WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked federal regulators for a timeline for completion of the environmental review of the railroad’s proposal to build a 6-mile branch that would serve an industrial park near Phoenix. On Aug. 31, 2023, the Surface Transportation Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis put an indefinite hold on the final environmental assessment […]
Early last spring, it was time to plan a summer vacation and get to some unfinished business. Alison and I agreed on the overall goal: get to Alaska. For her it was the call of Denali National Park and the fjords along the coast south of Seward. For me (no surprise), it was the chance […]
WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic remained ahead of 2023 levels for the week ending Sept. 28, 2024, although the gain was the smallest in more than two months. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, total volume for the week was 507,537 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.6% increase over the corresponding […]
The Southern Pacific had large trailer-on-flatcar ramps in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Multiple trains could be loaded and unloaded at the same time. This view is from the early 1960s. Southern Pacific photo […]
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 […]
TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey state senate committee has approved a bill that would require two-person crews for freight trains and set a maximum length of 8,500 feet for “dangerous hazardous trains.” Bill S3389, sponsored by Sens. Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex) and Raj Mukerji (D-Hudson), defines “dangerous hazardous trains” as those carrying tank cars […]
Several Chevrolets await loading at General Motors’ Tarrytown, N.Y., assembly plant in 1951. Tracks extend along both sides of an elevated platform. In the intervening decades, railroads and manufacturers have switched to multi-level auto racks for the shipment of new automobiles. New York Central photo […]
WASHINGTON — The Union Pacific conductor struck and killed by a Metra train in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 4 had left the locomotive of his freight train to address a hot-wheel report from a wayside detector, the National Transportation Safety Board says in am preliminary investigation report issued today (Tuesday, Oct. 1). The incident occurred […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific says it’s already successfully handling the surge in container volume at West Coast ports, which began weeks ago as shippers sought to dodge a potential strike at ports on the East Coast. “As part of our strategy of Safety, Service and Operational Excellence, we expect the unexpected. We keep a buffer […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to support the organization;s massive, multi-state relief efforts for Hurricane Helene. In addition, the NS Employee Disaster Relief Program is providing affected employees with grants for qualified disaster-related losses and expenses. “Our thoughts are with everyone navigating the aftermath of Helene, and our […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway has launched express carload service linking the Pacific Northwest with Denver and Salt Lake City. The three-day a week service — with departures from Spokane, Wash., on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays — cuts transit time in half compared to traditional carload. The transit time from Spokane to Denver is […]
O gauge locomotives & rolling stock Atlas O, 378 Florence Ave., Hillside NJ 07205, has announced a 55-ton coal hopper car as part of the Premier line. The model features wire grab irons, opening sprung doors, and operates on O-31 curves. It’s available in six paint schemes (3005826 shown). Price: $99.95. Website: shop.atlasrr.com. Atlas O, […]
