KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine — The Seashore Trolley Museum will use a $1 million donation — the second largest in its history — to replace an aging building providing covered storage for its cars. The Portland Press-Herald reports the anonymous gift will allow replacement of the 66-year-old Burton B. Shaw South Boston Car House, which is leaning […]
Metra to add trains on BNSF line
CHICAGO — Metra will make major changes to the weekday schedule on the BNSF line, historically its most-used route, with a net increase from 86 to 91 trains as the route moves closer to its pre-pandemic level. The new schedule, effective March 28, will include four new trains, restoration of three trains dropped in November […]
STB seems likely to move ahead with a new reciprocal switching rule
WASHINGTON — Federal regulators seem likely to impose a new reciprocal switching rule that would open up more carload traffic to competition between Class I railroads. During two full days of hearings that wrapped up on Wednesday night, the Surface Transportation Board was sympathetic to shipper complaints about a combination of high rates and poor […]
Metra opposes CP-KCS merger in regulatory filing
WASHINGTON — Chicago-area commuter rail operator Metra has come out against the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, telling the Surface Transportation board in a 946-page filing that the merger would bring delays, prevent expansion of service, raise safety issues, and increase Metra’s infrastructure costs. The communter operator also says its traffic modeling indicates the operating […]
Union Pacific road-switcher cab ride
My first road-switcher cab ride started with the wub, wub, wub, wub, wub sound of the engine at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill. After a full-body experience aboard Frisco 1630 earlier that day, I settled into the cab of Union Pacific road-switcher No. 1848. (For the details folks, this is a diesel- electric, […]
How do I find railroad frequencies for my area?
Cody Grivno answers the question with resources for finding railroad radio frequencies. You want to know more about railroad communications or you have questions about your model railroad? Send us an email: AskTrains@trains.com, and if you have other resources for finding railroad radio frequencies, please leave them in the comments field below. […]
CP train derails in Saskatchewan
ROULEAU, Saskatchewan — A Canadian Pacific freight train derailed Wednesday morning near the town of Rouleau, the second such incident in the region in less than a week. Canadian Pacific said the accident occurred between the towns of Rouleau and Wilcox at about 7:45 a.m., CTV News reports. No injuries were reported and no hazardous […]
CP notifies union of intent to lock out crews in Canada (updated)
CALGARY — Canadian Pacific will lock out the approximately 3,000 members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference as of 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, March 20, unless there is an agreement between the railroad and union by then, or the two sides agree to binding arbitration. The railroad announced the move on Wednesday. On Thursday, the […]
Union says BNSF, Norfolk Southern have declared impasse in crew-size negotiations
CLEVELAND, Ohio — BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern have declared an impasse in negotiations with unions over crew size, one of the unions has informed its members. The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division told its members that the two railroads declared the impasse under Section 6 of the Railway […]
California’s Railtown 1897, museum foundation acquire Sierra Railway locomotive
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Railtown 1897 State Historic Park and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation have acquired historic Sierra Railway No. 34, the only surviving Sierra steam locomotive never to have been in service on another railroad. A ceremony to mark the acquisition, made possible through a donation by railroad enthusiasts Chris Baldo and Marion Hatch, will […]
Canadian National donates more than $1 million for Ukraine relief
MONTREAL — Canadian National will make donations totaling C$1.1 million to two organizations — the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, and U.S. non-profit Razom — to support Ukrainians displayed by the war in Ukraine. The railroad will also match donations made through the CN Employees’ and Pensioners’ Community Fund. “Our Company’s history is tied to the settlement of […]
Weekly U.S. rail traffic again below 2021 levels
WASHINGTON — Overall U.S. rail traffic remained below levels of a year earlier for the week ending March 12, 2022, according to Association of American Railroads statistics. Weekly traffic included 496,134 carloads and intermodal unites, down 4.7% from the corresponding week in 2021. That included 232,388 carloads, a 0.9% increase, and 263,746 containers and trailers, […]