Cody Grivno answers the question: I’m curious to know what the railroad side marker seated in the ballast before a grade-level crossing is all about. It appears to look like an upside down metal hockey stick. Please inform me what this marker stood for, and during what years it would have been utilized. […]
Magazine: Trains Magazine
California high speed rail authority drops single-track proposal
SACRAMENTO — The latest version of the business plan for California’s high speed rail system has dropped a plan to build a single track for its initial 171-mile segment, instead returning to the original two-track plan. The Los Angeles Times reports the draft version of the 2022 business plan released Tuesday by the California High […]
Santa Cruz council votes against rail abandonment
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The Santa Cruz City Council has voted unanimously to express opposition to a proposal that would lead to abandonment of the line connecting the city to the Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific tourist railroad. Lookout Santa Cruz reports the vote has no legal bearing on the proposal floated by the […]
Report says Amtrak needs better framework to manage Gateway projects
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has not fully developed a framework to manage its responsibilities in the $30 billion Gateway program of Northeast Corridor improvements, even though it has already begun hiring staff and setting a schedule, the Amtrak Office of the Inspector General says in a new report. The report on the Gateway program — which […]
Patriot Rail enters agreement to develop ‘rail district’ at central California freight hub
MERCED, Calif. — The Merced County Board of Supervisors has approved an agreement with Patriot Rail to develop a “rail district” at the Castle Commerce Center, a 1,912-acre freight transportation hub including an airport with 11,800 feet of runway, as well as rail and road access. The location in California’s Central Valley is approximately 125 […]
Did the Pennsylvania railroad have any Alco RS-2 diesels on its roster?
Cody Grivno answers the question about Pennsy’s roster (noting the importance of diesel rosters to both model railroaders and railfans alike). The RS-2 stayed on the Pennsylvania roster until 1965 when they were retired. Do you have a prototype locomotive roster questions? Or, do you want to learn more about your model railroad? Send us […]
Staffing shortages lead to LA Metro service cuts
LOS ANGELES — LA Metro has become the latest transit agency to announce service cuts related to staffing shortages, with trims to rail and bus service set to begin Feb. 20. Metro’s board approved the cuts Jan. 27, with a goal of resuming full service no later than June. “The recent COVID-19 spike, combined with […]
Amtrak to order 50 more long-distance Siemens Chargers
CHICAGO — On the day Amtrak placed its first Siemens ALC42 locomotives into revenue service — although not without some problems — the company announced it will acquire more of the locomotives. In a event at Chicago Union Station, Amtrak Vice President and Chief Mechanical Officer George Hull used the operating debut of the two […]
CN touts proposal to acquire KCS route linking Springfield, Ill., with Kansas City
WASHINGTON — Canadian National is making a bold claim: It will take more trucks off the highway than what’s projected for the entire Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger if regulators force divestiture of the KCS line linking Springfield, Ill., and Kansas City. CN told the Surface Transportation Board last month that it intended to file […]
News photos: Brightline’s first Orlando train arrives at new maintenance facility
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Brightline train has arrived in Orlando for the first time. The new “Bright Blue 2” trainset was delivered to the passenger operator’s Vehicle Maintenance Facility, nearing completion. The facility is near Orlando International Airport, the northern terminus for the extension of service planned in 2023. “To see these trains begin to […]
Congressional hearing set for Wednesday on DC Metro issues
WASHINGTON — A House subcommittee is set to hold a hearing Wednesday on the problem-plagued DC Metro transit system. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Government Operations will hold the 9 a.m. EST hearing on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s “responsibility to provide safe and reliable transit service to the National […]
The Trains Interview: Scott Lothes
MADISON, Wis. — Scott Lothes has guided the Center for Railroad Photography & Art as its executive director for more than 10 years, leading the Center through a period in whch its budget and archives expanded fivefold and its staff grew dramatically. Trains News Wire interviewed him to learn more about the Center’s success, how […]