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 […]
Read More…
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 […]
Read More…
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 […]
Read More…
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, […]
Read More…
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 […]
Read More…
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 […]
Read More…
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: […]
Read More…
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 […]
Read More…
Common name: Trost’s Dwarf cutleaf birch, Dwarf European birch Latin name: Betula pendula ‘Trost’s Dwarf’, synonym: Betula platyphylla Plant type: Shrubs & small trees Plant size: 3-4′ high by 3′ wide before pruning USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9 (10, given moisture) Cultural needs: Sun; moist, drained, slightly acidic One day a horticulturist noticed a finely divided […]
Read More…
Shay No. 7 and the log operating train Name: Ray Wheeler Railroad Name: Jericho & Mt Zion Railway Location: Lynnwood, WA Scale: G scale Theme: Tourist railroad with freight operations in the modern era. Title: The E.V. Wheeler Timber Company Description: “The E.V. Wheeler Timber Company” – EVWT Shay #7 and log train operating on […]
Read More…
Q: I would like to add a speaker to a decoder in my Atlas locomotive. But I plan to run it on a DC analog system. Can I still put the speaker on or can I not? – Zachary Chevalier A: There are such things as motor-only and function-only DCC decoders, so to know if yours […]
Read More…
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 […]
Read More…