WILLIAMS, Ariz. — At age 123, the former Santa Fe branch between Williams and Grand Canyon National Park will not hesitate in challenging Grand Canyon Railway’s steam and diesel locomotives as they navigate the sharp curves and 3.5% grades. The fleet’s flagship, 2-8-2 No. 4960, was no exception on Sept. 21, 2024. Commemorating the first […]
WASHINGTON – The probable cause of a fatal accident involving a conductor trainee in CSX’s yard in Cumberland, Md., last summer was the train’s movement through an unidentified and unmitigated close clearance location, the National Transportation Safety Board said today. During a shove move, the conductor trainee was caught between the side of the railcar […]
WASHINGTON – The Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, has asked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to deny Brightline Florida any additional federal funding, arguing that the company has sought to block its employees from joining a union. The TWU, in a Sept. 19 letter to Buttigieg, noted that nearly 100 Brightline onboard service personnel are […]
BERLIN — InnoTrans – the largest rail trade fair in the world, held every two years in the German capital city opened its doors for its 2024 edition on Sept. 24. Exhibitors number 2,940 representing 59 countries are occupying the entire exhibition grounds at the Berlin trade fair exhibition centre which is also equipped with […]
Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014, the railroad’s heritage fleet, and steam program boss Ed Dickens are featured in the latest episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage,” the former “Tonight Show” host’s YouTube program. UP and the National Park Foundation welcomed Leno and his film crew on the Missouri Valley to Dennison, Iowa, portion of […]
Canadian National cowls Six-axle freight locomotives built with a cowl carbody are a rare design when looking at the overall quantity of models built for North American service. Compared to the thousands of GP9s, SD40-2s, and C44-9Ws built, no one cowl model exceeded 100 locomotives ordered. Canadian National ordered four of the six six-axle freight […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak is temporarily combining the Capitol Limited and Silver Star trains to create the new Floridian. Amtrak says the change is due to the upcoming East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project in New York. During this project, one tunnel tube will be closed at a time, minimizing service impacts, maximizing construction access and modernizing the tunnel infrastructure to […]
WASHINGTON – The “See Tracks, Think Trains Week,” which kicks off today and runs through Sunday, aims to enhance public safety by raising awareness about the importance of staying safe around railroad tracks. More than 95% of all rail-related deaths involve drivers going through grade crossings or a person on the tracks, according to the […]
CHERRYVALE, Kan. – Bartlett, a Savage Company, is beginning operations at its new soybean processing plant in Cherryvale, Kan., which is served by Watco’s 458.7-mile South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad. The plant will handle up to 49 million bushels of soybeans annually, providing sustainable soy feedstocks for refined vegetable oil, animal feed and renewable transportation […]
Combine culinary style of the late 1800s, the taste of one railroad magnate and the inspiration of another plus throw in a touch of crazy. The result is an attempt to satisfy a national craving for oysters. The old saying stands that necessity is the mother of invention. In this case, the need was finding […]
PONTRESINA, Switzerland — On the home stretch now in this very busy trip. The groundwork has been done for all three of the features I plan to write, but I’m back in Rhätische Bahn territory this weekend. I’ll be spending a little time on the Bernina Line, which I did not get to on my […]
ORLANDO — One year after Brightline initiated hourly service from South Florida to Orlando International Airport on Sept. 22, 2023, five new “Smart” coaches are beginning the cross-country journey from their birthplace at Siemens’ Sacramento, Calif., factory. They are the first batch of another 30 cars, 20 “Smart” and 10 “Premium” coaches, that will help […]
