NEW HAVEN, Conn. — With little fanfare, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has turned its Shore Line East commuter service over to Kawasaki M8 electric multiple unit cars, replacing diesel-powered trains using former Virginia Rail Express Mafersa coaches. The EMUs began to cover all trains today (Tuesday, May 24) on the service between New Haven and […]
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London’s $24 billion ‘Elizabeth Line’ opens under city center
LONDON — Delayed by construction problems and then the pandemic, London’s new high-tech, east-west rail line, the Elizabeth Line connecting existing routes on both sides of the city, finally opened to passengers today (Tuesday, May 24). Initially, the brand-new central section from London’s Paddington station in the west to Abbey Wood in the city’s […]
East Broad Top team brings history to life: Analysis
When East Broad Top General Manager Brad Esposito was cleaning up rock salt in a shed at the railroad’s shop complex last year, he didn’t bat an eye when he realized he was standing on wooden crates marked “dynamite.” After all, the EBT stored just about anything in dynamite crates that had been emptied at […]
Four ideas for window treatments
Four ideas for window treatments: The sky is the limit … or rather your structure’s windows are. There are endless options when it comes to decorating or dressing up windows. You can be as creative or as simple as the project calls for. Just consider how fancy or frugal you want to be from the […]
Track laying techniques are not tricky
Q: I’m an HO scale modeler and struggling with track laying techniques. I would appreciate guidance on measuring, cutting, and installing flextrack on curves. I’m always disengaging the rails from the ties, and thus having trouble connecting to the next track. Also, when superelevating curves, is it better to attach the risers under the outer rail […]
Recreate a prototype photo on your garden railway
Recreate a prototype photo: If you are a history nut like me, authenticity is important on your layout. I model the Kansas Central narrow gauge line that tried to build across Kansas in the 1870s to connect with the Denver & Rio Grande in Colorado. It met with competition from the standard gauge Kansas Pacific […]
Administrative issues led to Sacramento light-rail crash, report says (updated)
WASHINGTON — “Weak administrative controls” that allowed a supervisor to authorize a high-speed test without knowing another train was on the same track led to the collision of two light rail trains in Sacramento, Calif., in August 2019, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report. The Aug. 22, 2019, collision occurred at 9:39 p.m. […]
VIA’s struggle for relevance at the root of CEO’s resignation: Analysis
MONTREAL — When a passenger operator is forced to survive on a budget insufficient to provide service capable of satisfying its country’s travel needs, while on-time reliability remains hamstrung by host railroads, it is almost impossible for the person in charge to make a difference. The abrupt departure of VIA Rail Canada CEO Cynthia Garneau […]
Amtrak invites press to inspect new-generation Acela
PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak opened a second-generation Acela high-speed trainset for press inspection Monday at 30th Street Station, giving a look at the interiors of the first-class, business-class, and café cars that will make up 28 160-mph trainsets projected to enter service between Boston, New York, and Washington late next year. Parked at an underground boarding […]
Driver killed, passenger injured in Metra grade-crossing accident
HAINESWORTH, Ill. — The driver of the truck was killed and a passenger was injured Monday morning when a Metra train struck a dump truck at a private railroad crossing near Grayslake, Ill. The cab car of the inbound Milwaukee District North train derailed as a result of the collision about 7 a.m. The injured […]
LA Metro board to consider $8.8 billion budget
LOS ANGELES — The board of directors of transit agency LA Metro will consider an $8.8 billion budget on Thursday, a fiscal plan including $2.3 billion for ongoing expansion projects as well as funds to begin operation on two new rail lines. Metro’s in-house blog, The Source, reports the expansion funding includes ongoing work on […]
WalthersMainline General Steel Castings 53-foot bulkhead flatcar
WalthersMainline General Steel Castings 53-foot bulkhead flatcar Senior Editor Cody Grivno reviews the HO scale General Steel Castings 53-foot bulkhead flatcar from Wm. K. Walthers Inc. The model, part of the WalthersMainline, has a newly tooled die-cast metal body and is offered in six paint schemes (and undecorated). The model is based on full-size cars […]