NAPA, Calif. – The Napa Valley Wine Train has placed the first of two Tier 4 compliant switcher units into service as the tourist railroad’s new regular motive power. Napa Valley Railroad NZE15B No. 1864 arrived on Oct. 30, 2023. The 1,560-hp unit was rebuilt by Knoxville Locomotive Works from a National Railway Equipment Co. […]
BISMARCK, N.D. — The fight over the future of BNSF Railway’s Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri River was back in front of the North Dakota Supreme Court on Thursday, as the court heard arguments on a preservation group’s effort to overturn state permits allowing construction of a new bridge to proceed. The group Friends […]
ORANGE, Calif. — Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner is instituting its annual requirement for advance reservations during the Thanksgiving holiday period — and has announced operating plans for the four-day period in late December when trains will be unable to stop at Los Angeles Union Station because of track and signal work. Reservations will be required Wednesday, […]
BURBANK, Calif. — The agency that oversees Hollywood Burbank Airport and the California High-Speed Rail Authority have reached an agreement ending a lawsuit by the airport authority over the high speed rail project, the parties announced Thursday, Nov. 16. The agreement clears the way for construction between Burbank and Los Angeles Union Station, the Rail […]
NEW YORK — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin J. Oberman – who used his position as a bully pulpit to criticize railroads and encourage them to reach their potential by hauling more of the nation’s freight – announced today that he will leave the board early next year. “After much consideration of the work the […]
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority needs a massive infusion of $24.5 billion to address state-of-good repair needs, more than twice the figure from its last estimate of such maintenance needs in 2019, the agency said in a report issued today. The figure — up from $10 billion in the 2019 assessment — includes […]
CHICAGO — More than 30 people were injured, and more than 20 were hospitalized, following a crash involving a Chicago Transit Authority train today (Thurday, Nov. 16), according to updated information from the Chicago Fire Department. The latest information, as reported by WMAQ-TV, is that at least 38 people were injured, with 23 transported […]
Do it yourself locomotive restoration Yes, you can do it yourself! Restoring old tin trains is not as difficult as the popular folklore would have you believe. It doesn’t require any special skill or knowledge that you can’t master. Nor does it entail exotic or expensive equipment. Anyone can do it with simple household tools […]
Get your toy trains ready for the holidays While cleaning out my parents’ attic I found my old trains. Even after I had grown up and moved away, Mom and Dad still used them for years around their Christmas tree. Now, however, my trains have been boxed up and haven’t run for five years. I’d […]
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society announced a $50,000 matching grant for the restoration of seven former New York Central passenger cars. Built in 1941 for the Empire State Express, they were acquired from New York’s Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum and arrived at the Fort Wayne group’s shop in […]
NEW YORK — Amtrak has said to expect “single-tracking delays and speed restrictions” as it resumes service between New York Penn Station and Albany, N.Y., today (Thursday, Nov. 16) following four days of disruptions because of structural issues with a parking garage above its tracks in New York City. A message on its AmtrakNECAlerts social […]
Unique holiday train rides With the holiday season approaching, tourist railroads and museums around the country are ramping up for what is now the busy season. The winter was the time to start prepping equipment for off-season maintenance, in order to be ready for springtime operations, but no longer. Holiday-themed trains are now big business, […]
