Greenbrier Express sets inaugural run, start of regular operations

Shay locomotive with passenger train

ELKINS, W.Va. — The inaugural run of Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad’s Greenbrier Express operation is set for Saturday, May 13, the railroad has announced. The initial run on the recently reopened, 15-mile Cass-to-Durbin remnant of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad’s Greenbrier Subdivision quickly sold out. Regular service will begin the following Saturday, May 20. […]

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Victim identified in death at Decatur, Ill., industrial railyard

DECATUR, Ill. — A man who died in while operating a locomotive at an Archer-Daniels-Midland rail yard on Tuesday has been identified by the Macon County coroner, WAND-TV reports. Robert L. Dautel Jr., 66, of Morrisonville, Ill., died of blunt force injury of the chest due to injuries sustained an accident described as a collision […]

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Cimarron Valley Railroad marks start of $15 million upgrade project

Woman and two men in high-visibility safety vests with locomotive in background

HUGOTON, Kan. — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and other officials were on hand Wednesday for groundbreaking ceremonies to mark the beginning of $15 million in improvements for the Cimarron Valley Railroad. KSCB Radio reports funding includes money from private sources, from the federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, or CRISI, grant program, and from […]

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U.S. weekly rail traffic continues slide, compared to 2022

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal traffic

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic saw its largest weekly drop so far this year, measured against 2022 traffic, in the week ending April 8, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Traffic for the week was 451,336 carloads and intermodal units, down 11.2% from the same week a year earlier. It is the […]

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MBTA completes purchase of land for new commuter yard

Diagram of rail yard

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has completed purchase of 24 acres of land near South Station where it plans to build a new commuter rail layover facility. State House News Service reports MBTA officials announced today they have finalized the $255 million purchase of the land at Widett Circle, a mile from South […]

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At least five hurt in Houston collision between light rail train, ambulance

Logo of Houston Metro

HOUSTON — At least five people were injured Tuesday night when a METRORail train and Houston Fire Department ambulance collided in downtown Houston, according to media reports. KPRC-TV reports the accident occurred about 9 p.m. when the light rail train hit the ambulance as it was making a turn in the 6500 block of Fannin […]

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Metrorail rail operator who used automated system is out, safety agency says

Rapid-transit train arrives at above-ground station

WASHINGTON — The DC Metrorail train operator who ran a train using Metro’s Automatic Train Operation system, which has been out of service since 2009, “will not be returning to duty,” according to the head of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. The Washington Post reports commission CEO David L. Meyer told the commission’s board on […]

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Stadler to host Railway Interior Innovation Summit in Salt Lake City

Two trainsets parked at station

SALT LAKE CITY — Stadler will host RedCabin’s Railway Interior Innovation Summit on April 18-20, featuring an exclusive tour of the Stadler facility including its assembly and production areas. The three-day event will feature interior developments to enhance the passenger onboard experience, including a keynote presentation on transit interiors by the Utah Transit Authority; a […]

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Labor leaders welcome FRA’s train makeup safety advisory, while railroads emphasize their train-building tools and techniques

Aerial view of derailed boxcars and auto rack

Rail labor leaders welcomed the safety advisory that the Federal Railroad Administration issued last week that encourages railroads to take steps to reduce the in-train forces that can cause long trains to derail. Railroads, meanwhile, said they were reviewing the advisory to make sure their operating practices are in line with the FRA’s recommendations. “For […]

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Don Klose’s O gauge Bellevue & Schenectady Railroad layout

Gauge: ODimensions: 20 x 32 feetTrack: GarGravesSwitches: Ross Custom SwitchesMotive power: K-Line, Lionel, MTH, 3rd Rail, Weaver, WilliamsRolling stock: K-Line, Lionel, MTH, 3rd Rail, WeaverControls: Lionel type-ZW and MTH No. Z-4000 (4) transformers, with MTH Digital Command System and Lionel LegacyStructures: Ameri-Towne, Downtown Deco, MTH, scratchbuiltVehicles: Corgi, Diecast Direct, Ertl, SolidoFigures: Arttista, Homies, Model Power, […]

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The HO scale Jones Island layout

The HO scale Jones Island layout: A model railroad layout trackplan

Facts & features Name: Jones IslandScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 3′-6″ x 13′-10″Prototype: Port of MilwaukeeLocale: Milwaukee waterfrontEra: Present dayStyle: ShelfMainline run: NoneMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 6 Maximum grade: NoneBenchwork: L-girderHeight: 49″Roadbed: CorkTrack: Code 83Scenery: Extruded-foam insulation board, SculptamoldBackdrop: PhotoControl: NCE Digital Command Control Download a PDF of this track plan! Buy the May 2023 issue […]

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