We’ll head down to Larson Stone on our Milwaukee, Racine & Troy staff layout to check out a model from the latest run of HO scale Electro-Motive Division SD39 diesel locomotives produced by Athearn Trains. Join Model Railroader senior editor Cody Grivno as he points out the features on the six-axle road locomotive, demonstrates some of […]
Urban rail CHICAGO — Representatives from a wide range of U.S. rail operations gathered in the Windy City this week to compare ways in which systems are attempting to capture customers who may have shunned their trains prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Highlights of the three-day confab included a tour of South Shore Line projects […]
A 65-foot mill gondola is the latest addition to the Micro-Trains Line Co. N scale freight car lineup. The injection-molded plastic model features positionable drop ends, metal wheelsets, and body-mounted Magne-Matic couplers. The Micro-Trains gondola is based on a Santa Fe class GA-47 prototype built by General American Transportation Corp. (GATC) in 1937. The gondolas […]
Atlas railcar PUEBLO, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the successful completion of a 1,680-mile round trip as part of the final testing for its Atlas railcar. A Sept. 21, 2023 press release said the 12-axle equipment — designed to transport large containers of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration announced today $178 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program funding to restore Amtrak service from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala. The funding will help to build a platform for the Mobile end of the service, as well as additional track upgrades. “We’ve been fighting to […]
BOSTON — Safety issues continue to plague the MBTA. The commuter service is now investigating a near miss between a train and workers on the Red Line on Monday and second incident on Monday, Sept. 11, along the same tracks, according to a news story on WCVB-TV. Last week the Federal Transit Administration admonished the […]
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to continue their response to the Feb. 3 toxic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, and to ensure that the railroad covers all cleanup costs. “As part of his commitment to the people of East Palestine, President Biden is today issuing […]
WASHINGTON — President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, issued a statement to recognize Rail Safety Week 2023. Spearheaded by Operation Lifesaver, Inc., and collaborated with many organizations and institutions throughout North America, the Sept. 18-24 campaign raises the awareness to the public surrounding railroad safety [See […]
SAN FRANCISCO – Caltrain has completed the installation of all the poles necessary to support its overhead catenary between San Francisco and San Jose. It also upgraded the signal system, and successfully tested electric trains at maximum track speed of 79 mph. The commuter railroad said the three major milestones bring the Caltrain Electrification Project closer […]
BOSTON, Mass. — MBTA and Keolis Commuter Services have completed repairs to tracks in Leominster and have restored commuter rail service to the city. Tracks were damaged when severe flash flooding Sept. 11 overwhelmed the city’s drainage system and washed away the ground under both tracks near Leominster Station. Alternative bus service has been in […]
ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern announced a new partnership with RapidSOS to enhance critical information gathering in the event of a rail-related emergency on the Class I railroad. In a Sept. 20, 2023 news release, RapidSOS is described as the world’s first intelligent safety platform that can “securely link over 500 million devices, apps, and sensors […]
GARIBALDI, Ore. — The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad has been plagued by thefts of ties and tampering this month. Vandals broke into a historic diesel and fired off a fire extinguisher inside while also opening and tampering with the electrical cabinets. The railroad also reported a large number of ties being stolen from work sites […]
