Steel-side classic Pacific Fruit Express’s largest class of steel reefers was the 5,000 cars of R-40-23 starting in 1947. They had improved Dreadnaught ends, fans, and steel running boards. Mainline Photos photo […]
Steel-side classic
Type of Train: Freight
Union Pacific suspends inbound international container shipments to Chicago for a week
OMAHA, Neb. – In the latest pandemic-related disruption, Union Pacific has told customers it will halt all shipments of international containers from West Coast ports to its Global IV terminal in Chicago for up to a week. The embargo, scheduled to begin on Sunday night, will help the railroad clear a container backlog at Global […]
NTSB expresses concern about STB proposal on trackage rights
WASHINGTON — In an uncommon move, the National Transportation Safety Board has weighed in on a proposed rule before the Surface Transportation Board, expressing concern about a proposal regarding temporary trackage rights. The proposed rule, requested by the Association of American Railroads, would allow an exemption from the usual process to approve trackage rights to […]
Detroit diesels
Detroit diesels In March 1965 near Detroit, New York Central GP40 3039 leads two sisters south on the Dearborn Branch as they approach the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton crossing at Schaefer Tower. Henry G. Goerke photo […]
CN main line in British Columbia to reopen Tuesday evening, two weeks after devastating fire
Canadian National’s busy main line through the rugged Thompson and Fraser river canyons, which was damaged by a June 30 wildfire that leveled the town of Lytton, British Columbia, is scheduled to reopen this evening (Tuesday, July 13). “In coordination with local authorities and First Nations, CN staff have inspected the area and carried out […]
STB chairman questions level of rail competition, Wall Street influence on Class I railroads
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman fully supports the White House’s call for more competition in the rail industry and questions whether Class I railroads are shirking their obligations as common carriers due to pressure from Wall Street. Oberman, addressing the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers today, said the Biden administration’s […]
Bay Area’s SMART adds freight operations
PETALUMA, Calif. — As of Monday, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit is also a freight railroad. The 45-mile, 12-station commuter railroad north of San Francisco on Monday took over the freight operations that had previously been handled by Northwestern Pacific. The Marin Independent Journal reports the move received final approval from the Surface Transportation Board on […]
Union Pacific’s I-5 corridor route to be closed until at least Sept. 1
WEED, Calif. — Union Pacific’s main line linking the Pacific Northwest and California — its Interstate 5 corridor — is likely to remain closed until at least Sept. 1 as a result of the wildfire that destroyed the massive Dry Canyon Bridge in Northern California along with 9 miles of right-of-way. The railroad informed customers […]
Amtrak, shipper groups voice support for Biden executive order
WASHINGTON — Amtrak and shipper groups have welcomed the executive order from President Joe Biden which seeks to increase competition among railroads. Biden signed the order on Friday, drawing criticism from the Association of American Railroads and some individual Class 1 roads [see “Biden executive order prods STB …,” Trains News Wire, July 9, 2021]. […]
Safety board to examine if train caused Lytton fire; Canadian government announces new safety measures
LYTTON, B.C. — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada, citing information from two other agencies, says it is investigating the possibility a freight train caused the fire which destroyed most of the town of Lytton, killing two people. Meanwhile, Transport Canada on Sunday announced new measures to address wildfire risks. The Canadian Press reports the […]
Broken coupler led to CP yard derailment, TSB report finds
CALGARY, Alberta — A coupler failure led to a string of cars rolling uncontrolled in a Canadian Pacific yard in Calgary and hitting a group of stationary cars, causing a 22-car derailment, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined in its investigation of the January 2019 incident. According to the TSB’s summary of the incident, […]
Collection elevator
Collection elevator This small collection elevator near Bayneville, Kans., typical of the thousands of wooden country elevators that were once common across the Midwest and West, is loading a boxcar, while two trucks wait with incoming wheat at the start of the grain rush in June 1952. The small elevator isn’t as wide as the […]
