Sorting out locomotive headlights and class lights

closeup of yellow locomotive's lights

Locomotive headlights and class lights Aside from required ditch lights on most locomotives today, extra lights are essentially gone from freight locomotives, but if you look hard enough you can still find traces of the past when additional lights were ordered by railroads. Before the era of locomotive standardization, many railroads chose to equip their […]

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New York Senate passes package of rail regulations

ALBANY, N.Y. — Following a nationwide legislative trend in the wake of February’s derailment and toxic-chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio, the New York state Senate has passed a series of bills seeking to regulate the way railroads operate in the state. The wide-ranging bills address everything from crew size for a mandate for positive […]

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STB declines to rule in Del Mar Bluffs case

People walking on railroad tracks as train approaches

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has declined to rule in a long-running case in which the operator of San Diego-area commuter trains sought an order affirming its right to proceed with bluff stabilization and safety fencing along the Del Mar Bluffs. In a decision reached May 22 and announced the following day, the board […]

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FTA orders MBTA to revise safety plan for track workers

Workmen repair track

BOSTON — A Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority safety plan for track workers has been turned down by the Federal Transit Administration, which has ordered a new plan to be submitted by June 5. The May 19 letter to MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng from Joe DeLorenzo, FTA associate administrator and chief safety officer, Office of […]

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Metrolink launches $15 Summer Day Pass

Silver, teal, and black locomotive pushes train out of station

  LOS ANGELES — Southern California commuter rail operator Metrolink is bringing back its $15 Summer Day Pass — offering unlimited one-day rides on the Metrolink system — as of today (Tuesday, May 30) through Friday, Sept. 1. The Summer Day Pass complements existing $10 Holiday Pass and $10 Weekend Day Pass programs. The pass […]

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Teamsters Canada Rail Conference ratifies CN agreement

Teamsters_Canada_logo

MONTREAL — The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, representing approximately 6,000 Canadian National locomotive engineers, conductors, and yard workers, has ratified its new contract with the railroad, CN announced Friday. Some 70.7% of those voting were in favor of the contract, the union said. “I want to graciously thank the members who took the time to […]

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Head-end power

A image of the nose of a blue and silver modern passenger locomotive

Head-end power: Dinner is about to arrive at table 7 in the Southwest Chief’s Superliner dining car. Outside, the late afternoon sun illuminates exhaust blasting skyward as the locomotives up front struggle to maintain speed up the more than 3% grade leading to the top of Raton Pass in New Mexico. Downstairs in the kitchen, […]

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Locomotives are the power of railroading

An image of the broadside of a black-painted steam locomotive trailing smoke and steam

Locomotives are the power of railroading and the industries’ most potent and popular symbols. The major types that have been used in North America are steam (now confined to museums, tourist lines, and the occasional excursion), diesel-electric (the standard of the industry), and straight electric (always a tiny minority). Steam locomotives burn coal, oil, or […]

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Memorial weekend disruptions: Zephyrs detour or are cut short because of washouts

The westbound California Zephyr climbs the Front Range out of Denver on June 5, 2016. The train originated in Denver on Sunday, May 28, after a washout east of the city caused a detour of the previous day's trains over the Union Pacific's Overland Route

CHICAGO — Some Amtrak long-distance and regional trains outside the Northeast Corridor experienced rare detours and extraordinary delays prior to and during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. On most routes, though, trains were operating on time as a result of lighter freight traffic. California Zephyrs rerouted  Early Saturday, May 27, a washout on BNSF Railway’s […]

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