Kitbashing is a facet of the hobby many model railroaders enjoy. Full-size railroads modify equipment, too. As I was combing through my photo collection and images in our David P. Morgan Memorial Library, I found five Burlington Northern kitbashes. Hopefully one or more of these cars will inspire your next modeling project. Want more Burlington […]
Zone & Region: Canada
VIA joins Amtrak in attempting to replace aging passenger cars
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada has issued a formal request for information from potential manufacturers of locomotives and passenger cars who might be interested in re-equipping the company’s long distance and regional remote passenger trains. VIA’s appeal comes as Amtrak is evaluating responses received from a similar invitation [see “Amtrak seeks carbuilder interest …,” Trains […]
News photos: Irving short lines add more SD70M-2s
The J.D. Irving Ltd. short lines in New Brunswick and Maine have added five more locomotives to their fleet of refurbished SD70M-2s. The first six units were delivered starting in June 2021 [see “Locomotive news: First New Brunswick Southern Railway locomotive refurbished,” Trains News Wire, July, 2021]. Four of the second group of locomotives are […]
Ottawa, builder of light rail line announce settlement
OTTAWA, Ontario — The City of Ottawa and the builder of its troubled light rail Confederation Line, the Rideau Transit Group, have reached an out-of-court settlement over the contract to build the light rail system. A joint statement issued today (Friday, Jan. 27) says the agreement resolves the dispute and resets the relationship between the […]
Ottawa to seek settlement in light rail dispute
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Ottawa city council will seek a negotiated settlement in its long-running dispute over the builder of its troubled light rail Confederation Line, the CBC reports. The council directed its head of transit services to negotiate a settlement with builder Rideau Transit Group after spending five hours in a closed-door update on […]
Montreal, Quebec to spend more than $500 million to begin upgrades to Metro train control system
MONTREAL — The city of Montreal and the province of Quebec will spend more than C$565 million to begin operational upgrades on the city’s Metro system. CTV News reports the money will equip the Metro Blue Line with a new train control system, better managing spacing between trains, train speed, and track changes. Similar improvements […]
Facing opposition to bypass plan, Canada’s Transport Minister visits Lac-Mégantic
LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec —Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra made an unannounced visit to the Lac-Mégantic area late last week, facing continuing resistance to some land acquisitions needed to reroute Canadian Pacific’s line around the community devastated by a 2013 derailment and fire. In a statement released after the visit on Thursday, Jan. 19, Transport Canada said […]
TSB to investigate Canadian Pacific derailment in Saskatchewan
CHAPLIN, Saskatchewan — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is sending a team of investigators to examine a Canadian Pacific derailment that occurred early Monday morning in Chaplin, Sask., Global News reports. The derailment, shortly after midnight, involved 47 railcars and 95 containers, according to preliminary information. No hazardous materials were involved, CTV News reports; […]
White Pass & Yukon to resume service into Canada in 2023
SKAGWAY, Alaska — The White Pass & Yukon Railway will resume trips into Canada this summer, the first such operations since before the COVID-19 pandemic, KHNS Radio reports. One-way passenger service to Fraser, British Columbia, will run daily from early May to early October, with return or continuing service by bus. Service to Carcross and […]
Amtrak Cascades to add second train to British Columbia in March
SEATTLE — The Amtrak Cascades service will add a round trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, from Portland, Ore., on March 7, restoring operations to Vancouver to their pre-pandemic levels. Also, the Cascades service recently provided an advance look at how its equipment will look, inside and out, when it takes delivery of the Siemens equipment […]
Lac-Mégantic residents appeal decision finding CP not liable for 2013 disaster
The plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit by residents of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, are appealing a December Superior Court decision that found Canadian Pacific was not liable in the 2013 oil-train disaster that killed 47 people in the community. The Canadian Press reports that the three individuals involved the suit, on behalf of some 4,500 members of […]
CP, Canadian mechanical workers reach contract agreement
CALGARY — Canadian Pacific and Canadian union Unifor have reached agreement on a new contract for approximately 1,200 mechanical employees, the two parties announced today (Friday, Jan. 13). The previous agreement had expired on Dec. 31, 2022. Terms of the agreement were not announced. Both parties said details would be released following ratification. The workers, […]