WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday released the list of witnesses scheduled to appear at next week’s investigative hearing on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment and hazardous material release in East Palestine, Ohio. That hearing is scheduled for June 22-23 at East Palestine High School and will deal with the decision […]
Zone & Region: Midwest
NTSB issues final report on CTA employee fatality
WASHINGTON — A Chicago Transit Authority customer service assistant fell onto the electrified third rail when attempting to cross the right-of-way at the L’s La Salle/Van Buren station and died by electrocution, the National Transportation Safety Board says in its report on the July 16, 2022, accident. The final accident report was issued Thursday. The […]
Minnesota highway remains closed from May 31 derailment
LANCASTER, Minn. — A section of U.S. Route 59 remains closed near the Canadian border more than two weeks after the derailment of a CPKC freight train, and clean-up efforts will keep it closed for most of another week. The derailment of 24 cars of the CPKC train took place on May 31 about 9½ […]
BNSF donates locomotive to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America
SILVIS, Ill. — BNSF Railway has donated former Santa Fe B40-8W No. 537 to the non-profit Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA). The unit was delivered to the RRHMA shop in Silvis this week. No. 537 was constructed by General Electric for Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe in October 1990 as part of its “Super Fleet” […]
Spaces to Places IV | Installing the Streets, part 4
Gerry Leone recaps his work on the sandpaper street of Westcott, a town on his new HO scale (1:87.1) model railroad. Now it’s time to add rule, order, and realism to the roadways – by means of basic road markings and subtle weathering. Grab your brush, paint, water-soluble decals, and tools, to join in the […]
Refinery donates sanding tower to Indiana museum
NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — BP’s Whiting Refinery in Whiting, Ind., has donated a sanding tower once used by the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, solving the museum’s problem in sanding four larger locomotives recently added to its collection. The tower had been built in 1954. Museum member John Eagan contacted […]
Santa Fe No. 3415 officially debuts for 2023
ABILENE, Kan. — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3415 officially debuted for its 2023 operating season on June 10, heading the regular excursion and dinner trains on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. This comes after the railroad’s 104-year-old 4-6-2 was temporarily sidelined right before the Memorial Day weekend due to unforeseen repairs needing to […]
Spaces to Places IV | Installing the Streets, part 4
Gerry Leone recaps his work on the sandpaper street of Westcott, a town on his new HO scale (1:87.1) model railroad. Now it’s time to add rule, order, and realism to the roadways – by means of basic road markings and subtle weathering. Grab your brush, paint, water-soluble decals, and tools, to join in the […]
Amtrak sets new schedules for 110-mph Lincoln Service operations
CHICAGO — New schedules for Amtrak’s Lincoln Service trains will take effect June 26, and are expected to shave approximately 15 minutes off current travel times to reflect 110-mph operation on portions of the Chicago-St. Louis route. The new schedules — not yet available on Amtrak’s website as of 7 p.m. today (June 12), but […]
Michigan announces $19 million in grants for freight rail projects
LANSING, Mich. — Ten railroads will receive a total of $19 million for a dozen projects as the first round of recipients for the Michigan Rail Enhancement Grant Program announced today (Friday, June 9). The 2023 projects funded by the state Department of Transportation, selected in a competitive process, will improve rail safety, operational efficiency, […]
Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society announces Cigar Train
PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and Fort Wayne cigar and wine store Rudy’s Shop have announced plans for Rudy’s Rolling Smoke, a Cigar Train experience aboard vintage rail equipment to be offered on July 1. Tickets, starting at $199, are now on sale at the Cigar Train page of the […]
Cleveland calls on railroads to fix bridges needing ‘critical repairs’
CLEVELAND — The City of Cleveland says 23 of the city’s railroad bridges are in need of critical repairs, and is seeking ways to ensure railroads address the issue. WOSU Radio reports the city presented that list, as well as a list of another 76 bridges in need of non-critical repairs, at a Thursday press […]