HAVRE, Mont. — Eleven cars of a 25-car BNSF intermodal train derailed Friday afternoon about 8 miles east of Havre, blocking the railroad’s Northern Transcon route. The derailment occurred at 4:39 p.m., the Havre Daily News reports, quoting a BNSF spokeswoman. Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Amanda Frickel said one car was carrying […]
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BC port workers to vote Tuesday on tentative agreement
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Port workers on Canada’s West Coast will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to accept a tentative contract agreement, and union leadership said Friday it will recommend members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada accept the deal. A brief notice from ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton said union members […]
Durbin & Greenbrier Valley sets Labor Day weekend events featuring Climax No. 9
CASS, W.Va — Cass Scenic Railroad operator Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad has announced two special events — a night photo session, and an excursion, both featuring Climax No. 9 — to be held Labor Day weekend. On Sunday, Sept. 3, the railroad will host a night photo session at the Cass depot, set to […]
High winds derail BNSF train in Oklahoma
FAIRMONT, Okla. — High winds are being blamed for the derailment of a BNSF train today (July 21) near the town of Fairmont. BNSF said 29 cars derailed while the train was stopped because of high winds, according to the Associated Press. The railroad said no one was injured and no hazardous materials were involved. […]
FRA wants Class I railroads to report monthly train length and tonnage data
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has proposed requiring the Class I railroads to provide monthly data that tracks train length and tonnage as well as the number of reportable accidents for trains over and under 7,500 feet. The FRA, in a notice published in the Federal Register today, says it wants to use the […]
A beginner’s guide to rock-garden plants
Do you need a beginner’s guide to rock-garden plants? Plants that are typically suited to rocky places are tough characters. Understanding their characteristics will help you select plants for the railroad garden that will work well in the crevices of rocks, creeping along cliffs, or draped down rock faces. They often come from mountainous origins […]
Railroad signals 101
There is more to understanding railroad wayside signals than simply “green means go, red means stop.” To appreciate what the signals you see along the track are telling you, you first have to grasp a few basic concepts. Railroad traffic control boils down to three situations: trains running in the same direction on the same […]
The people who work on trains
The people who work on trains have a variety of jobs. A Norfolk Southern flagman inspects a train near Marion, Ohio. Dale A. DeVene Jr. The people who work on trains have a variety of jobs. Each member of a train crew has a specific function. Since train crews do most of their work beyond […]
Missouri utility praises BNSF’s coal service
WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway has been in hot water with federal regulators over the level of service it’s providing to a Montana coal mine. But now BNSF has found an ally in a Missouri utility cooperative that has praised the railroad’s service. “BNSF Railway provides unit coal train rail service from Wyoming Powder River Basin […]
Kansas City streetcar service resumes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The KC Streetcar is back in operation. Streetcar service resumed this morning (July 21), 17 days after being halted because of track failure on a portion of the Main Street bridge over Interstate 670. The streetcar operator says multiple factors led to the track failure, including thermal expansion and degradation of […]
Class I power finds its way back into the fold
The traditional life cycle for new locomotives on a Class I roster would be revenue service, followed by lease return if the railroad leased the power or retirement and sale if they were purchased. In a handful of cases, power that departed a Class I roster will find its way back into its original owner’s […]
Deal may be in place to end BC port labor dispute
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A tentative agreement may be in place that would end the labor dispute at British Columbia ports. A posting on the website of International Longshore and Warehouse Union of Canada Local 502, representing workers along the Fraser River, says a tentative agreement between the union and the BC Maritime Employers Association […]