This memorial plaque near the accident site recalls the victims of the Chatsworth collision on Sept. 12, 2008. TRAINS: David Lassen The site of the Chatsworth memorial plaque. An Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passes in the background. TRAINS: David Lassen CHATSWORTH, Calif. — On Sept. 12, 2008, an engineer on a commuter train received a text […]
A Texas Pacifico crew works at Ballinger, Texas, in 2012. The state of Texas has made major investments in the line operated by Texas Pacifico. Wes Carr AUSTIN, Texas — What could be the loneliest railroad in the United States is getting a facelift. Crews are at work upgrading the South Orient rail line, which […]
WalthersProto HO scale Jordan Spreader Walthers has added a Jordan Spreader to its HO scale Proto series. But this isn’t an assembled version of the kit from the 1990s. No, this is a newly tooled model that has several features not found on the kit, including positionable wings and slopers, wire grab irons, and railroad-specific […]
Atlas Trainman HO scale GP39-2 with ESU LokSound New road names and factory-installed sound highlight the latest version of the Atlas Trainman Electro-Motive Division (EMD) GP39-2. We first reviewed a direct-current (DC) version of the GP39-2 in the January 2010 issue. This latest release has a dual-mode ESU LokSound Select decoder that provides realistic sound […]
Bachmann N scale tight-bottom ore gondola Price: $33 Manufacturer Bachmann Industries 1400 E. Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19124 www.bachmanntrains.com Era: 1960s to 1990s Road names: Union Pacific; Pennsylvania (black or Tuscan Red) Canadian Pacific; Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range; Norfolk & Western Comments: An ore car that’s been offered in HO scale for decades is […]
A Canadian National train crosses Echo Lake in Burlington, Wis., in May 2018. CN’s CEO says the railroad should pursue other technological opportunities before working on autonomous train operation. TRAINS: David Lassen BOSTON – Canadian National CEO Jean-Jacques Ruest says there’s a whole lot of low-hanging technology fruit that his railroad can pick before moving toward […]
Watco’s Decatur & Eastern Illinois makes its first run on Sunday, between Decatur and Paris, Ill. Steve Smedley DECATUR, ILL. — The Midwest has a new railroad. The Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad made its inaugural run out of Decatur on Sunday, Sept. 9. The first revenue move left the Decatur yards on Sunday morning […]
A Union Pacific Cold Connect produce train passes through Lombard, Ill. UP is adding to its refrigerator-car fleet. TRAINS: David Lassen SUN VALLEY, Idaho — Union Pacific will acquire 1,000 new refrigerator cars with the possibility of expanding the order to 1,600, a UP official told a recent shippers’ conference. The Produce News reports that […]
Metra commuter and Norfolk Southern freight trains meet at tower A2 northwest of Union Station. Steve Sweeney Trains tracks the evolution of positive train control technology from the 1980s to present! August 1985 – Burlington Northern executives approve testing a PTC prototype system, ARES, in Minnesota’s Iron Range. May 1, 2007 – U.S. Rep. James […]
FULL SCREEN Ed Lichtenfels via the Colorado Railroad Museum The Rio Grande tunnel motor is spending in air at the Colorado Railroad Museum. FULL SCREEN Ed Lichtenfels via the Colorado Railroad Museum Crews maneuver the locomotive into its final position at the Colorado Railroad Museum. FULL SCREEN Jim Barton via the Colorado Railroad Museum Crews […]
With a BNSF Railway unit in the lead, a Mexico-bound empty auto rack train pulls into Robstown, Texas, on Kansas City Southern tracks in November 2017. Bill Stephens The trade deal reached by the U.S. and Mexico this week — which The Wall Street Journal dubbed “half a NAFTA” — may be positive for railroads […]
No. 14 heads west out of Piru in April 2016. Luke Renish FILLMORE, Calif. – A one-year-long effort by California’s Fillmore & Western Railway has culminated in the completion of the new 45-foot Hunn Creek Bridge in Santa Paula and the reconnection of the railroad with the Union Pacific and the outside world. A number […]
