In 1968, the Great Northern loaded 50 of its new Big Sky blue covered hoppers in Wolf Point, Montana, in an experimental unit train move to an export elevator in Portland, Oregon. In this posed photo, a crewman signals from the train’s modern wide-vision caboose. Photo by Great Northern […]
Chesapeake & Ohio 2-6-6-2 Mallets 1309 and 1302 are departing Scarlet, West Virginia, in June 1950 with a loaded coal train. The 10 members of C&O’s H-6 class were the last steam locomotives built for domestic use by Baldwin Locomotive Works (1949). Engine 1309 is being restored for service on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad […]
Railfans watch as a Western Maryland coal train swings around famous Helmstetter’s Curve on its descent eastward toward Cumberland, Md., in May 1952. Photo by Edward Theisinger […]
CALGARY, Alberta – Canadian Pacific has hauled more Canadian grain and grain products in the 2019-2020 crop production year than any in its 139-year history. In total, CP moved 29.52 million metric tonnes this crop year, exceeding 2019’s record of 26.77 MMT by 10 percent. “The world depends on Canadian farmers for food and we […]
More Friday morning rail news: CN marks record grain year, releases plan for 2020-21 Canadian National announced completion of a record year for grain movement on Thursday, and said it would dedicate more equipment to the commodity next year as part of its 2020-21 Grain Plain. CN moved more than 30 million metric tons of […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation’s earnings dropped sharply in a yo-yo second quarter that included unprecedented declines in traffic volume and revenue, followed by a strong rebound. “Wow. Where do I start in talking about this quarter?” CEO Jim Foote asked in his opening remarks on the railroad’s earnings call Wednesday afternoon. “This was the […]
Chesapeake Western, a 54-mile T-shaped west central Virginia road, employed three 1946 Baldwin DS-4-4-660s, two of which drill cars at Harrisonburg, site of the Southern Railway interchange, on November 5, 1958. CW, under Norfolk & Western control after 1954, also reached C&O at Staunton. Bob Krone photo […]
A three-unit set of dark blue-and-gray Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac F7s brings a northbound freight train into Alexandria, Va., in December 1949. The train is bound for RF&P’s big Potomac Yard, about a mile ahead. Photo by Charles Wales […]
On May 12, 1962, Rock Island “motor” 9006 has a typically short train as it heads west with mixed No. 79 near Horton, Kan. The first of the 10 “baggage-car locomotives” left the roster in 1948, and by 1960 only the 9006, 9013, and 9014 remain. Frank Tatnall photo […]
Evening rail news in brief for a very busy Monday: Court orders North Dakota pipeline to shut down; crude-by-rail could benefit Crude-by-rail business could see a surge in business following a court ruling that will shut down the largest pipeline serving North Dakota crude production. The New York Times reports the Dakota Access Pipeline must […]
Railroads have gained regulatory approval to haul liquified natural gas in tank cars. Now the questions are how quickly will an LNG market develop and how big will it be? Controversial new federal regulations governing the movement of LNG by rail are scheduled to go into effect next month. Previously LNG shipments required special permits […]
At the time of their merger in 1968, both the Pennsylvania and New York Central had extensive intermodal operations, with PRR using conventional Trailer Train cars in piggyback service and NYC using Flexi-Van equipment in an early form of containerized traffic. Penn Central retained both systems initially, but Flexi-Van traffic gradually declined. By late […]
