N&W 611 moved for winter storage

Black end-cab switcher with steam locomotive

STRASBURG, Pa. – Personnel from the Strasburg Rail Road, Virginia Museum of Transportation, and Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania moved famed Norfolk & Western Railway 4-8-4 No. 611 from the Strasburg’s track across Pennsylvania Route 741 to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania for winter storage on January 31. The move was made to free up track […]

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Work remains on schedule on South Shore projects, board is told

Electric trainset pulled by diesel passes station

PORTER, Ind. — Work on the South Shore’s Double Track project remains on schedule, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District was told at its Monday board meeting, with a full resumption of revenue service likely in about 16 months. The Times of Northwest Indiana reports that NICTD President Michael Noland told the board that trains […]

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MTA runs into early delays with Penn Station Access project

Map showing location of new Metro-North stations in the Bronx

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority project to bring Metro-North commuter rail service to Penn Station via Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line, while building four new stations in the Bronx, has barely begun — but is already facing notable delays. Bloomberg reports Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA Construction and Development, told an MTA board committee […]

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Pacific Surfliner service resumes to San Luis Obispo

Passenger train running along beach

GOLETA, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner resumed service between Goleta and San Luis Obispo on Monday, Jan. 30, following a two-week suspension. The updated schedule of service to and from San Luis Obispo is available here. Operations north of Goleta had been suspended while Union Pacific repaired a storm-damaged trestle on the grounds of Vandenberg […]

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‘Arizona Spike’ sells for $2.22 million

Engraved railroad spike made of three types of metal

SALT LAKE CITY — The Arizona Spike, one of four created for ceremonies marking the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, sold for $2.22 million in an auction that concluded last week, far more than had been anticipated. KSL-TV reports Christie’s had set a pre-auction estimate of $300,00 to $500,000 for the spike, with […]

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UP cars derail in Idaho yard

Union Pacific logo without slogan. UP Bailey Yard explosion appear to be accidental.

POCATELLO, Idaho — Cleanup continued Monday after 25 railcars derailed at Union Pacific’s yard in Pocatello Sunday night, the Idaho State Journal reports. The accident occurred about 11 p.m. No injuries were reported and mainline operations were not affected. No hazardous materials were involved. The railroad said the cause of the derailment was under investigation. […]

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B&O’s Ambassador on Thomas Viaduct

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A Baltimore & Ohio P-7 Pacific has the Detroit–Baltimore Ambassador in tow as it crosses famous Thomas Viaduct at Relay, Md., just outside Baltimore, in November 1953. Having pulled into the stub-end Washington Union Station, the train is running “backward” – two sleepers right behind the engine, then two coaches, and a combine on the […]

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Lionel trains in The Fabelmans movie

Toy train racing toward boy.

The Lionel trains in The Fabelmans movie will enthrall postwar O gauge enthusiasts, if only for a little while. The motion picture, released in November 2022, provides a partially autobiographical look at the early life of famed director Steven Spielberg. At the beginning of The Fabelmans, young Sammy Fabelman – based on Spielberg – is […]

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Rainier Rail profile

Two brown and black diesel locomotives pulling a freight train of tank cars

Rainier Rail summary Rainier Rail (WRL) is a short line railroad that operates in southwestern Washington. It’s controlled by WRL, LLC as part of the Frontier Rail group of companies under Paul and Robert Didelius’ leadership. This includes the Columbia Rail group of short lines in eastern Wash., and Oregon. With nearly 40 miles of […]

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Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad Corporation profile

A black-and-yellow first-generation diesel locomotive in a locomotive shop.

Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad Corporation summary The Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad Corporation (WNYP) is a short line railroad that operates across southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Livonia Avon and Lakeville Railroad. With 330 miles of standard-gauge track, the railroad is renowned for rostering […]

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