Norfolk Southern’s Bristol Line, departing from the mainline at Walton, Virginia, west to Bristol is a vital cog in the Class One railroad’s system. Originally, the Norfolk & Western mainline routed from the coast at Norfolk to a connection with the Southern Railway at Bristol. These days the route handles a lot of freight moving […]
WASHINGTON — The California High-Speed Rail Authority will receive about $3.1 billion for projects to continue development and construction in the San Joaquin Valley, U.S. Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Jim Costa (D-Fresno) announced in statements on Tuesday. The funds will come from the Federal Railroad Administration, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Federal-State Partnership […]
WASHINGTON — The Brightline West high speed rail project will receive a $3 billion federal grant, enabling the line between Las Vegas, Nev., and Southern California to begin construction, according to Nevada’s two U.S. senators. Sen. Jacky Rosen confirmed the grant today (Tuesday, Dec. 5) in multiple social media posts, including one on X (formerly […]
Explore Ely, Nevada, and experience the rich history of the Nevada Northern Railway, one of the best-preserved tourist railroads in the United States. Originally built for copper ore transport, this 140-mile railway, now operating under the White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation, showcases various steam locomotives. With ongoing restoration projects and a recent $10 million grant, […]
WASHINGTON — Austin, Texas, Mayor Kirk Watson expressed strong support for expanded rail service in the San Antonio-Dallas-Houston “Texas Triangle” at a hearing of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s rail subcommittee in Washington today (Wednesday, Nov. 29). The session, however, primarily provided a platform for critics of the California High-Speed Rail Authority to […]
DEL MAR, Calif. — Proposed routes for a tunnel to replace the rail line along the Del Mar bluffs, which at one time had been narrowed to two options, are now back to a total of 11 options in the wake of objections by Del Mar residents, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The multi-billion dollar project […]
San Francisco Belt Railroad For those of us lucky enough to chase trains on the San Francisco peninsula when it was served by many railroads, life was good. Besides being able to see Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, and Western Pacific, there was the San Francisco Belt Railroad, a local switching operation that vigorously served the […]
WASHINGTON — Brightline West’s bid to extend its proposed electrified, 186-mph rail route from Las Vegas, Nev., to Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., has gained regulatory approval in two separate Surface Transportation Board decisions. In decisions released Friday, the STB approved route modifications at Las Vegas along with a 5-mile extension from the original terminus at Victorville, […]
LOS ANGELES — An original Santa Fe Super Chief lounge car is being made available at no cost to any group interested in it. The catch? The new owner must handle the shipping and handling. The San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society, known for its operation restored Santa Fe 4-8-4 steam locomotive No. 3751, is seeking […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High-Speed Rail Authority and 13 unions have announced an agreement to use union labor to operate the state’s high speed rail system. The Memorandum of Understanding announced today (Friday, Nov. 17) will cover an estimated 3,000 workers to operate the full system between the Bay Area and Southern California; about […]
In seeking the oddest of oddball locomotives, today we will follow our compass to California’s Ludlow & Southern, one of many, many railroads past and present with the name of a city or a state and the addition of a compass direction. Think Kansas City Southern, Colorado & Southern, Arizona Central, Missouri Pacific, and Texas […]
NAPA, Calif. – The Napa Valley Wine Train has placed the first of two Tier 4 compliant switcher units into service as the tourist railroad’s new regular motive power. Napa Valley Railroad NZE15B No. 1864 arrived on Oct. 30, 2023. The 1,560-hp unit was rebuilt by Knoxville Locomotive Works from a National Railway Equipment Co. […]
