Rail and road bridges have been key targets as Ukrainian military forces began a counterattack in the south of the country to liberate the city of Kherson and its surrounding area from Russian occupation, according to announcements from the Ukrainian government. The city was occupied in early March. The counter-attack, officially announced in late August, […]
CHICAGO — Metra operated a passenger special Saturday, Sept. 3, for members of the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners from Chicago Union Station and return, operating on Metra’s Milwaukee West and Milwaukee North lines. The train’s route took it to Elgin, Ill., on Metra’s Milwaukee West line. The special then retraced most of […]
Two more unions have announced tentative agreements with the railroads’ bargaining group in the current national contact negotiations, the National Carrier Conference Committee. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and American Train Dispatchers Association have informed their members of the deals, bringing the five the number of unions that will bring agreements to their members […]
WASHINGTON — Weekly U.S. rail traffic was up for the second consecutive week, compared to 2021, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Aug. 27, U.S. railroads handled 511,574 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4% from the same week a year earlier. That figure included 242,633 carloads, up 3.4%, […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has approved an $811 million contract for new light rail vehicles to be built by CAF USA, the American affiliate of Spanish rail equipment manufacturer CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles). A CAF news release says the order will be for 102 vehicles, two driving simulators, parts, tools, […]
CHICAGO — Percy E. Fields III has been named as president and general manager of the Belt Railway of Chicago, succeeding Mike Grace. Fields, 42, has spent more than 22 years in railroading, beginning his career as a conductor for the Union Pacific Railroad. He has most recently been Belt Railway of Chicago’s general manager. […]
Tank cars Scale: Large scale (1:24) Price: $124.99 Manufacturer: PIKO America LLC, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego, CA 92120; piko-america.com Tank cars feature: Injection-molded plastic tank on flatcar Factory-applied handrails, turnbuckles, ladders, platforms, brake wheel, brake cylinder, and stirrup steps Plastic wheelsets Hook-and-loop couplers Minimum recommended radius, 23.6” Release date: October 2022 Paint […]
Athearn Trains announced that it will be releasing a National Steel Car 6,400-cubic-foot capacity gondola in its Genesis series. The newly tooled model, which will be offered in N and HO scales, will have a detailed underbody, removable debris covers on later variants, and Barber S2E 100-ton trucks with rotating roller-bearing caps. Road names and […]
Two-bay hopper with exterior posts Scale: Large scale (1:24) Price: $76.99 Manufacturer: PIKO America LLC, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego, CA 92120; piko-america.com Hopper features: Simulated coal load Molded handrails and stirrup steps Plastic wheelsets Hook-and-loop couplers Minimum recommended radius, 23.6” Release date: October 2022 Paint scheme: CSX (black and yellow). One road […]
Ukraine’s railways have been vital to the country’s war effort since the Russian invasion in February, moving refugees west, away from the fighting, and taking troops and equipment east to the battlefront. In addition, national rail company Ukrzaliznytsia (UZ) has been trying to help keep the country’s economy running by enabling exports by rail. In […]
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 […]
CHENA HOT SPRINGS, Alaska — A small number of the thousands of people who travel to Alaska each winter hoping to see the Aurora Borealis will have a new and very different viewing point starting in 2023. How about soaking in a large tub of natural hot spring water in a warm private room aboard […]
