WASHINGTON — Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation struck two disparate themes during a hearing today (Wednesday, June 21) for three nominees for Amtrak’s board of directors. One, they remain concerned that President Joe Biden’s board nominees board do not meet a geographic-balance requirement. Two, the desire remains strong on the […]
Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader and its associated products. The Olympia series started on MR Video Plus as an On30 logging railroad video series. Jean Levasseur converted the layout to HO scale and made some modifications to the […]
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Brotherhood of Railway Carmen Division has joined with BNSF Railway to support an effort to further use of technology analyzing the health of railcar brake systems. The union is joining with the railroad to support a request to the Federal Railroad Administration to expand a test waiver for the Brake […]
SEATTLE — Amtrak and BNSF Railway are asking the city of Seattle to close a section of a street near the Seattle Mariners’ ballpark in the city’s Sodo neighborhood to expand the passenger carrier’s maintenance facility and eliminate a busy grade crossing. The Seattle Times reports the proposal would close South Holgate Street, which splits […]
DURANGO, Colo. —Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is suing its insurance company over damage caused by a 2018 wildfire and subsequent floods and mudslides in the burn area, saying the insurance company should have paid for damages from the fire and flooding as separate incidents. The insurance company disagrees, saying the fire led to […]
MOORESTOWN, N.J. — The National Railway Historical Society has awarded almost $125,000 to 25 organizations as part of its 2023 Railway Heritage Preservation Grants, supporting preservation of railroad-related artifacts and media. The awards total $124,950, and range from $2,500 to $10,000. The largest single grant this year, $10,000, was received by the Center for Railroad […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City this week launched an updated carbon emissions calculator for its combined rail network in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. This web-based tool is designed to give customers greater insight into the carbon footprint of CPKC’s transportation services by allowing users to estimate the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions […]
ANGOLA, Ind. — Steam locomotive No. 765 turned in another successful operation during Father’s Day weekend while steaming through Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. Saturday, June 17, introduced the shorter Donuts & Dads and Summer BBQ trains out of Angola, while Sunday saw a repeat of last year’s Tri-State Scenic all-day excursion from Edon, Ohio, to […]
The Train Masters of Babylon sounds exotic, but the reality is it’s just a great O gauge club layout in New York. Highly detailed and encompassing more than 2,400 square feet, this 41 x 60 display showcases the railroads of the region. Read more in the July-August 2023 issue. […]
When you think of Colorado railroading, you think of mountain-climbing narrow-gauge trains of the Denver & Rio Grande Western, and that is exactly what you’ll see at the Colorado Railroad Museum just outside Denver in the foothills near Golden. But that’s not all—the museum includes 100 pieces of equipment from many other Colorado railroads. Choices […]
Ride behind a Santa Fe Pacific or an Alco S-1 on an 11-mile, 90-minute round trip over an ex-Rock Island line from the restored Rock Island depot in Abilene to Enterprise and return. Cross the Smoky Hill River on an early steel truss bridge and visit the 1880s-vintage Hoffman Grist Mill in Enterprise. Choices A […]
STUART, Fla. — Brightline high speed testing in Florida’s Martin County, which had been scheduled for later this week, has been postponed, the passenger operator said today (Tuesday, June 20). Testing had been scheduled for Wednesday, June 21, through Friday, June 23, at speeds up to 110 mph through a series of grade crossings, as […]
