Bi-level commuter cars Scale: HO (1:87:1) Price: Coach, $99.95; cab car, $119.95; coach three-pack, $299.95; three-car set (two coaches and cab car), $319.95. Era: Mid-1970s 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: Body shell designs with or without […]
BOSTON — Commuter rail, shuttle buses, vans for those with accessibility challenges, and free use of bicycles that are part of Boston’s bikeshare program are all part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s plans to provide alternatives during the month-long closure of the rapid-transit Orange Line that begins this Friday, Aug. 19. The MBTA released […]
CHICAGO — Track work by host railroad Canadian National will lead to schedule changes for Amtrak’s City of New Orleans beginning today (Monday, Aug. 15) and continuing, with some breaks, though Friday, Oct. 14. The changes, as outlined by Amtrak, include: — Monday, Aug. 15 and Tuesday, Aug. 16: Northbound train No. 58 will depart […]
QUEENS, N.Y. — The first segment of the Long Island Rail Road’s Third Track project, a $2.6 billion effort to add 9.8 miles of third main on the heavily used route between Floral Park and Hicksville, is slated to open for the morning commuter rush today (Monday, Aug. 15). Newsday reports the 4-mile stretch between […]
ELKINS, W.Va — West Virginia Central Railroad and its operator, Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, have acquired the five locomotives of the now-closed Elk River Railroad, according to Durbin & Greenbrier Valley President John Smith. The locomotives involved are two GP10 rebuilds and one GP8, along with a pair of GP9s. All are now awaiting […]
NEW YORK — The last of three New York City Transit Museum-sponsored trips using vintage subway equipment drew a sellout crowd on Saturday, Aug. 13, for a trip to the Rockaways. The trip used 1930s Independent R1 through R9 equipment, along with century-old Brooklyn Rapid Transit/Brooklyn Manhattan Transit Co. (BRT/BMT) B-type/Standard equipment — a consist […]
BOISE CITY, Okla. — Thirteen cars of a BNSF unit coal train derailed Friday evening near Boise City, blocking a state highway for several hours, the Cimarron County Sheriff’s Office reports. No injuries were reported. KVII-TV reports the derailment occurred about 6:50 p.m. State Route 325 was reopened about 12:30 a.m. on Saturday. BNSF’s main […]
BOSTON — The Federal Transit Administration has approved plans by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to address two of the safety directives issued by the FTA in June, but says two others need more work. The Boston Herald reports the federal agency has approved the MBTA’s plans to deal with track maintenance and recertification of […]
VINEYARD, Utah — The Utah Transit Authority has opened the first new station in a decade for its FrontRunner commuter rail service, with ceremonies Friday marking the opening of the stop in the fast-growing community of Vineyard. The Salt Lake Tribune reports Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, appearing at Friday morning’s ceremony, noted the commuter rail’s […]
MOJAVE, Calif. — Kern County, Calif., supervisors have approved a proclamation in support of the Mojave Inland Port, a planned 410-acre facility intended to receive and distribute up to 3 million containers per year from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. “The Mojave Inland Port is a fully permitted industrial site that will […]
SEATTLE — A woman was killed after becoming caught between the platform and a train at the Mount Baker station on Seattle’s light-rail system, the Seattle Times reports. The accident occurred about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, with the Seattle Fire Department saying the woman was extricated by paramedics but was pronounced dead at the scene. […]
READING, Pa. — A doubleheader of 4-8-4 No. 2102 and 4-6-2 No. 425 made the Saturday, Aug. 13, Reading & Northern Iron Horse Ramble — the third of four scheduled — even more of a special event for railfans in the Northeast, drawing large crowds to see the sold-out excursion. It was the first Reading […]
