SEPTA transit union authorizes strike

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority logo

PHILADELPHIA — A union representing about 5,000 employees of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has authorized a strike if current contract negotiations break down. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports about 1,000 members of Transport Workers Union Local 234, the largest union for SEPTA employees, authorized the strike on a voice vote Sunday morning. The union’s current […]

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NS enacts vaccine mandate, sues to preempt union action

Norfolk Southern logo

CHICAGO — Norfolk Southern will require its workers to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and has filed a lawsuit in an effort to block legal action by unions representing employees. Reuters reports the railroad filed the suit in a federal court in Chicago on Thursday, arguing that union objection to the mandate must be addressed through […]

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Reduced DC Metrorail service to continue through at least Oct. 31

DC Metrorail train

WASHINGTON — DC Metrorail operations will remain limited at least through the remainder of this week, as the agency continues to deal with an equipment shortage triggered by the sidelining of its 7000-series railcars. The Washington Post reports Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager Paul J. Wiedefield said Friday the current reduced service levels […]

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TTCI to build new Pueblo, Colo., test facilities

Electric commuter rail equipment on test track

PUEBLO, Colo. — Transportation Technology Center Inc. will build a new railroad research and testing center in Pueblo, replacing the nearby facility it has used for more than 40 years. The Pueblo Chieftain reports that TTCI, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads, will build its new test track at PuebloPlex, a […]

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Funding secured for Colorado passenger rail studies

Map of Front Range Passenger Rail District

DENVER — Officials have pieced together the funding necessary for studies to assess the feasibility of a proposed passenger service along Colorado’s front range, connecting cities from Fort Collins to Pueblo and beyond. The Denver Post reports the Colorado Transportation Commission last week approved $1.6 million in funds for the $3.9 million study, matching funds […]

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Cheyenne, Wyo., makes plans for rail-oriented tourist project

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Cheyenne City Council has voiced support for a rail-oriented tourist attraction that will initially include a series of historic railcars and could expand to include Union Pacific’s roundhouse and the Big Boy locomotive currently on display elsewhere in the city. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports the council last month approved a […]

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Groundbreaking marks start of Baltimore Penn Station project

Illustration of buildings at night

BALTIMORE — Officials from Amtrak, the city of Baltimore, and the state of Maryland held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to mark the start of a $150 million project to redevelop Baltimore Penn station, which will see the structure turned into a mixed-use development including office, retail, and residential and hotel space. WYPR-FM reports Amtrak President […]

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Gaspe peninsula

Passenger train waits at waterside station

Gaspe peninsula Canadian National train 119 is at the division point of New Carlisle, 104 miles into its 202-mile trip from Gaspe to Matapedia in 1975. Bill Linley photo     […]

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Railfanning Chicago at Lisle, Illinois

Commuter train at platform framed by leaves of tree.

Railfanning Chicago at Lisle, Illinois, is good for those hard winter days. You know, the ones that sometimes feel like it requires all the preparation, gear, and endurance of the Amundsen South Pole expedition. This is what makes Lisle, on BNSF Railway’s triple-track main line between Chicago and Aurora, Ill., is a good place to […]

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Tangent HO scale Greenville 86-foot high-cube boxcars

Tangent HO scale Greenville 86-foot high-cube boxcar

High-cube boxcars seemed to be everywhere in the 1970s, and thanks to Tangent Scale Models, highly detailed models of Greenville Steel Car Co. 86-foot high-cubes can roll on your HO layout, as well. These monster cars were products of the 1960s, when bigger was better and efficiency was the watchword of corporate America. Earlier methods […]

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Micro-Trains N scale NSC 60-foot high-cube double-door boxcar

A contemporary 60-foot high-cube double-door boxcar with exterior posts is the latest N scale body style from Micro-Trains Line Co. The model, based on a National Steel Car (NSC) prototype, has body-mounted couplers, metal wheels, and a mix of molded and separate, factory-applied details. Exterior Our sample is decorated as TBOX no. 667101, part of […]

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