Track inspection No. 1: Know thy thermal forces! For John Zuspan, principal at Track Guy Consultants, the most important takeaway for any student in his introductory track inspection course is that rail forces increase with temperature changes. So, knowing that the rail can move (compress or tense), even in moderate temperatures, means knowing that track […]
Track ballast Down below the trains, below the rails, the tie plates, and the ties, is a lowly yet vital component of railroading — track ballast. While ballast may not be at the top of anyone’s list of rail topics, it’s literally part of the foundation of railroads, and it can comprise more than 80% […]
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Transportation Committee of the Kentucky House heard testimony Tuesday on a bill requiring two-person crews for freight trains in the state, reviving legislation that has previously failed to advance. HB 33 is sponsored by seven legislators including Reps. Kevin Bratcher (R-Louisville), whose biography includes involvement with the Kentucky Railway Museum among […]
WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin Oberman was so disappointed in the lack of information provided at Wednesday’s board hearing into the status of Amtrak Gulf Coast service that he ordered the parties to come back in 30 days with a detailed report to address the board’s unanswered questions. “I’ve negotiated a lot of […]
TAFT, Fla. – The James E. Strates Shows carnival train – which has hauled midway attractions to fairs up and down the East Coast since 1934 – may have unceremoniously made its last trip. When the 45-car train was spotted on the two spurs adjacent to the Strates headquarters outside of Orlando, Fla., on Nov. […]
News & Products for the week of February 12th 2024 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of February 12th […]
GP60-series locomotives EMDs GP60 model was the last of a series of four-axle locomotives built with ever-increasing horsepower, designed to lead a railroad’s priority trains. Short, fast intermodal trains were perfect for a GP60s 3,800 horsepower V-16 to send 950 horsepower to each axle. Unfortunately, the double stack era was underway, with longer heavier trains […]
Valentine’s Day gift guide With Valentine’s Day coming up, you may be at a loss when it comes to buying a gift for that special someone. Chocolates and flowers are blasé. Dinner and a movie? Sure, but that only lasts a few hours. A mixtape? Come on, it’s 2024, making a Spotify playlist takes seconds. […]
Railroading Railroading is violent business. Freight cars coupling sound like small explosions, diesel engines reverberate like distant thunder, and horns at grade crossings are so loud that even deaf people can feel them. So, with all of this violent sound going on, how do you get the attention of a railroader at work? Use more […]
DORVAL, Quebec — An incorrectly lined derail caused the derailment of a Canadian National train on CSX track in a December 2022 incident near Huntingdon, Quebec, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined in its final report released Thursday, Feb. 8. No injuries occurred in the incident, which saw two locomotives and six intermodal cars […]
MOBILE, Ala. — The City of Mobile will not take part in the Surface Transportation Board’s hearing on delays in launching Amtrak service between Mobile and New Orleans, Mayor Sandy Stimpson informed the board in a brief letter today (Thursday, Feb. 8). The board announced Tuesday that it would proceed with that hearing on Feb. […]
The Alabama Port Authority will build a new intermodal terminal in Decatur, Ala., in a partnership with CSX. The North Alabama Intermodal Container Transfer Facility will connect the Port of Mobile with customers in the central and northern parts of Alabama, the port authority said Thursday (Feb. 7). The port authority will redevelop a portion […]
