintenance and […]
