Rainy weather delays effort to fix rail line to San Diego

Heavy equipment moving rocks along rail lline at beach as train waits in distance

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — A series of storms that have brought significant rain to California have slowed efforts to repair an unstable slope along the Surf Line in Orange County, pushing back efforts to restore through rail passenger service between Los Angeles and San Diego while also raising the cost of the repair effort. The […]

Read More…

Canadian government to require railroads to report more information on traffic, performance

Passenger and freight train meet at junction

OTTAWA — The Canadian government will require railroads to provide more detailed information on traffic and performance under amendments to Canada’s Transportation Information Regulations, Transport Canada announced on Monday, Jan. 9. The information, to be reported weekly, will be published on the government’s Transportation Data and Information Hub. The new rules take effect April 4, […]

Read More…

Hedlund named vice chair of Surface Transportation Board

WASHINGTON – The Surface Transportation Board announced on Jan. 9 that Board Member Karen Hedlund has been designated as the agency’s vice chairman. Hedlund, who has served on the board since January 2022, succeeds Michelle Schultz, who continues to serve as a board member. The board’s vice chairmanship rotates among the members on an annual […]

Read More…

Patriot Rail acquires Delta Southern Railroad

patriotraillogo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Patriot Rail has added another short line to its stable. The short line holding company on Jan. 9 closed on its acquisition of the Delta Southern Railroad, which operates two line segments that are roughly 60 miles apart in Monroe and Tallulah, Louisiana. DSRR operates over 40 miles of track between the […]

Read More…

Bowser Manufacturing General Motors Diesel SD40-2, SD40-3, and SD40-2f

General Motors Diesel SD40: An image of a red model locomotive against a white background

Bowser Manufacturing General Motors Diesel SD40-2, SD40-3, and SD40-2f Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: DC with 21-pin plug, $229.95; DCC LokSound V5 decoder, $329.95 Era: 1972+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Bowser Manufacturing Co. Inc., 1302 Jordan Ave., Montoursville, PA 17754; 570-368-2379; bowser-trains.com General Motors Diesel SD40 features: Road name specific details Road name specific fuel […]

Read More…

Portland day-trip rail experience

Passenger train traveling over steel double-deck bridge.

Portland day-trip rail experience: In the coastal Pacific Northwest, a Portland day-trip rail experience is easy enough that you can leave your vehicle at your local train station, and not think about automobiles for the rest of the day. With all Amtrak corridor and long-distance trains calling on Portland, Oregon one can usually find a […]

Read More…

Rapido United States Railroad Administration single-sheathed boxcar

United States Railroad Administration single-sheathed boxcar: four orange and brown model boxcars are shown against a white background

Rapido United States Railroad Administration single-sheathed boxcar Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Single car, $49.95; six-pack, $299.70 Era: 1918+ Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com United States Railroad Administration single-sheathed boxcar features: New tooling Details including roof and handbrake KC or AB brakes as appropriate Wood or […]

Read More…

Metra to introduce expanded SouthWest Service schedule

Commuter train arrives at station

CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra will introduce a major upgrade to its SouthWest Service schedule as of Jan. 16, increasing the number of weekday trains from 12 to 30 as part of a pilot program. “As we have done on other lines, we are adjusting the schedule on the SouthWest Service to meet increasing […]

Read More…