Friday morning Canadian rail news: Metrolinx announces service cuts for GO Transit, UP Express Toronto-area transit agency Metrolinx will make changes to GO Transit and UP Express schedules effective Jan. 23 as Ontario begins a state of emergency and stay-at-home order because of increasing COVID-19 cases. The website Daily Hive reports buses will replace trains […]
Steam-era operation typically requires additional infrastructure items, such as coaling towers and water cranes, but perhaps the most interesting of these is the turntable, used for turning locomotives and sending them back out in the opposite direction. Kitwood Hill Models offers several laser-cut wood kits for gallows-style narrow-gauge turntables in an assortment of lengths, all […]
Atlas Model Railroad Co. has released a new run of HO scale Alco RSD-5 diesel locomotives in its Classic line. The six-axle road switcher features a dual-mode ESU LokSound decoder, improved tooling on the turbo exhaust stack (air- and water-cooled versions), and factory-installed and painted wire grab irons. The prototype. Alco produced the RSD-5 from March […]
Product News Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, structures, electronics, train sets, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 14, 2021. HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Diesel SD70M-2 diesel locomotive. Canadian […]
WASHINGTON — Thanks to the ongoing strength of intermodal traffic, U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 9 was up 4.7% over the comparable week a year earlier. The latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads show 525,253 carload and intermodal units moved for the week. The 235,404 carloads represented a 1.6% decrease […]
WASHINGTON — Media outlets are reporting that President-elect Joe Biden’s planned arrival by train for his inauguration — widely anticipated but never officially announced — will not happen in light of security concerns in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building. The Associated Press reports the move reflects increased concerns about […]
Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn has joined the call by two labor unions for increased security for Amtrak passengers and railroad workers, especially in the Washington, D.C., area, in the wake of last week’s violence at the Capitol building. “There is nothing more important than the safety of our employees,” Flynn said in a statement. “Since […]
Thursday morning rail news: Alghabra becomes Canada’s transport minister, succeeding Garneau (corrected) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shuffled his cabinet, appointing Omar Alghabra as transport minister. Alghabra replaces Marc Garneau, transport minister since 2015, who becomes minister of foreign affairs. Macleans magazine reports Alghabra, a member of parliament from Mississauga, Ontario, first served in […]
Still more Thursday morning rail news: DOT awards $40 million for commuter rail grade-crossing projects The Department of Transportation has awarded $40 million in grants to five states to improve grade crossings along commuter rail routes. The funds, awarded by the Federal Highway Administration in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration, […]
Still more Thursday morning rail news: Winds up to 100 mph halt Union Pacific trains in Wyoming High winds forced Union Pacific to shut down operations across much of Wyoming on Wednesday, with similar disruptions likely today. In an advisory to customers, the railroad said winds gusts of 80 to 100 mph began in southeast […]
Thursday midday rail news: Brightline West aims for spring start to construction of Las Vegas-California line Brightline West is aiming to start construction of its Las Vegas-Southern California high speed rail project this spring, according to a filing with the Nevada High-Speed Rail Authority. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Brightline West President Sarah Watterson said […]
More Thursday morning rail news: New RTD CEO casts doubt on plans for commuter rail line to Boulder and Longmont The new head of Denver’s Regional Transportation District is questioning whether a long-planned, voter-approved commuter rail line to Boulder and Longmont, Colo., is the best option to provide transit service. Colorado Public Radio reports CEO […]
