GREENVILLE, S.C. — Three non-profit groups say they have made an offer to Norfolk Southern buy the right-of-way of the inactive Saluda Grade — when active, the steepest main line in America, averaging a 4.7% incline with a brief stretch of 5.1% grade — with plans to turn it into a 31-mile rail trail. The […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board says grade-crossing design specifications and railcar crashworthiness will be among the factors it continues to examine as it investigates the fatal grade-crossing collision and derailment involving Amtrak’s Southwest Chief. The NTSB released its preliminary report Thursday on the June 27 accident near Mendon, Mo. The preliminary report outlines […]
BOSTON — A metal sill on a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authrotiy Orange Line train came loose and made contact with the electrified third rail, causing the fire that stopped the train on a bridge in Somerville, Mass., on Thursday, the agency says. The Boston Globe reports that MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said about 200 […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline has welcomed the arrival of two new trainsets at its Orlando Vehicle Maintenance Facility. The “Bright Green 2” and “Bright Pink 2” trainsets arrived Thursday, the third and fourth trains from the passenger operator’s second round of equipment purchases to arrive on site in Florida. The first train arrived in West […]
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Transportation is launching a feasibility study to consider the possibility of operating passenger rail service beween the Raleigh-Durham area and Greenville, N.C., the Charlotte Observer reports. The $250,000 study, to be funded by a federal grant, is one of several considering expansion of the state’s passenger service […]
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska Railroad Corp. has been authorized to sell up to $60 million in bonds to upgrade its cruise passenger dock and terminal in Seward, Alaska, following Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s signing of a bill earlier this month. Bond sales for the $80 million project will be underwritten by Bank of America Securities, […]
TAMPA, Fla. — A long-discussed proposal to launch commuter rail service in the Tampa Bay area is unlikely to advance after CSX Transportation told local officials it is not interested in selling two rail lines in the area. The Tampa Bay Times reports that the railroad — which indicated seven years ago that it would […]
NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority still needs “considerable work” to be prepared to use some $350 million in flood-control devices installed since Hurricane Sandy caused substantial damage in 2012, according to a new report. Acting MTA Inspector General Elizabeth Keating said in a press release that in the years since Sandy, the MTA […]
68-foot flatcars Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $32.95 (undecorated, $29.95) Era: Late 1970s to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com 68-foot flatcars features: Side stake pockets Simulated tie loops, pull plate, and lift ring detail Fish-belly center sill Pull plates and lift rings Accumate couplers Release date: […]
WAUKESHA, Wis. — Trainfest planning continues for a November return of the show, says Nicole McGuire, Kalmbach Media Senior Vice President for Consumer Marketing. “The response has been really positive. We’re seeing a lot of the big names you’re used to,” McGuire says. Among those names are Wm. K. Walthers Inc., Rapido Trains Inc., PIKO America, […]
General American Transportation Corp. 20,700-gallon tank car Scale: N (1:160) Price: $37.95 (undecorated, $29.95) Era: 1965 to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com General American Transportation Corp. 20,700-gallon tank car features: Bottom outlet Brake gear and pipes Control housing Five-section non-insulated body Manway One- or two-piece […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific’s second quarter profits and revenue rose despite service problems that prompted the railroad to meter traffic, a move that helped keep the network fluid but came at the expense of lost volume. “We understood that the actions we took to improve fluidity would impact our financial performance,” CEO Lance Fritz […]
