CNJ No. 113 delights photographers during night session

Crew member poses in front of steam locomotive during a night photo session.

MINERSVILLE, Pa. — Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113 was under steam for a night photo session on Oct. 21 – rescheduled from the original Oct. 14 date due to weather. The heavy 0-6-0 switcher is in its centennial year, having been built in June 1923 by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, N.Y. […]

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LA’s Taylor Yard: Always something different

Steam engine next to SW1500 switcher

Always something different at LA’s Taylor Yard A wise man once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It’s a nice thought. But he never met a train fan. For decades, whenever I had a few free minutes, I’d drive down to Southern Pacific’s […]

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NTSB report on conductor fatality calls for new rule on shoving moves

Satellite image of rail accident site

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board is calling for new rules regarding crew members riding shoving moves through grade crossings as a result of a fatal October 2021 accident in Houston, Texas. The board has recommended that crew members be prohibited from riding such moves through crossings equipped only with warning lights or passive […]

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First VIA Siemens trainsets begin serving Toronto

Champagne shattered on coupler of passenger equipment

TORONTO — After months of service limited to a handful of round-trips regularly operating between Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, a VIA Rail Canada Venture trainset made its Toronto debut Tuesday, rolling into the company’s Toronto Maintenance Centre Tuesday after bringing passengers from Ottawa on train no. 41. The first trip was celebrated with a […]

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CN earnings fall on lower volume, but executives say traffic rebound is under way

MONTREAL — Canadian National’s third-quarter profits tumbled on lower freight volume, the railway reported today, but most business segments are bouncing back. “I believe we’ve seen the bottom on volumes,” CEO Tracy Robinson told investors and analysts on the railway’s earnings call this afternoon. CN’s third-quarter operating income sank 21%, to $1.5 billion, as revenue […]

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In Memoriam: F. Raoul Martin

F. Raoul Martin, founder of NorthWest Short Line

F. Raoul Martin, founder of NorthWest Short Line, passed away on September 9, 2023 at the age of 87. Raoul founded NorthWest Short Line in 1958, importing brass models from Japan. He later became one of the first model railroad importers to move production to Korea. By the early 1970s, Raoul was exploring building brass […]

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World War II: The Transcontinental Railroad’s impact

The Transcontinental Railroad's Golden Spike

Southern Pacific & World War II By the 1940s, the original Transcontinental Railroad main line around the north end of the Great Salt Lake had fulfilled its original purpose of connecting the eastern United States with California, and was now needed for World War II. Specifically, the U.S. war effort needed the Transcontinental Railroad’s steel […]

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Amtrak’s Dash 8-32BWH

A gray locomotive with wide red, white, and blue stripes sits in a large and brightly lit factory building. A similar engine is in the background.

In the early 1990s, as the bulk of Amtrak’s EMD F40PH diesel fleet began nearing potential retirement age, the passenger carrier quietly began nosing around for potential replacements. After testing Electro Motive’s F69 AC traction prototypes, the company opted to explore a less-expensive option. To save money, Amtrak sought to modify an existing freight locomotive model […]

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