ST. PAUL, Minn. — In a social media post Wednesday, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced the long-awaited second passenger train between St. Paul and Chicago will begin service in 2024. MnDOT is also asking potential passengers to take a survey about amenities they would like to see aboard the train. The Wisconsin Department of […]
Gas-electric motorcars were the first successful application of internal combustion on railroads. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy No. 9838 was an Electro-Motive product built by St. Louis Car Co. in 1927. It was powered by a 275-hp gasoline engine. The car pauses at Virden, Ill., south of Springfield, to load goods and passengers on this day. […]
ROMULUS, Mich. — Fourteen cars of a CSX Transportation freight train derailed in the Detroit suburb of Romulus today (Thursday, Nov. 2), leading to the closure of two schools “out of an abudance of caution,” the city’s mayor said. No injuries were reported and no leaks or spills resulted from the derailment about 10 a.m., […]
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay will receive $7 million in funding for expansion of its facilities, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced today (Thursday, Nov. 2.) The museum expansion is one of five projects, totaling $36.6 million, selected for funding under the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 legislation intended to […]
STANLEY, Wis. — Approximately 10 cars of a Canadian National Railway train derailed early this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 1), the Stanley Police department said in a press release posted on Facebook. The derailment occurred about 1:07 a.m. No injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were involved, police said. Stanley, population 3,378, is about 30 […]
MILWAUKEE — Amtrak’s Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha service will now feature variable ticket pricing, ending a flat fare of $25 that had been in effect since 2016. The new sliding fares of $19 to $31, based on demand and advanced purchase, are effective today (Nov. 1). They follow Amtrak’s nationwide adoption of a two-tiered pricing system; as […]
CLEVELAND — The group restoring Reading Co. T-1 4-8-4 No. 2100 has announced the locomotive will wear an American Freedom Train paint scheme nearly identical to that worn by another T-1, No. 2101, during the 1975-76 Freedom Train tour. “Our initial plan was to debut the 2100 in the original black Reading freight scheme, and […]
The New York Central 4-8-2 Mohawks were the ultimate dual-service steam locomotives. For some railroads in the steam era, it wasn’t enough to have success with a single example of a standard wheel arrangement. Instead, new competitive challenges and evolving technology often caused railroads to rethink a given locomotive class and turn it almost entirely […]
At Bluffs, Ill., a veteran hostler oils around Wabash 2-6-0 No. 576 before she and sister 573 set off up the Keokuk Branch with freight in September 1954. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — The last loads of contaminated soil have been removed from the site of February’s East Palestine derailment, according to local news reports. WKBN-TV reports the final excavation at the derailment site was completed Sunday evening. More than 175,000 tons of soil have been removed from the site, with Bob Scoble, Norfolk […]
CHICAGO — The Chicago-Seattle/Portland, Ore., Empire Builder is finally on the road to recovery after incurring significant challenges during the past week following a late October High Plains snowstorm and related issues. A series of delays throughout the week culminated in eastbound train No. 8 departing Seattle more than 5 hours late on Saturday, Oct. […]
Terminal elevators on lakes and rivers feature rail unloading on the inland side, lots of rail storage tracks, and loading and unloading gear for boats and barges on the water side. This scene along the Chicago & North Western in Milwaukee is from the early 1950s. Photo by William A. Akin […]
