Amtrak Heartland Flyer day trip to Fort Worth, Texas

Passenger train arrives at station with brick platform

For Oklahomans and visitors to the Sooner State an Amtrak Heartland Flyer day trip to Fort Worth, Texas is easy thanks to intercity train’s apt schedule. Each day, the Heartland Flyer departs from Oklahoma City’s original Art Deco Santa Fe depot for a relatively short jaunt down to Fort Worth, Texas. The depot is located […]

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CSX cleanup efforts continue after West Virginia derailment

SANDSTONE, W.Va. — CSX Transportation has completed removal of the 22 empty coal hoppers that derailed Wednesday when its train hit a rock slide in the New River Gorge, the railroad reports, as it continues efforts to reopen its rail line. The derailment occurred at 4:51 a.m. Wednesday when the train hit several large boulders, […]

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West Virginia rail bill advances in state Senate

Public Service Commision of West Virginia logo

CHARLESTON, W.Va — A bill allowing West Virginia’s Public Service Commission to investigate and fine railroads for safety and operational violations will advance to the full Senate after being advanced by the Senate’s judiciary committee. WCHS-TV reports a CSX Transportation representative testified earlier this month that the railroad believes federal law would prevent HB3059 from taking […]

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Amtrak set to start early work on B&P Tunnel project

Map detail showing MARC commuter stations around B&P Tunnel

BALTIMORE — Amtrak will begin early construction activity on the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program this Friday, March 10, with tie and rail replacement and track drainage work as part of its preparations for the $6 billion project. “This initial project will directly reduce impacts during later construction phases and maximize the benefits of the new […]

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Intermodal traffic again drags down weekly U.S. rail volume

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus intermodal totals

WASHINGTON — Reflecting another week in which intermodal traffic showed a double-digit decline from the same week a year earlier, overall U.S. rail traffic was down 6.3% for the week ending March 4, 2023. Total rail traffic was 474,191 carloads and intermodal units. That included 237,413 carloads, down 1%, and 236,778 containers and trailers, down […]

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The first Lionel Conrail cars and engines

Lionel conrail blue gp9

The first Lionel Conrail cars and engines came shortly after the federal government created the railroad in 1976. Fundimensions, the division of General Mills then licensed to manufacture and market Lionel trains and accessories, announced an O gauge boxcar with Conrail graphics in the 1977 consumer catalog. The quick move was actually atypical. Earlier mergers […]

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The Lionel X6454 Baby Ruth boxcar

yellow and brown model boxcar

The Lionel X6454 Baby Ruth boxcar is one of the most basic freight cars ever made. It looks unassuming and familiar, but it’s among the toughest postwar cars to find and own. Lionel cataloged this 9¼-inch model only in 1948. It was one of three new single-door boxcars introduced that year, all of them designated […]

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Amtrak Crescent day trip to Birmingham, Alabama

Passenger train at station with "Atlanta" sign in foreground

An Amtrak Crescent day trip to Birmingham is possible because the Crescent’s schedule offers several daytrip offerings depending on where you are located along its long-distance route. One offering is a roundtrip experience between Atlanta and Birmingham, Ala. The trip starts off at Atlanta’s Peachtree Station at 1688 Peachtree Road Northwest in the city’s Brookwood […]

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