The best-selling Fairbanks-Morse diesel locomotives came from the builder’s “H” series of hood units. Even though Fairbanks-Morse built relatively few diesels compared to EMD or Alco, FM locomotives have a solid following among railfans. They were known for being rugged, excellent-pulling locomotives, in spite of their temperamental opposed-piston engines. Fairbanks-Morse chose to develop […]
Q: In the good old days, it was fairly easy to distinguish among the major diesel locomotive players, especially the carbody units from Alco, Baldwin, and Electro-Motive Division (EMD). They all had distinctive noses and cabs. My question: Are there some features that will help with spotting EMD vs GE diesels I see on railroads […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked the Surface Transportation Board to order mediation in response to Amtrak’s request for an investigation into its handling of the Sunset Limited, and says the current Sunset schedule is the root cause of the train’s problems. In a Friday filing with the STB, UP asserts that the Sunset schedule […]
MONTREAL — VIA Rail Canada has issued a formal request for information from potential manufacturers of locomotives and passenger cars who might be interested in re-equipping the company’s long distance and regional remote passenger trains. VIA’s appeal comes as Amtrak is evaluating responses received from a similar invitation [see “Amtrak seeks carbuilder interest …,” Trains […]
Providence and Worcester Railroad summary The Providence and Worcester Railroad (PW) is a regional railroad that operates in New England. It’s owned by Genesee and Wyoming Incorporated. Through its acquisitions and trackage rights agreements, the PW spans approximately 612 miles of standard-gauge track in Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. History The Providence […]
Effingham Railroad Company summary The Effingham Railroad Company (EFRR) is a short line railroad operating in its namesake town of Illinois. It’s owned by Regional Rail LLC, a holding company that manages multiple shortline railroads throughout the United States and Canada. A total of 9 miles of standard-gauge track is used to serve the Effingham […]
The Rail Center acrylic hobby paints line has joined the model railroad marketplace. Ammo by Mig Jimenez, a Spanish paint manufacturer, recently unveiled its new line of railroad colors. The paints are sold in 17ml plastic bottles with a flip-top lid and metal stirring ball. The colors can be applied straight from the bottle with […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation reported strong fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday and, despite signs of an economic slowdown, said it expected to gain volume this year thanks to ongoing service improvements. “I’m particularly proud to report that our service metrics continued to show real improvement through the fourth quarter after starting a clear upward trend […]
Florida Central Railroad summary The Florida Central Railroad (FCEN) is a short line railroad operating out of Orlando, Fla. It is one of three of the state’s shortline railroads that is part of Regional Rail, LLC. As its name implies, the railroad’s 68 miles of standard-gauge track serves the central region of the state from […]
Florida Northern Railroad summary The Florida Northern Railroad (FNOR) is a short line railroad operating in northern Florida as its name implies. It is one of three of the state’s shortline railroads that is part of Regional Rail, LLC. The railroad operates 104 miles of standard-gauge track on two separate branch lines. One out of […]
MONTREAL — When it comes right down to it, railroading is not a complicated business, Canadian National Chief Operating Officer Ed Harris says. It’s all about sticking to a schedule, following the operating plan no matter what, and running safely. Harris, who served as CN’s operations boss from 2005 to 2007, was named COO on […]
The Lionel Legacy 0-6-0 switcher has a great feature set for a steam engine this small. Strasburg Rail Road’s No. 31 has immortalized in this run of the locomotive. Really, the hype for the heritage railway was the story of the Lionel 2021 Volume 2 catalog, all courtesy of the brass-hybrid offering of 2-10-0 No. […]
