RICHMOND HILL, Ontario — An inadvertent brake release by the engineer as he left the locomotive cab led to the derailment of a runaway train earlier this year on the Goderich Exeter Railway in Goderich, Ontario, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has determined. In the Feb. 1, 2021, accident, two locomotives and six cars […]
Section: News & Reviews
Texas Central signs operating agreement with Renfe
DALLAS — Continuing to line up major partners and suppliers for its project, Texas Central Railway this week announced it has signed a contract to have Spanish firm Renfe serve as “Early Operator” for its proposed Dallas-Houston high speed rail line. As early operator, Renfe will be involved in design and development of commercial aspects […]
Western railroads struggle with off-rail intermodal supply chain problems
CHICAGO — Union Pacific may temporarily reopen its idled Global III intermodal terminal in Rochelle, Ill., to help relieve congestion at its Global IV terminal in Joliet, Ill. UP informed customers Wednesday it will temporarily halt shipments of international containers from all West Coast ports to its Global IV terminal for up to a week, […]
News & Products for the week of July 15, 2021
Large scale sets Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe remote-control starter set. Includes a 0-6-0T saddletank steam locomotive, two-bay offset-side hopper, caboose, R/C controller, pocket remote, power clamps, and circle of indoor/outdoor R1 track. Locomotive has five-pole can-type motor, detailed cab interior with engineer figure, and sliding pickup shoes. All models have hook-and-loop couplers. $479.99. September […]
News & Products for the week of June 15, 2021
O gauge locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD40-2 diesel locomotive. Burlington Northern (Cascade Green and black, Chicago & North Western (Falcon Service scheme), CSX (gray, blue, and yellow), Milwaukee Road (orange and black with billboard lettering), Pan Am Rys. (dark blue and white), and Wisconsin & Southern (40th Anniversary scheme, one road number). Two numbers per scheme […]
Walthers announces next HO scale name train
Wm. K. Walthers Inc. announced that Pennsylvania RR’s The General will be its next HO scale name train. The train, part of the WalthersProto line, will consist of 11 ready-to-run cars, including four available in plastic for the first time. The models will be offered in two versions: With factory-printed names or numbers as appropriate […]
Canada Infrastructure bank could provide major funding for Calgary-Banff passenger operation
CALGARY, Alberta — The Canada Infrastructure bank may fund up to half of a proposed passenger rail operation between Calgary’s airport and the popular tourist destination of Banff, an idea promoted by the provincial government and a private firm, Liricon Capital. Canadian Pacific, whose rail line would be involved, is open to the idea, Canadian […]
Norfolk Southern launches expedited, less-than-carload service
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — Norfolk Southern has dipped its toes into a market that railroads abandoned decades ago: Expedited less-than-carload service. NS launched the door-to-door service this month as an experiment in the Chicago-Atlanta-Miami corridor. Trucks pick up small loads and deliver them to a rail-served warehouse where the shipments are cross-docked into waiting boxcars. The […]
Austin must adjust transit plan after state blocks rail line under city parks
AUSTIN, Texas — The underground light rail route that is a key part of Austin’s $7 billion plan for transit expansion is facing changes after the Texas legislature failed to pass legislation allowing the route to go under two downtown parks. KUT Public Radio reports Austin Transit Partnership — the agency overseeing the project, combining […]
Hoosier Valley museum seeks funds to help return BL2 to operation
NORTH JUDSON, Ind. — The Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum, the Indiana preservation railroad that is leasing two rare EMD BL2 diesels, is seeking $5,000 in donations to speed the day when it can put one of the units into service. The former Bangor & Aroostook Railroad diesels, purchased during the bankruptcy sale of Iowa Pacific […]
Two CN lines in British Columbia shut down by fires (updated)
LYTTON, B.C. — Less than 24 hours after Canadian National reopened its fire-damaged main line in British Columbia, that line has been shut down again — as has the former British Columbia Railway line that had been used to reroute some traffic. Bloomberg reports CN informed customers on Wednesday that it was suspending operations between […]
Santa Clara VTA pushes back date for return of light rail service
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The new general manager of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority says the agency won’t be restarting light rail this month, as it had previously hoped. Carolyn Gonot, who became the VTA general manager this week, told the San Jose Mercury News the agency is now hoping to resume service in […]