The Algoma Central Railway was chartered in 1899 to build into the Ontario wilderness north of Sault Ste. Marie. Its purpose was to bring out pulpwood and iron ore. In 1901 the ambitions of its founder added “& Hudson Bay” to the corporate title. The line reached Hawk Junction, 165 miles north of Sault Ste. […]
Algoma Central locomotives provided a bit of variety in northern Ontario railroading. For a railroad its size, ACR owned a variety of steam power. The first engines were secondhand, including 11 acquired in 1899: four Lehigh Valley 4-6-0s and seven ex-Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 0-4-0s. ACR’s first new power, four Baldwin 2-8-0s, arrived […]
Boston & Albany’s J2 Hudsons provided subtle variety to the greater New York Central System. From the moment the New York Central absorbed the Boston & Albany Railroad via lease in 1900, you can imagine the company’s executive team vowing to hang on to as much independence as possible. The B&A was a […]
Amtrak Floridian service provided direct service between Florida and the Midwest for almost a decade. The train was first known as the South Wind, a name inherited from predecessors Pennsylvania Railroad, Louisville & Nashville, and Seaboard Coast Line. With the issuance of Amtrak’s first in-house timetable on Nov. 14, 1971, the name was changed to […]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The government agency charged with settling British Columbia’s port labor dispute has warned the union representing dock workers that failing to ratify a new tentative agreement would be an “unfair labor practice.” The Canadian Press reports the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada and BC Maritime Employees Association reached a new […]
Metrolink’s lonely F40PH locomotive is one of a dwindling number of F40s. It’s hard to believe once the EMD F40PH was the predominant motive power for Amtrak trains as well as many commuter lines. At Metrolink, No. 800 is today one of a kind. The story starts in the years following the initial hodgepodge of […]
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Now in its eighth season, Norfolk Southern’s First Responders Train continues its mission of training 5,000 firefighters, emergency medical technicians, police and dispatchers each year at cities around NS’s 19,000-route-mile, 22-state system. From March to October, the eight-car train circulates among 12 to 15 cities, offering free training in emergency procedures to […]
Ukrainian Railways (UZ or Ukrzaliznytsia) and rail operators in neighboring European countries are stepping up efforts to move thousands of tons of grain from Ukraine to ports in Poland, Romania, and Germany for export around the world. The increase in rail transport has followed Russia’s decision to end a deal, previously brokered by the United […]
MONTREAL — Montreal’s Réseau express métropolitain light rail line experienced a problematic start to regular operations on Monday, as service was halted for more than an hour during the morning rush hour because of a pair of issues. The line was shut down from 8 a.m. until about 9:15 a.m. because of a track issue […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Administration will provide $102.3 million in funding to help transit agencies, cities, and councils recover from recent natural disasters, the agency announced Monday. The funding, to entities in eight states and territories, comes from the FTA’s Public Transportation Emergency Relief program. It helps fund replacement of equipment and facilities damaged […]
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons will sign legislation this week including $50 million in funding for grade-crossing improvements, and will announce a crossing safety plan with the Missouri Department of Transportation, WDAF-TV reports. Parsons will sign House Bill 4, an appropriations bill governing the Department of Revenue and Department of Transportation passed […]
MONTREAL — Martin Imbleau, CEO of the Montreal Port Authority, has been named as the first CEO of VIA HFR, the VIA Rail Canada project office for the construction of the passenger-only High Frequency Rail corridor between Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City. VIA HFR, which operates as an “arms-length” affiliate of VIA Rail to co-manage […]
