Norfolk Southern train derails near Pittsburgh

Norfolk Southern logo

HARMAR TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Norfolk Southern train derailed after a grade crossing accident with a construction vehicle in a Pittsburgh suburb Thursday afternoon, injuring the driver and both members of the train crew. Seventeen cars derailed, with several going into a tributary of the Allegheny River, WTAE-TV reports, and a railroad bridge was damaged. […]

Read More…

American Flyer S gauge Pacific a great addition to the lineup

American Flyer S gauge Pacific Baltimore & Ohio

The 2021 Lionel American Flyer catalog announced the production of a Legacy-equipped light 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive. It was exciting to hear the tooling for it was going to be used again; the company produced a number of models of these United States Railroad Administration-designed engines from 2006 to 2008 as well as a light 2-8-2 […]

Read More…

Tornado damages Ontario tourist railway

Wooden train station building with broken glass and other visible damage

UXBRIDGE, Ontario — A tourist railway is among the locations sustaining severe damage from a May 21 tornado that struck the community of Uxbridge in south-central Ontario. The Uxbridge Times-Journal reports the York-Durham Heritage Railway sustained about C$750,000 in damage to its station, equipment, and grounds, and is closed until further notice. “After the railway […]

Read More…

Amtrak fares and availability a mixed bag for summer travel

Train with electric lcomotive passes interlocking tower near station

CHICAGO — Depending on the route, Amtrak trains can either offer a welcome alternative to record high gas prices or no relief at all. That’s because where sufficient capacity exists, fares remain flexible, but where Amtrak management has failed to marshal the resources to return sidelined equipment to duty, the traveling public suffers. Corridors offer […]

Read More…

Weekly rail traffic stats remain below 2021 figures

Table showing weekly U.S. rail traffic by carload commodity, plus overall intermodal numbers

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic remains below 2021 levels on a weekly and year-to-date basis according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Figures for the week ending May 21 show overall traffic of 506,976 carloads and intermodal units, down 4.1% from the corresponding week a year earlier. That figure includes 233,244 […]

Read More…

Menards’ Cripple Creek Crossing switch tower

brown tower

Menards’ Cripple Creek Crossing switch tower really struck a chord with me for an odd reason – it’s weather-worn and looks like it’s been on the losing end of a battle with railroad management for maintenance. Anyone who did railfanning in the 1970s or ’80s knows what I mean. These places might have seen their […]

Read More…

HO scale 53-foot plate wall highway trailers from Bowser

illustration of white trailer

53-foot plate wall highway trailers Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $29.95 Era: Mid-1990s to present Manufacturer: Bowser Manufacturing Co., Inc., 1302 Jordan Ave., Montoursville, PA 17754, 570-368-2379, bowser-trains.com HO scale highway trailers features: Injection-molded plastic Plastic wheels and mudflaps Landing gear Pre-orders due June 30, 2022 Scheduled for release in summer 2023 Road names: Crete, Dart, […]

Read More…

HO scale Pennsylvania RR class H-43 100-ton three-bay hopper from Bowser

black hopper

Pennsylvania RR class H-43 100-ton three-bay hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $29.95 Era: 1971 to present (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Bowser Manufacturing Co., Inc., 1302 Jordan Ave., Montoursville, PA 17754, 570-368-2379, bowser-trains.com HO scale 100-ton three-bay hopper features: 36” metal wheelsets Roller-bearing trucks Interior and slope sheet braces Knuckle couplers Pre-orders due May […]

Read More…