LIRR to begin Grand Central Madison operations with shuttle service to Jamaica

Long Island Rail Road train arrives at crowded station platform

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority still hasn’t announced when service will begin to Grand Central Madison, its new station beneath Grand Central Terminal that will complete the long-awaited Long Island Rail Road East Side Access project. On Monday, however, the MTA did say how that service will start. Initially, the LIRR will operate […]

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Mishandling of air brakes led to three-train Minnesota accident, NTSB says

Diagram of three-train accident at junction with two parallel tracks

WASHINGTON — Improper handling of train air brakes by the engineer of a Canadian Pacific train was the cause of a three-train accident in St. Paul, Minn., in August 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board has determined. The accident report, issued Dec. 8, covers an Aug. 25 incident that saw the CP train strike a […]

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FTA announces $686 million in grants for transit station accessibility

Federal Transit Administration logo

WASHINGTON — The Federal Transit Adminstration on Monday announced approximately $686 million in grant funding for accessibility upgrades at transit stations across the United States. The grants represent the first round of funding under the new All Station Accessibility Program, or ASAP, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. They will go to 15 projects in […]

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Santa Fe Hi-Level step-down coach

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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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