East Troy Electric to begin season March 27; regular operations start April 24 The East Troy (Wis.) Electric Railroad has announced its 2021 schedule of regular operations and special events, opening the year with health measures including pinpoint ionizations for air filtering, socially distant seating, and mask. The first special-event trains of the year will […]
Digest: Design changes lead to cost overruns for California high speed project, report says
News report: Design changes lead to $800 million in overruns for California high speed segment A 65-mile section of California’s high speed rail line in the San Joaquin Valley is facing more than $800 million in cost overruns because of design changes proposed by its contractor as a cost-saving move. The Los Angeles Times reports […]
News Photos: East Broad Top Winter Spectacular returns
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — Responding to heavy demand, the East Broad Top added several trips during Saturday’s Winter Spectacular, a revival of the event held 1966-81. Scheduled trips with Brill gas-electric M-1 and a caboose all sold out within hours of tickets going on sale, so the EBT added trips, and sold all those out, […]
Digest: NJ Transit seeks solution to delays at Meadowlands stadium events
NJ Transit seeks solution to rail delays at Meadowlands stadium events NJ Transit has issued a Request for Proposals to address lengthy delays that occur for people using rail service to and from major events at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands. The Press of Atlantic City, noting past events that have seen fans stranded for […]
BNSF dispatching, headquarters kept running during Texas power failures
FORT WORTH, Texas – Although BNSF Railway’s operations have been disrupted by the widespread snow, ice, and record-breaking cold that swept across the southern areas of its system and crippled the Texas power grid this week, the railroad’s headquarters and Network Operations Center dodged a bullet. The headquarters campus, including the Network Operations Center and […]
Digest: CSX updates weather impact on operations
CSX intermodal sites remain open, some transload facilities closed In a Thursday afternoon update to customers, CSX Transportation reported all intermodal terminal are open despite recent and continuing weather issues, although subject to weather-related regional delays. Four of the railroad’s Transflo transloading sites — in Nashville, Tenn.; Richmond, Va.; Wilmington, Del; and Baltimore, Md. — […]
Digest: Maine’s WW&F cancels Spring Work Weekend
Maine’s WW&F museum cancels Spring Work Weekend The WW&F Railway Museum in Alna, Maine, has cancelled its annual Spring Work Weekend due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum’s Board of Directors took the action at its monthly meeting on Feb. 13. The three-day work weekend typically brings 80 or more volunteers together to build track, […]
Digest: Mobile councilman calls Amtrak ‘joy ride for affluent’ during debate on study
With one councilman calling Amtrak a ‘joy ride for the affluent,’ Mobile, Ala., delays vote on station study Resistance to Amtrak service has resurfaced among some Mobile, Ala., political leaders, with one calling the prospect a “joy ride for the affluent.” AL.com reports the comment from Councilman Joel Daves came during discussion on spending $80,1000 […]
Registration open for online photography and art event
MADISON, Wis. – The Madison-based Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s annual “Conversations” conference will be online again in 2021. The event, to be held April 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Central, will be hosted on the Cisco Webex platform. Registration is free with an optional donation. Expected presenters include: Patrick Cashin, New […]
North Dakota man sentenced to four days in jail for attempt to derail BNSF train
FARGO, N.D. — A Fargo man has been sentenced to four days in jail for attempting to derail a BNSF Railway train in May 2020, a sentence which drew the ire of the U.S. attorney in the case. The Fargo Forum reports U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley said in a statement issued Friday that “we take […]
Santa Fe switchman vividly remembers San Francisco barge fire
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe’s dock at Ferry Point outside of San Francisco burned May 4, 1984. I was on the job in 1984 and remember the fire vividly. The Santa Fe ceased tug-and-barge service across the San Francisco Bay shortly after. When I hired out in the mid-1970s, west end jobs were responsible for […]
Digest: Wheel-Rail Interaction conference rescheduled for Oct. 18-21
WRI 2021 in Chicago rescheduled to Oct. 18-21 WRI 2021, the annual Wheel Rail Interaction Conference conducted by Wheel Rail Seminars and presented by Trains Magazine, has been rescheduled to this fall. The event will now be held Oct. 18-21; the location, the Loews Chicago O’Hare Hotel in Rosemont, Ill., remains unchanged. Wheel Rail Seminars […]