EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – Norfolk Southern announced Friday that it has reached a “significant milestone” at the sight of the derailment in East Palestine. NS said it has finished excavating and removing contaminated soil beneath the south track at the derailment site. It has excavated and removed more than 25,000 tons of soil and 12 million […]
Zone & Region: Midwest
Illinois Railway Museum to preserve historic White Castle facade
UNION, Ill. – White Castle restaurants and railroading would not appear to be linked, but volunteers at the Illinois Railway Museum are working to incorporate the famous White Castle facade into a 1950s street scene the museum is recreating. When volunteers realized that the oldest active Chicago-area White Castle restaurant in Whiting, Ind., was closing […]
Iowa mixed train
Smack in the middle of the Hawkeye State, Minneapolis & St. Louis 2-6-0 No. 310 crosses the Skunk River with train 342, the return leg of the daily mixed from Marshalltown to Story City, Iowa, in mid-1946. The spindly bridge near Roland necessitated the use of light motive power on the Story City Branch. William F. […]
More Midwest Venture cars enter service; California still waits
Second of two parts CHICAGO — The introduction of Venture business/coach cars on some state-supported Amtrak routes in the Midwest reflects an increase in availability of the Siemens-built equipment, delayed by a variety of production and acceptance issues. Meanwhile, there is still no firm date for the introduction of California’s Venture equipment, although a spokesman […]
Indiana Rail Experience announces 2023 schedule, first day of ticket sales
The Indiana Rail Experience, the rail excursion partnership of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and Indiana Northeastern Railroad, will return for its second season with an expanded schedule of events beginning May 27-28 and continuing through December. Excursions will feature diesel locomotives as well as Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765 on select occasions, […]
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to resume National Park Scenic, Explorer trips May 5
PENINSULA, Ohio — The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will resume its National Park Scenic excursions and its Explorer Program as of May 5, the tourist railroad has announced. The railroad through Cuyahoga Valley National Park has faced a series of limitations on operations or complete shutdowns because of erosion issues along its right-of-way, which follows […]
Slide suspends Seattle-Portland ‘Cascades’ service through Friday
SEATTLE — Amtrak Cascades between Seattle and Portland, Ore., remain suspended through Friday, April 14, while BNSF Railway crews clear a mudslide that has kept passenger trains from operating since Tuesday. Portland-Eugene, Ore., and Seattle-Vancouver, B.C., trains have continued to operate, while the Coast Starlight to and from Los Angeles has been turning at Portland. […]
Venture business-class cars debut in Midwest: Trip report
First of two parts CHICAGO — After being delayed for several years by production setbacks and acceptance issues, the first of 17 state-owned Siemens Venture business-class cars are now hosting passengers on Midwest Amtrak routes. They are not being advertised, however, and you only need a regular coach ticket to ride the cars. They feature […]
Victim identified in death at Decatur, Ill., industrial railyard
DECATUR, Ill. — A man who died in while operating a locomotive at an Archer-Daniels-Midland rail yard on Tuesday has been identified by the Macon County coroner, WAND-TV reports. Robert L. Dautel Jr., 66, of Morrisonville, Ill., died of blunt force injury of the chest due to injuries sustained an accident described as a collision […]
Icing reefers on the Erie
The Erie’s icing platform at Marion, Ohio, handled a lot of meat and other perishable traffic. Here, carts on the upper-level platform service a pair of Wilson meat reefers. The two Pacific Fruit Express reefers at right will receive chunk ice from the main platform. A large ice plant is in the background. Erie Railroad photo […]
The HO scale Jones Island layout
Facts & features Name: Jones IslandScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 3′-6″ x 13′-10″Prototype: Port of MilwaukeeLocale: Milwaukee waterfrontEra: Present dayStyle: ShelfMainline run: NoneMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 6 Maximum grade: NoneBenchwork: L-girderHeight: 49″Roadbed: CorkTrack: Code 83Scenery: Extruded-foam insulation board, SculptamoldBackdrop: PhotoControl: NCE Digital Command Control Download a PDF of this track plan! Buy the May 2023 issue […]
GM&O on the eve of merger
Gulf, Mobile & Ohio GP30 502 leads southbound freight 33 south of Pomona, Ill., in December 1971, ten months before GM&O’s merger with Illinois Central. Steven Mueller photo […]