Amtrak ACS64 No. 627 shortly after it crashed into a maintenance-of-way backhoe that was fouling a track on the Northeast Corridor near Chester, Pa., in April 2016. National Transportation Safety Board WASHINGTON — Faulty communication between maintenance workers appear to have played a significant part in last year’s fatal collision between an Amtrak train and […]
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A bilevel passenger car mock-up stands gleaming under shop lights at the Nippon Sharyo’s Rochelle, Ill., plant in May 2014. Bob Johnston ROCHELLE, Ill. — Another 100 workers have lost their jobs at Nippon Sharyo’s Rochelle manufacturing plant leaving an unknown, but likely small, number of workers at the facility. “This difficult decision is the […]
The side of one car in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Red unit train in April 2010. Chase Gunnoe CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Small town America, the faces of smiling kids, and experiencing the nation’s beauty from a railcar are lifetime highlights for former workers on board the ‘Greatest Show on Earth.’ Trains News Wire […]
CSX Transportation SD60M No. 8775 leads the James E. Strates Shows carnival train P-922 eastbound on the Philadelphia Subdivision through Elk Mills, Md. in May 2016. Michael S. Murray ORLANDO, Fla. — With the circus world reeling with the announcement that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is shutting down, carnival operator Strates Shows […]
BARABOO, Wis. – On Jan. 14, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced that its two touring shows will conclude in May 2017. The next day, Trains Magazine visited the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, where Ringling’s circus began. Editor Jim Wrinn talked with Executive Director Scott O’Donnell and Performance Director Dave SaLoutos. […]
The Burlington ‘Zephyr’ as seen in Aurora, Ill., on May 26, 1934. Its nonstop run may have included slow spots. CB&Q Q In 1934, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy ran the Zephyr from Denver to Chicago nonstop. How did they do this without changing crews? Did they have crews on-board for each subdivision and change […]
SAN FRANCISCO — Transit managers at Caltrain are moving forward with plans to develop a new mobile ticketing app for use on the agency’s commuter rail system. Board members recently approved a contract in excess of $643,000 for creators at moovel Group, a mobile technology company, to design and implement the new fare technology. By […]
BOSTON — MBTA announced Thursday that it would not extend its contract with commuter rail operator Keolis beyond 2022. The announcement comes after months of complaints lodged at the operator for poor performances, particularly during winter, and losing millions of dollars. Keolis was first awarded the eight-year, $2.7 billion to operate MBTA’s commuter rail operations […]
CHICAGO — If you have yet to see this video posted to Facebook from Chicago’s ABC affiliate, please don’t throw a shoe at your screen. Someone with ABC posted a video recording of Metra crews standing near a diamond with one rail lit on fire. ABC’s original caption was: “WINTER IN CHICAGO! Setting the tracks […]
Join Assistant Editor Brian Schmidt for a look at BNSF Railway’s famed “Racetrack,” the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy main line between Chicago and Aurora, Ill. You’ll see fast freights along with Amtrak and Metra passenger moves along the triple-track speedway at the Naperville and Route 59 stations. For more Chicago railroading, be sure to […]
Join Assistant Editor Brian Schmidt for a look at BNSF Railway’s famed “Racetrack,” the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy main line between Chicago and Aurora, Ill. You’ll see fast freights along with Amtrak and Metra passenger moves along the triple-track speedway at the Naperville and Route 59 stations. For more Chicago railroading, be sure to […]
