Illinois tourist railroads you must visit

Four EMD products are lined up at the Illinois Railway Museum – one of many Illinois tourist railroads you must visit: Chicago & North Western F7A No. 411; Amtrak AEM-7 No. 945; Santa Fe FP45 No. 92; and Canadian Pacific SD40-2F No. 9023. The first three are from the IRM collection; the ex-Central Maine & […]

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Work begins on wall to protect rail line in San Clemente

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Work began Monday on a temporary restraining wall to be built at the site of a landslide that has halted passenger rail service through south Orange County since June 5. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports heavy equipment was being staged at the base of the slope below San Clemente’s Casa Romantica […]

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Amtrak’s Midwest day-trip services

In the Midwest, Chicago stands tall as the railroading capital. In the heart of the city is Union Station, serving as a major passenger terminus for the Amtrak system. While eight long-distance trains stretch out to all parts of the country, the remaining services out of the Windy City operate as short-distance regionals. Most are […]

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BNSF Railway sets date for taking control of Montana Rail Link

FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway aims to take over Montana Rail Link operations on Jan. 1, 2024. Federal regulators in March approved the early termination of Montana Rail Link’s lease of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Although the Surface Transportation Board’s green light meant that BNSF […]

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Women in railroading

Women in railroading Research deflates the idea that a woman’s place was in the home in the 19th century. In 1838, during the Industrial Revolution when women were already working many jobs outside of the home, railroads employed female car attendants. In the 1800s, the most important breakthrough for women in railroading came when women […]

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Railroad memories on vinyl records

Today, it’s easier than ever to railfan without leaving the comfort of your home. Kalmbach Media is one of several companies that offers DVDs on various prototype subjects. If you prefer seeing trains in real time, you can watch any number of railfan webcams, such as the one Trains magazine has at Rochelle, Ill. This […]

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STB declines to rule in Del Mar Bluffs case

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has declined to rule in a long-running case in which the operator of San Diego-area commuter trains sought an order affirming its right to proceed with bluff stabilization and safety fencing along the Del Mar Bluffs. In a decision reached May 22 and announced the following day, the board […]

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Lake Superior Railroad Museum profile

The museum and its North Shore Scenic Railroad offer a combination of historic exhibits and train rides. The museum is located in the former Duluth Union Depot in downtown Duluth. Its extensive rolling stock is mainly indoors under the train shed, while outside the North Shore Scenic Railroad offers excursion trains to Duluth’s east end […]

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Chicago suburbs sue over CPKC merger

CHICAGO — A group of western Chicago suburbs opposed to the union of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern is asking that regulators reconsider the CPKC merger. In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday with the U.S. Seventh Circuit, the eight communities and one county that make up the Coalition to Stop CPKC called the Surface […]

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Empire Builder adds cars following derailment

CHICAGO — With horns blaring while track crews working in the tunnel at the scene of Sunday afternoon’s derailment stepped safely out of the way, the westbound Empire Builder emerged from the north side of Chicago Union Station this afternoon (Monday, May 8) with an extra coach and two additional sleeping cars compared to its […]

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