Former New York tourist route goes to auction

Blue, gray, and yellow semi-streamlined diesels

NORTH CREEK, N.Y. — A 30-mile stretch of track last operated by the defunct Saratoga & North Creek will be auctioned off as part of bankruptcy proceedings, opening the possibility of its return to operation. The Albany Times-Union reports an initial bid of $700,000 has already been received from Revolution Rail, which has operated a […]

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CSX names Pelkey as chief financial officer

CSX logo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX on Monday named Sean R. Pelkey as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective immediately. Pelkey, who joined the railroad in 2005, most recently served as vice president and acting chief financial officer. Previously, he was vice president of finance and treasury. “Sean has played an important role as a […]

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Model railroad products for the week of January 27, 2022

Athearn Ready-to-Roll HO scale Chicago & North Western Evans 50-foot double-plug-door boxcar no. 600523.

Product news Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest news on new model railroad products such as locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 27, 2022. See all products […]

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News photo: CP reveals first hydrogen fuel-cell locomotive

Green and gray cowl locomotive with blue trim

CALGARY — Canadian Pacific has released a short video on its social media channels showing the first of its three hydrogen fuel-cell locomotives converted from diesels. You can see it here on Facebook, and here on Twitter. The railroad says the locomotive, built from a former SD40-2F and dubbed the H20EL (for “Hydrogen Zero-Emissions Locomotive”) […]

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Tourist railroad asks agency to drop railbank plan

Maroon locomotive leads train with holiday lights down street at night

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission is considering a forced abandonment of a branch line owned by Roaring Camp Railroads as part of a move to railbank the line for possible future commuter-rail use — a move opposed by Roaring Camp. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports Roaring Camp, which operates […]

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RDC excursion set on Reading & Northern (corrected)

Stainless steel railcar at ornate station

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Railroad Historians of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society are sponsoring a branchline excursion using Reading & Northern’s Budd RDCs on Saturday, April 23. The fundraising trip will cover Reading & Northern’s main line and branches, which include trackage from the Reading, Jersey […]

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LA district attorney responds to UP criticism on train thefts

People with plastic bags picking up trash along railroad tracks

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon has responded to Union Pacific criticism of his policies, which it says play a part in much-publicized thefts from intermodal containers, by suggesting the railroad doesn’t do enough to protect its trains. The South Bay Daily Breeze reports that Gascon, in a letter to UP […]

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Maintenance error suspected in fatal MBTA crossing-gate accident

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority logo

WILMINGTON, Mass. — An error by a signal contractor apparently led to a fatal accident in which a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train struck a vehicle, killing its driver, on Friday. The Boston Globe reports that MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement that “human error” is the focus of the investigation by […]

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