WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans have released a proposed budget for fiscal 2024 that would effectively force Amtrak “to radically reduce or suspend service on various routes across the nation,” according to Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner. The legislation marked up Wednesday also calls for substantial reductions in infrastructure programs benefitting passenger rail. Its release begins […]
Vermont Rail System was hit as hard as its namesake state by storms early this week, but the company is beginning to get a handle on the damage. “I am feeling better today than I did yesterday,” president Selden Houghton said in a a telephone interview today (July 12) with Trains News Wire. VRS received […]
Trains LIVE — In the Nevada Northern shop — 7-12-2023 — There is a rich tradition being carried out inside the 1907 enginehouse at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum in Ely, Nev. Here mechanics work to restore locomotive No. 40, a 1910 Baldwin 4-6-0. The engine is a National Historic Landmark and an official Nevada […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Restoration of Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis No. 576 reached a milestone Tuesday with the reinstallation of the 4-8-4’s wheels and trucks. “This was a very crucial phase in the restoration,” Nashville Steam Preservation Society President Shane Meador said in a press release. “The amount of work we’ve completed on the historic […]
One of the questions I often hear is, “I’m interested in getting into live steam; where do I find resources for live steamers?” Unfortunately, there is no “one stop shopping” for all the questions beginners may have about small-scale live steam. However, there are a number of resources out there that can provide answers, and […]
Transcontinental Railroad Workers who built the first Transcontinental Railroad, by hand, in the late 1860s labored through grueling heat, biting winter cold, snow, attacks from Native American tribes, and long, long work days. Learn how they did it with this excerpt from one of Trains’ DVD’s, Journey To Promontory, available from the Kalmbach Hobby Store. […]
Norfolk Southern high hoods The high-hood locomotive once numbered in the hundreds on the Norfolk Southern roster, charged with every duty from high-value manifest trains to slow coal drags. Some even helped pull the curtain down on the last steam-powered branch lines. Now, their numbers have been decimated down to the double digits, their duties […]
The latest Premier locomotive from Atlas has hit the shelves! The P42 Genesis locomotive was developed from a previous MTH tooling that Atlas O acquired during the MTH tooling sale three or so years ago. This O gauge Premier line model sports some great Amtrak paint schemes The P42 was expected to be announced in […]
“Who is going to keep steam alive in the 21st century? Who are the young guns?” These were the questions asked in Erik G. Ledbetter’s Steam’s young guns from Trains’ May 2006 issue as well as the 2008-aired episode of PBS’ Tracks Ahead. Having had opportunities to cut my teeth in the steam preservation movement […]
WASHINGTON — Virginia Railway Express service remains limited for the morning commute as a result of Tuesday’s Amtrak derailment at Washington Union Station, VRE reported in a service alert. “Traffic is still suspended going into and out of Union Station,” the alert reads, “and we are still unable to retrieve our equipment from the coachyard […]
Schnabel car One may think 89-foot auto racks are large while standing trackside, but they can be dwarfed by specialized railcars called upon for heavy-duty service where shipping by truck isn’t available, practical, or affordable. These are Schnabel railcars, which feature the ability to carry heavy loads. With up to 22 axles, these cars used […]
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — Metrolink commuter rail service and Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner will resume operation through San Clemente on Monday, July 17, Metrolink and the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency have announced. The announcement comes a day after the board of directors of the Orange County Transportation Authority, which has been overseeing work at a landslide […]
