LONDON, Ontario — An Ontario man arrested for tampering with railroad tracks is not allowed to use tools as a condition of his bail, the London Free Press reports. Wael El-Ghadban, 35, of London, Ont., was arrested Feb. 1 and charged with mischief endangering human life after acts of tampering at several locations in Middlesex […]
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BNSF coal train derails in Nebraska
CAIRO, Neb. — Three locomotives and 57 cars of a BNSF coal train derailed early this morning (Friday, Feb. 9) near Cairo, News Channel Nebraska reports. No injuries were reported in the incident about 4:45 a.m. along State Route 2, which blocked crossings in a 3-mile stretch from High Street in Cairo to 110th Road southeast […]
2024 Valentine’s Day train rides
Valentine’s Day train rides Sometimes doing something together and on the spur of the moment is the best. Because even the best laid plans can go awry, trust me I know. So … here is a quick, last-minute guide to some of the 2024 Valentine’s Day-themed train rides in the U.S. — just in case […]
A Valentine’s Day gift guide for the contemporary model railroader
Valentine’s Day gift guide With Valentine’s Day coming up, you may be at a loss when it comes to buying a gift for that special someone. Chocolates and flowers are blasé. Dinner and a movie? Sure, but that only lasts a few hours. A mixtape? Come on, it’s 2024, making a Spotify playlist takes seconds. […]
Union Pacific seeks to block BNSF access to Arkansas quarry
WASHINGTON – For the second time in the past three months, federal regulators are being asked to settle a dispute related to Union Pacific’s 1996 acquisition of Southern Pacific. BNSF Railway has requested that the Surface Transportation Board allow it to access a UP-served quarry in Arkansas. In a filing that appeared on the STB […]
Stop that train: Railroading is violent business
Railroading Railroading is violent business. Freight cars coupling sound like small explosions, diesel engines reverberate like distant thunder, and horns at grade crossings are so loud that even deaf people can feel them. So, with all of this violent sound going on, how do you get the attention of a railroader at work? Use more […]
Smoke fluid suppliers for toy train operators
Please contact the manufacturer directly about purchasing smoke fluid. As of this writing, there is one manufacturer of smoke pellets that’s compatable with postwar engines: SP Smoke Pellets. You can also check secondary markets to find new old stock of pellets. Happy operating! Bachmann Industries 1400 East Erie Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19124 webstore@bachmanntrains.com Bachmanntrains.com Bart’s […]
More British High Speed Trains head to Mexico
More former British High Speed Train, or HST, trainsets are now on their way to Mexico. An initial shipment of HST equipment arrived last year for passenger service on the Tehuantepec Isthmus Railway/Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec rail line in the south of the country [see “Passenger equipment from Britain, US heads to Mexico,” Trains […]
Incorrectly aligned derail caused 2022 incident with CN train, TSB determines
DORVAL, Quebec — An incorrectly lined derail caused the derailment of a Canadian National train on CSX track in a December 2022 incident near Huntingdon, Quebec, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined in its final report released Thursday, Feb. 8. No injuries occurred in the incident, which saw two locomotives and six intermodal cars […]
NTSB releases preliminary report on two fatal Brightline collisions at same grade crossing
WASHINGTON — Drivers in two fatal January collisions at the same grade crossing in Melbourne, Fla., drove around lowered crossing gates before being struck by Brightline trains, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report issued Thursday, Feb. 8, confirming earlier news reports. Officially, the NTSB is investigating a Jan. 12 collision at […]
Modified Surfliner schedule extended at least another week
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — A modified Pacific Surfliner schedule because of landslide issues in San Clemente has been extended at least another week, through Friday, Feb. 16, according to the updated Travel Advisory page on the Surfliner website. The modified schedule, available here and described in detail on that advisory page, includes two outright cancellations […]
North Dakota Supreme Court upholds dismissal of suit over BNSF Bismarck bridge
BISMARCK, N.D. — The North Dakota Supreme Court has rebuffed a preservation group’s latest legal effort to block demolition of BNSF’s Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge, upholding a lower court’s dismissal of a suit by Friends of the Rail Bridge on technical grounds. The Fargo Forum reports that the court’s five justices, in a decision released today […]
