U.S., Canadian, and European rail supply groups agree to increase collaboration

Logo of Railway Supply Institute

BERLIN — The Railway Supply Institute and its Canadian and European counterparts have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish future collaboration between the rail supply industry groups. The agreement between RSI, the Canadian Association of Railway Suppliers, and the European Rail Supply Industry Association, or UNIFE, was announced Tuesday at the InnoTrans trade fair. The […]

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Ontario Northland releases ‘Every Child Matters’ unit

Orange locomotive with words "Every Child Matters" on black feather painted on long hood

NORTH BAY, Ontario — Ontario Northland Railway unveiled its “Every Child Matters” locomotive, GP38-2 No. 1808, on Monday, Sept. 12, at its North Bay shop facility, in a ceremony attended by local First Nations representatives and government officials. The “Every Child Matters” initiative is part of Canada’s National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, also known […]

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Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs

Black-and-white photo of end-cab switcher at diesel servicing track

Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs. Burlington Northern (BN) had more than 2,000 diesel locomotives on its roster. With a fleet of that size, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there were more than a few Burlington Northern locomotive one-offs. Paint scheme variations, wreck rebuilds, and test subjects were among the examples I found when searching […]

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Catenary work halted on Montreal light rail project following runaway-equipment incident (updated)

Map of Montreal light rail system under construction

MONTREAL — Catenary work on the Réseau express metropolitain light rail project has been temporarily halted while authorities investigate a Monday incident involving a runaway piece of equipment involved in track construction. The CBC reports a resident of a building overlooking Montreal’s Champlain Bridge captured video footage of the yellow maintenance vehicle rolling uncontrolled into […]

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News photos: Guelph Junction Railway lands new customer

Orange locomotive passes construction equipment at work

The city-owned Guelph Junction Railway has added a new customer, Flash Freight Systems, constructing a siding on the city’s north end near Woodlawn Avenue and Edinburgh Road. Flash Freight, headquartered 8 miles north of Guelph in Ariss, Ontario, will be using the siding to transload cement, potato flakes, peas, and lumber. The siding was constructed […]

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Visiting Rapido – Bus and Train Tour

Visiting Rapido – Bus and Train Tour | When David Popp and Ben Lake recently traveled north of the Canadian Border to explore all that’s new with Jason Shron, President of Rapido Trains Inc., they were treated to a special sidetrack trip. On their way to see what new N and HO scale models Rapido […]

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Organizers, supporters make push for Montreal-Boston night train

Map showing proposed passenger route from Montreal to Boston via Sherbrooke, Quebec, and Old Orchard Beach, Maine

COATICOOK, Quebec — More than 60 political and business representatives from both sides of the Canada-U.S. border packed the former Coaticook railway station, now a craft brewery, this week to plead for a new night train between Montreal and Boston. Francois Pepin, a retired network planner with Montreal’s transit agency, Société de transport de Montréal […]

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Rails vs. Trails conflict heats up in Maine: Special Report

Passenger train crosses diamond in area surrounded by trees

AUBURN, Maine — An Aug. 25 hearing before a Maine Department of Transportation advisory council heard conflicting proposals to use 25 miles of idle state-owned tracks for a Portland-Auburn commuter rail system, or to remove those tracks to create a trail. Meanwhile, a Canadian-based organization, the Night Trains Foundation, has suggested yet another use: as […]

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Amtrak set to resume service to Vancouver, B.C.

Blue and silver road-switcher locomotive on passenger train

Passengers line up at Pacific Central Station the Vancouver, British Columbia, for that afternoon’s Amtrak Cascades departure. The round-trip that includes this train is to be restored at the end of September. (Bob Johnston) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak will resume single daily round-trip Cascades service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sept. 26, two […]

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Transport Canada proposes Southwest Ontario passenger rail study

Passenger train on multi-track main line

WINDSOR, Ontario — Admitting that the government’s focus so far has been on corridor rail improvements east of Toronto, Canada’s transport minister announced Tuesday his agency will explore options to “improve passenger rail frequencies, on-time performance, and shorten travel times in Southwestern Ontario.” Minister Omar Alghabra said Transport Canada “will seek an external advisor, who […]

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Rapido 3,800 cubic-foot capacity cylindrical covered hopper

Drawing of 11 different cylindrical hoppers

3,800 cubic-foot capacity cylindrical covered hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $54.95; six-pack, $329.70 Era: 1965 to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Features Round-hatch or trough-hatch design as appropriate Dofasco S-2 100-ton trucks 6- or 11-side panel body […]

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