Santa Fe Hi-Level step-down coach

20181206

Santa Fe Hi-Level step-down coach A passenger ascends the central stairway into the upper level of one of the Santa Fe’s 1956 double-deck Hi-Level coaches. The low window beyond the man standing shows that this is one of the “step-down” cars with an end stairway for access to standard-height cars. Santa Fe photo […]

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Amtrak cancels Empire Builder, thins Midwest departures in advance of winter storm

Amtrak Midwest regional train traveling with heavy snow cover on ground

CHICAGO — With a massive winter snowstorm sweeping into the Midwest from the northern plains this week, Amtrak is canceling some trains out of Chicago to and from Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Pontiac, Mich., on the day the brunt of the blizzard is expected. The same trains also won’t run this Saturday and Sunday, when […]

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News photos: R.J. Corman line in North Carolina debuts

Red and white locomotive brings freight cars over bridge

  RALEIGH, N.C. — R.J. Corman has launched operation today (Monday, Dec. 19) of the Raleigh & Fayetteville Railroad, a 63-mile route between its two namesake cities in North Carolina. The railroad’s first train, led by GP38-2 No. 7710, is shown heading south from Raleigh to Fuquay-Varina, N.C. R.J. Corman announced in November it was […]

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Walthers gas station details in HO scale

Walthers gas station details Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $19.98 Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Walthers gas station details features: Includes two styles of small gas pump islands (with or without safety bollards), oil can display racks, air compressor, tires & display stands, soda vending machine, and ice […]

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Drive-in oil change in HO scale from Walthers

Drive-in oil change in HO scale from Walthers Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $44.98 Era: 1980s+ Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218, 414-527-0770, walthers.com Walthers drive-in oil change station features: Two drive-through service bays Inspection pit openings in garage floor Detailed office area Includes separate soda machine, air-conditioning unit, and gas […]

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Short lines and regional railroads are consistently upgrading locomotives

green locomotive on tracks

Upgrading locomotives Upgrading locomotives: If you haven’t already noticed, a motive power renaissance is occurring at short lines and regionals across the country. Smaller railroads are always getting power that’s newer or better than what they currently have. However, recently this change is more pronounced. It’s driven by a top-down push, starting with the Class […]

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Wreckage of SP boat used to build Lucin Cutoff reappears as Great Salt Lake shrinks

Wreckage in lake bed

SALT LAKE CITY — A boat used by Southern Pacific to help build its route across the Great Salt Lake has resurfaced as a result of the lake’s shrinking water level. KTVX-TV reports the W.E. Marsh No. 4, which first set sail on the lake in 1902, has reappeared as the lake’s water level reaches […]

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Ogden, Utah, buys Union Station land

Station building with fountains in foreground

OGDEN, Utah — The City of Odgen has answered questions about the future of Ogden Union Station by purchasing the land under the historic structure from Union Pacific. KSTU-TV reports the city agreed earlier this month to purchase the 8.06-acre parcel from UP for $5.56 million. The railroad turned the building over to the city […]

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DOT appoints members to FTA safety advisory committee

Federal Transit Administration logo

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation has named 24 people —representing transit agencies, unions, research groups, and other organizations — to the Federal Transit Administration’s Transit Advisory Committee for Safety. The group meets at least once a year and advises the Secretory of Transportation and FTA administrator on transit safety and other issues. “We […]

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