CHICAGO — A long-delayed peoplemover rail system at O’Hare Airport is set to begin operation today (Nov. 3, 2021), almost three years late and four years after a predecessor system shut down. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the new system will be able to carry 4,800 riders per hour, almost twice the number of the previous […]
My father was a closet railfan. He didn’t hang around the tracks or take pictures of trains. On the other hand, he was always more than happy to take us kids to almost any railroad yard or station if we asked. And he never told us to stay away from the tracks, perhaps swayed by […]
CHICAGO – More than a dozen city, state, local, and Metra officials took turns speaking to the media Monday, then posed for the obligatory shovel photo on the site where the $22 million Peterson-Ridge commuter rail station in the Edgewater neighborhood on Chicago’s north side will be built during the next 18 months. Metra first […]
MINNEAPOLIS — One of the counties that helps fund Minnesota’s Northstar commuter rail service is seeking to reduce its share of payments to keep the line running, and joining in questions whether the operation should continue in the wake of a massive loss of ridership because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports […]
Ambassador The northbound day train to Montreal, known as the Ambassador, crosses the Connecticut River near Windsor, Vt. It exemplifies the mixed consist the train carried of Boston & Maine, Central Vermont, and New Haven equipment. […]
NEW YORK — Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul provided a preview of Long Island Rail Road service to Grand Central Terminal on Sunday, riding a test train for the East Side Access connection into Grand Central. The new route and station deep beneath Grand Central are scheduled to open in […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration has issued a safety advisory recommending that rail transit operators inspect wheelsets for “out of tolerance wheel gauges” and to submit records of any railcars that have experienced loosened or shifted wheels. The Washington Post reports the move comes as a result of the derailment and subsequent discovery of […]
PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority reached agreement with its largest union on Friday, averting a strike that could have begun today. Philly Voice reports Transport Workers Union Local 234, which represents 5,000 workers, agreed to a deal including a 3% raise; pandemic bonus of up to $2,200, based on hours worked between March […]
Train 4 Pere Marquette’s unnamed Grand Rapids–Detroit train 4 rolls through Trowbridge, Mich., in 1940. Locomotive 712 is one of 12 class SP-3 4-6-2 Pacifics built by Alco’s Brooks works in January 1921. Classic Trains collection […]
In the not-too-distant past, Amtrak provided route guides and timetables with a wealth of information about not only sights and points of interest along its routes, but also what to expect on each train: Is there checked baggage service? Are pillows available for coach passengers? What kind of dining options are offered? Through 2017, Amtrak […]
Lionel’s Phantom train is on the rails! We’ve all seen Lionel, MTH, and American Flyer model train sets running under the Christmas tree, but what about for Halloween? CTT editor Hal Miller builds a small layout he calls the Chaos, Tragedy & Terror RR. It captures the spirit of the season with accessories from Woodland […]
Lionel’s Phantom train is on the rails! We’ve all seen Lionel, MTH, and American Flyer model train sets running under the Christmas tree, but what about for Halloween? CTT editor Hal Miller builds a small layout he calls the Chaos, Tragedy & Terror RR. It captures the spirit of the season with accessories from Woodland […]
