One of the most appealing aspects of garden railroading is the fact it can be enjoyed year-round in the great outdoors! And with the proper equipment at hand, large scale trains can even run in a moderate accumulation of fresh, crystalize precipitation. In this video, you’ll see the efforts a few resilient railway owners made […]
Zone & Region: Midwest
CSX train derails in Ohio
GREENWICH, Ohio — Twenty cars of a CSX Transportation freight train derailed around midday Monday in Greenwich. There were no reports of injuries or of incidents involving cargo, but a power outage was reported in the area. WYKC-TV reports about 100 people were left without power. Images on the station’s website show the incident occurred […]
Lineup at IC’s Central Station, Chicago
A late afternoon photo from 1951 at Central Station, Illinois Central’s main terminal in Chicago, finds three trains ready to depart. From left: IC’s Panama Limited to New Orleans, New York Central’s Twilight Limited to Detroit, and IC’s Seminole to Jacksonville, Fla. Part of the Seminole’s run was on the Central of Georgia, which assigned […]
Amtrak suffers more long-distance cancellations, delays: Analysis
CHICAGO — None of the individual delays that befell numerous cross-country Amtrak trains during the last week were as lengthy or dramatic as the 37-hour ordeal experienced by more than 500 Auto Train passengers on Jan. 12. But recurring tardiness on several routes, coupled with reduced equipment availability triggering sellouts and high fares, has posed […]
NS efforts to expand Chicago rail yard again blocked by city council member
CHICAGO — A Chicago alderwoman has blocked another city council vote on a move to transfer land from the city to Norfolk Southern Railway for expansion of its 47th Street Yard on the city’s South Side, bringing further delays to the project. WTTW-TV reports Alderwoman Jeanette Taylor of the 20th Ward, which includes the area […]
Cleanup in progress after Genesee & Wyoming derailment in Ohio
TRINWAY, Ohio — Cleanup will continue into next week after 98 cars of an Ohio Central Railroad train derailed Thursday near the unincorporated community of Trinway in east central Ohio. The Zanesville Times Recorder reports 97 empty cars and one loaded car were involved, according to Tom Ciuba, vice president of communications for Genesee & […]
Metra hauls in competitive Federal grants
CHICAGO – The Chicago area’s congressional delegation delivered for commuter rail agency Metra in 2022, helping secure $204.1 million in competitive federal grants for Metra projects – the most by far in Metra’s history. The amount includes the largest discretionary grant Metra ever received – $117 million for the next phase of the Union Pacific North […]
Whitewater Valley Railroad fires up Lima-Hamilton switcher after 10-year restoration
CONNERSVILLE, Ind. – After a 10-year restoration effort, the Whitewater Valley Railroad has fired up its rare Armco Lima-Hamilton A-3080/LS-1000 switcher No. 709. The last time the prime mover ran was in 2005. Whitewater Valley is a heritage railroad that operates between Connersville and Metamora in southeastern Indiana. The engine was moved on the railroad’s trackage in […]
Short consists constrain Capitol Limited while empty Superliners run on Midwest route: Analysis
CHICAGO — It’s no surprise travelers attempting to book Amtrak’s Capitol Limited in January either face sold-out trips or are confronted with record high fares for a coach seat or sleeping accommodation. Inventory is scarce, pushing prices up for what little capacity remains. Trailing two P42 locomotives on the Capitol into Chicago on Jan. 15 […]
The Milwaukee Road Hiawatha passenger trains
Milwaukee Road Hiawatha passenger trains are the long-lasting legacy of a Midwestern railroad plagued with underperformance and mismanagement — right up until its merger with the much smaller Soo Line in 1986. Rather than recount the bad times, join us for a look back at the Hiawatha trains over the years. Only from Trains.com. Twin […]
News photos: Hamilton, Ohio, station move completed
HAMILTON, Ohio — The second part of the railroad station in Hamilton, Ohio, made its move today (Tuesday, Jan. 17), with the one-story portion of the structure making the 1,100-foot trip down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to join the two-story building moved in December [see “News photos: Hamilton, Ohio, station on the move,” Trains […]
Wabash’s heavyweight holdout
The Wabash’s Chicago–St. Louis Banner Blue rolls through Chicago Ridge, Ill., in August 1948. Carrying the markers is a classic open-platform parlor-observation car. The Banner Blue would remain an all-heavyweight train until 1960. Bob Borcherding photo […]