Visiting Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum If you took a major Class I railroad in the early 1950s, shrunk it, and set it aside to show people today what a section of big-time, steam-era railroading was all about, you’d create Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Set on a portion of Southern Railway’s original main line into Chattanooga, […]
Big Skies & Iron Rails, Spring, Episode 3
American’s Western frontier is where Tom Danneman goes to renew and recharge his spirit every springtime. Settle back and allow his captivating video explorations along meandering rail lines, rolling rivers, and blossoming mountain valley meadows to help you emerge from your own hibernation. Big Skies & Iron Rails. Season 1, Episode 3, playing exclusively on Trains.com! […]
Amtrak Cascades engineer, in first interview since fatal derailment, says he relives accident daily
TACOMA, Wash. — The engineer who was at the controls for the fatal Amtrak Cascades derailment in 2017 says he’s still trying to get his operating license back, although admitting that’s unlikely, and says he relives the accident “all day” during his waking hours. Steven Brown, the 59-year-old engineer who was fired by Amtrak as […]
VIA Rail Canada annual meeting offers few forward-looking details
MONTREAL— Against a backdrop assuring continued service interruptions, VIA Rail Canada released its annual pre-recorded public meeting last week, with brief reports from Chairman Francoise Bertrand, President and CEO Cynthia Garneau, and Chief Financial Officer Marie-Claude Cardin. The meeting came as the Canada-U.S. border remains closed through at least June 21, Canadian vaccinations are lagging, […]
San Jose-area light rail service remains shut down indefinitely in aftermath of shooting
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Valley Transportation Authority light rail service remains suspended indefinitely as a result of the May 26 mass shooting at the VTA maintenance yard, and the substitute bus service which had been operating since the event is being discontinued. The agency reports the bus service is ending because of limited staffing. “Instead, […]
Digest: Transport Canada issues new rules on track maintenance
Transport Canada issues series of new rules on track maintenance Transport Canada issued new rules on track inspection and management on Monday updating the agency’s Rules Respecting Track Safety on a number of fronts, to be addressed in three stages. As outlined in a ministerial order, the first stage addresses training, verification, and record-keeping for […]
Railroad safety always comes first for a Southern Pacific third-shift yard clerk
I was hired as a yard clerk for the Southern Pacific in San Jose, Calif., in April 1960. On my first day, I was ushered into the general yardmaster’s office and given a short talk on safety. The general yardmaster, an old head named Ralph Fanning, stood behind his desk and regarded me suspiciously. […]
So, you want to own a caboose?
After being a ubiquitous part of American railroads for more than 150 years, they went away some 40 years ago. Today, you’ll find a rare and rusty handful on Class I railroads in use as lowly “shoving platforms,” with their windows and doors often welded shut. The lucky ones got away to museums, tourist railroads, […]
Biden budget proposal includes $13.5 billion for transit, increased Amtrak funding
WASHINGTON — Transit projects would receive $13.5 billion and Amtrak would get $2.7 billion as part of $88 billion devoted to the U.S. Department of Transportation under the Biden Administration budget proposal submitted to Congress today. “This budget reflects our Administration’s priorities, and responds to our country’s needs,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a […]
Digest: U.S. Sugar to use steam locomotive on final train of sugar cane harvest
Steam-powered train to mark end of Florida sugar cane harvest The public is invited Monday to see U.S. Sugar’s Sugar Express steam locomotive, 4-6-2 No. 148, operate on the last cane train of the season, signaling the end of the sugar cane harvest. The train is slated to depart the Sugarton Elevator west of Clewiston, […]
Digest: FRA, FTA release key documents on Gateway tunnel project
Release of environmental report, Record of Decision allows Gateway tunnel project to move forward The Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration have issued the final Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision on the Gateway tunnel project under the Hudson River, which clears the way for the project to receive federal funding. “This […]
Authorities say San Jose shooter had harbored anger about job
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Authorities now say the gunman in Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Valley Transportation Authority light rail facility had long been angry about his workplace, something federal officials had discovered well before the shooting. A ninth victim died of injuries from the shooting late Wednesday. The victims, men ages 29 to 63, […]