Investigation determines rail failure caused 2019 CP derailment

Damaged tank car

EDMONTON, Alberta — An undetected rail defect led to a Canadian Pacific derailment in September 2019 that saw petroleum products spill from three tank cars, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has determined. The Sept. 27, 2019 derailment near Blackfalds, Alberta — approximately 8.4 miles north of Red Deer and 88 miles south of Edmonton […]

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Rare Fairbanks-Morse locomotive donated to Tennessee museum

Light blue and white diesel locomotive

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum has added a rare Fairbanks-Morse locomotive to its collection thanks to a donation from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The H16-66 “Baby Trainmaster”, built in 1958, is one of the few surviving Fairbanks-Morse locomotives, and one of less than 1,500 produced by Fairbanks-Morse before the company exited the […]

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Indiana museum, short line sign new operating agreement

Black and white locomotive pulls two blue and white locomotives as train crosses bride

NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum has signed a new agreement with the Chesapeake & Indiana Railroad, allowing the museum to lease and continue to operate on 5 miles of track between North Judson and English Lake, Ind. The agreement simplifies operation protocols between the two organizations and gives the museum greater […]

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Metro-North announces Aug. 29 service increase

Electric multiple unit trainset with red front stops at station

NEW YORK — Metro-North Railroad will introduce significant service increases late this month, returning operations to 82% of pre-pandemic levels, including the full restoration of weekend service. The changes, beginning Sunday, Aug. 29, also include the return of direct service between Grand Central Termainl and Wassaic and New Canaan. The new schedule reflects the fact […]

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San Francisco Cable Car Free Ride

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (sfmta.com) iconic cable cars are up and running again. Even better, rides are free of charge in the month of August 2021! But if you want to skip the lines, watch this Trains.com slow-TV video of the ups, downs, and close calls on the notoriously steep downtown streets of San […]

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News Photos: RGS No. 20 arrives at Cumbres & Toltec

Smoke comes from stack of locomotive on trailer

ANTONITO, Colo. — The Colorado Railroad Museum’s Rio Grande Southern 4-6-0 No. 20 has arrived at the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad for its visit including a role in the upcoming Victorian Iron Horse Roundup. The locomotive, restored to operation in 2020,. arrived Sunday by truck from the museum in Golden, Colo. (The tender will […]

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B&O museum completes cosmetic restoration of historic diesel

Olive green boxcab locomotive

BALTIMORE, Md. – The B&O Railroad Museum has completed a cosmetic restoration of Central of New Jersey No. 1000, the world’s first commercial diesel-electric locomotive. The existing paint scheme from the 1950s was maintained, which was an olive green with the famed Statue of Liberty emblem in gold. This restoration was completed in memory of […]

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N&W executive, historian Louis M. Newton dies

White-haired man in coat and tie

An old saw in the railroad industry holds that persons in management best hide their avocational interest in the business, lest they damage their careers. Fortunately, there have been plenty of enlightened railroaders who put the lie to that assumption, among them Louis M. Newton, former Norfolk & Western and Norfolk Southern executive, frequent N&W […]

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News photo: Norfolk Southern derailment in Georgia

Derailed freight cars side by side perpendicular to track

OCONEE, Ga. — An estimated 32 cars of a westbound Norfolk Southern freight train derailed early Monday morning in downtown Oconee, blocking a main street until further notice. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office reports the derailment occurred about 1 a.m., blocking Central Drive in Oconee, a community of 280 about 60 miles southwest of Augusta, […]

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Rocky Mountaineer debuts excursions out of Denver

Passenger train with yellow locomotives and blue-and-white cars on curve

DENVER — Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer launched its first all-U.S. route Sunday with the first departure from Denver of the “Rockies to the Red Rocks” daytime excursion to Moab, Utah. The train utilizes leased Union Pacific SD70 locomotives pulling SilverLeaf coaches, former Canadian National cars from the 1950s which have been remanufactured with larger windows and […]

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Union Pacific hit by washouts in Southwest

Map with four locations highlighted in red

OMAHA, Neb. — The weather-related service disruptions just keep mounting for Union Pacific. Already hit hard this summer by fire-related closures, the railroad on Saturday informed customers of a series of washouts caused by torrential rains in Arizona, New Mexico, and west Texas. “Our engineering teams are actively working to restore service to areas which […]

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