MBTA GM says some Orange Line slow orders will persist into December

Subway train at station

BOSTON — Speed restrictions introduced after the MBTA’s 30-day shutdown of the rapid-transit Orange Line will remain in place as late as December, the agency’s general manager has said. WCVB-TV reports GM Steve Poftak informed U.S. Sen Ed Markey that the five slow orders in each direction “are scheduled to be lifted in November and […]

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Developer announces plan for new rail-served container facility at Port of Baltimore

Aerial view of buildings next to water

BALTIMORE — Tradepoint Atlantic, developer of the former Sparrows Point steel mill at the Port of Baltimore, has announced plans for a 165-acre container terminal with on-dock rail as the next major step of redevelopment of the 3,300-acre site. The project, a partnership with Terminal Investment Limited, should lead to hundreds of new jobs during […]

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DC Metro, safety commission reach agreement on 7000-series cars

Rapid-transit train arrives at above-ground station

WASHINGTON — DC Metro and the agency that oversees its safety issues have reached an agreement that will allow more 7000-series cars to return to service, clearing the way for Metrorail service to Dulles International Airport to begin by Thanksgiving In a series of Twitter posts on Tuesday, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission announced it […]

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Make signs from swizzle sticks

Red, yellow, and green swizzle sticks on a white background

Signs from swizzle sticks: When my wife, kids, and I visited the General Store Antique Mall in Kewaskum, Wis., I wasn’t really thinking about model railroading (although I did run into a fellow modeler at the store). Instead, I planned on enjoying an hour or two browsing the dozens of booths in the two-story building […]

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CN sets earnings record, upgrades outlook for year as operations improve

Train with red locomotive approaching curve

MONTREAL — Canadian National posted record third-quarter financial results on Tuesday and boosted its outlook for the full year due to a combination of operational improvements, strong pricing gains, and traffic growth. CEO Tracy Robinson, who joined the railway on Feb. 28 and prioritized getting back to operational basics, said she was proud of the […]

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Tools to cut and strip wire when building a model railroad

Hands holding a gray metal wire cutter with its blades wrapped around a small red wire.

Tools to cut and strip wire when building a model railroad: When wiring a model railroad, an essential tool is a good pair of wire strippers. I use the two examples of wire strippers shown in fig. 1, and both have served me well over the years. While there are other wire-stripping tools available, these […]

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Electro-Motive Division F40PHM-2 diesel locomotive from Rapido Trains

Drawing of diesel passenger locomotive in different paint schemes

Electro-Motive Division F40PHM-2 diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model, $239.95; with dual-mode ESU LokSound V5 sound decoder, $349.95 Era: 1991 to present (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Rapido Trains Inc., 500 Alden Road, Unit 21, Markham, Ontario L3R 5H5 Canada; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Electro-Motive Division F40PHM-2 diesel locomotive features: Dual rooftop air conditioners Separate underbody piping, conduit, and wire […]

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Officials are out in force for CREATE’s latest groundbreaking

Eight people with shovels digging into box of dirt

CHICAGO — To weigh the significance of Tuesday’s groundbreaking for part of CREATE’s latest infrastructure project, consider the adage that “success has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” Then consider the 13 speakers and many other representatives from federal, state, county, and local government that were part of the ceremony for the Forest Hill […]

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Kansas City Southern to hold Laredo bridge groundbreaking ceremony

Illustration of trains meeting on parallel bridges

LAREDO, Texas — Kansas City Southern will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the second span the railway is building over the Rio Grande at Laredo. The current International Railway Bridge linking Laredo with Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, is the busiest railroad freight gateway in North America. The U.S. ceremony will take place just south […]

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Eastern Maine Railway to acquire former Central Maine & Quebec branch from Canadian Pacific

WASHINGTON – Short line Eastern Maine Railway next month will acquire 45 miles of track in the Pine Tree State from Canadian Pacific’s Central Maine & Quebec subsidiary. Eastern Maine Railway, owned by the New Brunswick-based J.D. Irving Ltd., will gain 36.57 miles of main line along with nine miles of branch line trackage in […]

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Patriot Rail names new chief operating officer

patriotraillogo

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Shortline holding company Patriot Rail has named Jerry Hall as its chief operating officer, the company announced Monday. Hall brings over three decades of rail industry experience to the Patriot team, most recently as vice president of transportation at Norfolk Southern. Hall now leads Patriot Rail’s operations nationwide, with responsibility for safety, […]

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