Families sue CP, Transport Canada over 2019 derailment that killed three The families of two of the Canadian Pacific crew members killed in the derailment of a runaway CP train in February 2019 are suing the railroad, officials including CEO Keith Creel, police department, and federal agency Transport Canada. The CBC reports the families of […]
Type of Train: Freight
Conrail society, Danbury museum combine to save hopper car
DANBURY, Conn. — The Conrail Historical Society and Danbury (Ct.) Railway Museum have combined to preserve a “Flexi-Flo” hopper car built in 1966 for the New York Central by ACF Industries. One of 220 such cars, the order represented the first pressure differential cars constructed, which allowed easy unloading of the contents by applying air […]
Wide open spaces
Wide open spaces Great Northern 2-8-2 No. 3117 is westbound at Richmond, Minn., in 1955. The railroad’s territory was sparsely populated, with one city over 100,000 between its endpoints. Photo by James Kreuzberger; Steve Glischinski collection […]
Weather and pandemic dent Kansas City Southern earnings
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Southern’s first-quarter earnings dipped as volume fell because of harsh winter weather and the ongoing computer chip shortage that has curbed auto production in Mexico. KCS reported today that its operating income declined 12%, to $253 million, as revenue decreased 4%, to $706 million. Earnings per share, adjusted for […]
Digest: Survey says 20% of Chicago-area transit users may not return
Chicago RTA survey finds 20% of transit users may not return A survey by the Regional Transportation Authority, parent organization for Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority, and Pace bus service, indicates 20% of passengers who stopped using the Chicago area’s transit system during the COVID-19 pandemic may not return. Evanston Now reports the RTA surved […]
Digest: Union Pacific to close Palestine, Texas, car shop
Union Pacific to close Palestine, Texas, car shop, subject of lawsuit Union Pacific will close its car shop in Palestine, Texas, as of June 14, eliminating as many as 57 positions. The Palestine Herald-Press reports employees were notified Thursday; a Union Pacific spokeswoman confirmed the closure and attributed it to operational changes across the system. […]
Weekly rail traffic figures continue to underscore effects of pandemic in 2020
WASHINGTON — Emphasizing the degree to which rail traffic has recovered from its pandemic-induced slump in 2020 — as well as how dramatic that decline was — the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads show volume has increased by nearly a quarter from the same week a year ago. Total traffic for the […]
Digest: ASLRRA to hold in-person regional meetings in June
Short line association resumes in-person meetings with two regional events in June The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association will resume in-person meetings with two regional gatherings in June: The Central/Pacific Region meeting will be held June 7-9 at the Downtown Marriott in Kansas City, and the Eastern/Southern Regional Meeting will be June 21-23 […]
Super failure?
Super failure? Santa Fe’s famed Super C freight commanded high rates — charged to placate other Santa Fe customers. This meant it had extremely limited traffic, as illustrated by a one-car train in 1969. Photo by Wayne Bridges […]
Digest: Metrorail Safety Commission sees ‘troubling’ DC Metro safety issues
Metrorail Commission says DC Metro moving the wrong way on safety issues The Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, the independent agency created by Congress to oversee DC Metro safety issues, says the transit agency is moving the wrong way in terms of such basics as making sure trains stop for red signals and following worker safety […]
TrucTrain terminal
TrucTrain terminal The Pennsylvania Railroad’s Chicago TrucTrain terminal had a concrete ramp with six tracks and access platforms between pairs of tracks. Note the storage tracks for empty flatcars at left. Photo by Pennsylvania Railroad […]
Bankruptcy sale of San Luis & Rio Grande begins
DENVER, Colo. — With an initial offer of $7.5 million in hand, bids are now being accepted for the sale through federal bankruptcy court of the San Luis & Rio Grande railroad, the former Iowa Pacific Holdings property based in Alamosa, Colo., that operates 154 miles of former Denver & Rio Grande Western lines. In […]