WILLIAMS, Ariz. — Grand Canyon Railway steam locomotive No. 4960 has transitioned to its regular, once-a-month schedule after a busy April of public and private excursions [see “Grand Canyon No. 4960 concludes April operations…,” Trains News Wire, April 25, 2024]. The 2-8-2 was called on for two days of the “First Saturday” excursion in May […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway today announced that Chief Marketing Officer Steve Bobb will retire in August after more than 36 years of service. Tom Williams, who currently serves as group vice president, consumer products, will succeed Bobb as executive vice president and chief marketing officer, effective Sept. 1. Jon Gabriel, currently vice president, […]
New arrivals always bring a sense of excitement and anticipation. Most often, though, there’s a wait of a year or more between an announcement and the product’s arrival. The Premier E8 was an exception to that rule, with a delivery just under a year from its announcement on April 25, 2023 and a delivery between […]
While at the TCA Eastern Division York show in April, I learned about a group of four younger men who had started a YouTube channel to talk about the O gauge hobby. Like the Train Dads I wrote about recently, these are also men who love toy trains, and are also dads. The group’s goal […]
FAIDO, Switzerland — Repairs to the Gotthard Base Tunnel remain on pace for a full reopening in September, according to a project update on the Swiss Federal Railways website. The lane-change gate at the Faido multifunction point — which seals off the two bores of the tunnel at a crossover, to prevent the spread of […]
HAMILTON, Ontario — Canadian National Railway, the Southern Railway of British Columbia, and a consortium including several short lines in Saskatchewan and Alberta are among recipients of up to C$51.2 in funding from the Canadian government for digital infrastructure projects under the National Trade Corridors Fund. A total of 19 projects will receive funding, announced […]
SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain will suspend service between San Francisco and San Jose this coming weekend, June 8-9, for testing of its new electric fleet. It will be the last in a series of weekend service disruptions prior to the planned September launch of electrified service on the San Francisco-San Jose corridor. Limited-capacity replacement […]
What was your first train set (or locomotive)? My big present for Christmas 1958 was a Lionel train set pulled by a Santa Fe F3a. It spent most of the time under my bed in an old suitcase. My brother and I would set it up and run trains in circles until we got bored […]
Trackage rights are one of the main reasons you may see a train from one company operating on tracks belonging to another company. Geography, for example, played a role in the long-standing agreement governing Union Pacific’s crossing of California’s Tehachapi Mountains. When this line was built by the then-Southern Pacific, there was no room for […]
What is an operating session? Operating sessions attempt to mimic the activities we see on a full-size railroad. To support a successful operating session, a garden railroad must have certain characteristics. There must be multiple industries where cars can be spotted. The more unique industry locations on the railroad, the better. These car spots must […]
STOCKTON, Calif. — Amtrak’s San Joaquins will once again add a special stop at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park for the annual Junteenth event, set this year for June 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In connection with the event, trains will offer half price “Allensworth fares” for those attending the Juneteenth celebration at […]
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit car inspectors, mechanics, and coach cleaners have ratified a new three-year agreement with the transit agency, the Transport Workers Union of America announced. Some 80% of members of TWU Local 2001 — which represents 180 workers — voted in favor of the new agreement, which takes effect July 1. The […]
