Repair process for Metrorail cars, reduced service to continue through summer

WMATA logo

WASHINGTON — The DC Metrorail system is facing a lengthy process in returning its sidelined 7000-series railcars to service, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager Paul Wiedefeld said at a Thursday board meeting, with reduced service expected to continue through the summer. The website DCist also reports the Metrorail extension to Dulles International Airport […]

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Santa Fe New Mexico branchline service

A lone diesel locomotive pauses in an arid landscaped rail yard.

Santa Fe New Mexico branchline service epitomizes a long-gone era of U.S. railroading — the kind where locals and shuttles move rural freight (and passengers) in unhurried ways. True, this photo gallery from the David P. Morgan Library collection offers dedicated copper-mine running. But there are no “hot-shots”, high-priority merchandise freights, or even an intermodal […]

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Menards O scale Sacred Heart Hospital

Menards O gauge Sacred Heart Hospital.

Menards O scale Sacred Heart Hospital: One thing I’ve noted about a lot of O gauge railroads is that while they may have plenty of police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances, they tend to be a bit short on the hospital or clinic side. The Sacred Heart Hospital helps solve that situation by offering good […]

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Lionel’s new baby K4 locomotive is a solid runner

Lionel's new baby K4 black locomotive in O gauge.

Back in the steam era, many railroads had a particular locomotive that symbolized that railway in the minds of the public. The New York Central had the 4-6-4 Hudson, the Milwaukee Road had its streamlined Hiawatha 4-4-2 Atlantics, and the Pennsylvania – which branded itself The Standard Railroad of the World – had the K4 […]

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Worker killed on Los Angeles subway project

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LOS ANGELES — A construction worker was killed Wednesday at the site of a future LA Metro subway station when he was struck and killed by a work train. KCBS-TV reports the accident occurred at the site of the Wilshire and La Brea station. Firefighters were called just after 4:50 p.m. to a report of […]

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Ukraine war leads to coal shortage for British heritage steam

Small steam locomotive operating through field

Several of the largest steam heritage railways in Britain have announced reduced schedules or postponed special events involving multiple locomotives. The reason: a shortage of suitable coal because of transport or supply problems following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Britain once boasted the world’s largest coal export ports. Railways around the world relied on coal […]

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Unions turn to arbitration in effort to strike down BNSF attendance policies

Logos for BLET, SMART-TD unions

CLEVELAND — The two unions who were blocked from striking over new BNSF Railway attendance policies imposed by BNSF Railway seek to overturn those rules through arbitration. In a statement Wednesday, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division said they would “proceed as […]

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