Electric Railways of North America in Color, Vol. 1 book review

The electric railways of North America served a variety of purposes: carrying commuters, industrial switching, and mainline freight and passenger service. From coal-hauling, six-axle, red-white-and-blue motors in British Columbia to plain green electric M.U. cars in New Jersey, there can be broad interest in electric railroads. Noted railfan Matthew Herson has lent his photographic collection […]

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Amtrak’s City of New Orleans at Chebanse

Passenger train passes through small town in dim pre-dawn light.

Join me in early mid-March, beside Amtrak City of New Orleans at Chebanse, Ill., a few weeks ahead of farmer’s spring planting — about 70 miles south of Chicago. It’s a breezy, crisp early morning before sunrise. The camera’s ISO is notched up to 2500. A lamp brightens the interior of the Chebanse depot, but […]

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Jacksonville Terminal Co. N scale 20-foot military supply containers

various colors for military containers

20-foot military supply containers Scale: N (1:160) Price: Two-pack, $29.65 Era: Present day Manufacturer: Jacksonville Terminal Co., jtcmodeltrains.com 20-foot military supply containers features: Injection-molded plastic Prototype-specific door styles Inter-box connecting pins Magnetic connection system (one magnet on bottom and metal plate on top) Corrugated side Paint schemes: Military series: US Army Camo ‘B’, APMU Camo […]

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Jacksonville Terminal Co. N scale 53-foot intermodal containers

various different intermodal containers

53-foot intermodal containers Scale: N (1:160) Price: Two-pack, $33.95 Era: Present day Manufacturer: Jacksonville Terminal Co., jtcmodeltrains.com 53-foot intermodal containers features: Injection-molded plastic Prototype-specific door styles and placard holder location Inter-box connecting pins Magnetic connection system (three magnets on bottom and metal plate on top) 8-55-8 corrugation pattern Paint schemes: Giant Tiger or Tigre Geant […]

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Canadian National launches second train pair serving Port of Halifax

Locomotive moving cars of containers with ship and dock in background

MONTREAL – Canadian National has added a second pair of intermodal trains linking the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with points in Eastern Canada and the U.S. Midwest. The railway launched trains Q122 and Q123 this month, joining existing trains Q120 and Q121 that serve Atlantic Canada’s busiest containerport. “Working with our partner PSA, this […]

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Four arrested for alleged Amtrak health-care fraud

U.S. Department of Justice seal

NEWARK, N.J. — Four people have been arrested and charged for their roles in a health-care fraud scheme that resulted in Amtrak paying at least $9 million in medical claims to those associated with the scheme. A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey says Muhammad Mirza, 50, of […]

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Silence on railfan photo lines

Silence on railfan photo lines: A high-angle image of a steam and diesel locomotive in a tree covered mountain landscape.

Silence on railfan photo lines is growing in importance as technology evolves and we find new, exciting ways to capture the essence of railroading when participating in rail photography charters. Those of us more enamored with still photography than videography may need to dial in on our photo line etiquette in consideration of how these […]

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MBTA halts service on two subway lines over structural concerns

Diagram showing closed subway stations in downtown Boston

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has suspended some service on its Orange and Green Line subway lines in downtown Boston after the discovery of what the agency termed “a structural issue” with a parking garage being demolished. The MBTA said in a Thursday press release that the company demolishing the Government Center Parking […]

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Amtrak awards preliminary design contract for Penn Station expansion

Train arrives in underground station as people stand on platform

NEW YORK — Amtrak has awarded a contract to engineering, design, and consulting firm Arup to begin preliminary design for expansion of New York’s Penn Station. The contract, announced Thursday and awarded in partnership with NJ Transit and coordination with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will allow design work to begin for new tracks, platforms, […]

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