Trains News Wire Digest for Wednesday, March 18 (updated) NEWSWIRE

MBTA

A Wednesday morning update on rail service changes in response to the COVID-19 outbreak: — After introducing reduced service on Tuesday, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has made some adjustments beginning today, reflecting Tuesday usage. The agency will add morning Blue Line service, additional Green Line E branch service — in part to support workforce […]

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US carload and container shipments decline more than 7% NEWSWIRE

U.S. Rail Traffic1 Week 11, 2020 – Ended March 14, 2020 This Week Year-To-Date Cars vs 2019 Cumulative Avg/wk2 vs 2019 Total Carloads 226,039 -5.9% 2,549,159 231,742 -6.2% Chemicals 33,012 3.6% 360,417 32,765 2.9% Coal 55,542 -23.0% 716,466 65,133 -18.1% Farm Products excl. Grain, and Food 15,854 1.6% 174,000 15,818 2.0% Forest Products 9,842 -1.7% 107,399 9,764 -2.9% Grain 19,911 6.9% 217,778 19,798 -6.5% Metallic Ores and Metals 19,975 -4.7% 228,660 20,787 0.1% Motor Vehicles and Parts 19,104 6.6% 175,314 15,938 -0.4% Nonmetallic Minerals 30,254 -7.5% 316,940 28,813 -5.6% Petroleum and Petroleum Products 13,294 9.6% 145,168 13,197 5.4% Other 9,251 12.4% 107,017 9,729 6.6% Total Intermodal Units 236,978 -9.1% 2,712,444 246,586 -7.8% Total Traffic 463,017 -7.6% 5,261,603 478,328 -7.0% 1 Excludes U.S. operations of Canadian Pacific, CN and GMXT. 2 Average per week figures may not sum to totals as a result of independent rounding.

Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 14, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 463,017 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.6% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 14 were […]

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Trains News Wire Digest for Tuesday, March 17 NEWSWIRE

Amtrak2

Intercity, commuter, and local passenger rail systems contine to adjust to the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are the latest service changes as of Tuesday morning: — Amtrak has announced further reductions. Because Amtrak continues to adjust schedules, check Amtrak.com or Amtrak smartphone apps for the latest status. Here are changes as of Monday evening: – Effective […]

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WRI 2020 postponed; now set for Aug. 31-Sept. 3 NEWSWIRE

WRI_Logo

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In light of the coronavirus situation, Wheel Rail Interaction 2020, scheduled for April 28-May 1 in Vancouver, has been rescheduled to Aug. 31-Sept. 3, presenter Wheel Rail Seminars has announced. Trains Magazine is the presenting sponsor for the event, which will remain at its original site, the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Those […]

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Locomotive profile: Alco’s C630 diesel electric locomotive

Norfolk & Western C630 No. 1134 at Roanoke, Virginia.

Norfolk & Western C630 No. 1134 at Roanoke, Virginia. Rick Johnson C630 •YEARS BUILT: 1965-1969 •MANUFACTURERS: Alco, Montreal •OPERATED ON: Atlantic Coast Line, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Chesapeake & Ohio, Louisville & Nashville, Norfolk & Western, Pacific Great Eastern, Pennsylvania Railroad, Reading, Southern Pacific, others •NAMES: C630, M630 •QUANTITY: 133 •HORSEPOWER: 3,000 •KNOWN FOR: The […]

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Locomotive profile: DDA40X

Original DDA40X is on display in Omaha, Nebraska.

DDA40X Original DDA40X is on display in Omaha, Nebraska. Jim Wrinn DDA40X •YEARS BUILT: 1969-1971 •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Union Pacific (special order from UP) •NAME: Centennial, named to mark the 100th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah. •QUANTITY: 47 •HORSEPOWER: 6,600 •KNOWN FOR: The most successful of UP’s twin-engine freight […]

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Locomotive profile: EMD F40PH series diesel electric locomotives

Metra No. 166 leads a train at Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2011.

Metra No. 166 leads a train at Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2011. Jim Wrinn F40PH-series •YEARS BUILT: 1976-1988 •MANUFACTURERS: Electro-Motive Division of General Motors, GMD of Canada •OPERATED ON: Amtrak, GO Transit, MBTA, Metra, Via Rail Canada •NAMES: F40PH, F40PHR, F40PH-2, F40PH-2M, F40PH-2C, F40PHM-2C; nicknames, Winnebago, Screamer, Thunder Box, Thunder Wagon •QUANTITY: 486 •HORSEPOWER: 3,000 •KNOWN […]

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Locomotive profile: EMD GP38 diesel electric locomotive

Lancaster & Chester GP38-2 type locomotives hauling a passenger train special.

Lancaster & Chester GP38-2 type locomotives hauling a passenger train special. Jim Wrinn GP38/AC/-2 •YEARS BUILT: 1966-1986 •MANUFACTURER: EMD/GMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: GP38, GP38AC, GP38-2; nicknames: Geep, High Hood (for SR and N&W), Wide Nose (for CN) •QUANTITY: 3,231 (967 GP38, GP38AC), (2,264 GP38-2) •HORSEPOWER: 2,000 •KNOWN FOR: […]

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Locomotive profile: EMD SD45 series diesel electric locomotives

Wisconsin Central No. 7525 at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Wisconsin Central No. 7525 at the Illinois Railway Museum. Jim Wrinn SD45/-2 series •YEARS BUILT: 1966-1975 •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: Hustle Muscle, Flares, Speed Machines, Tunnel Motor (for SD45T-2) •QUANTITY: 1,695 (1,312 SD45, SDP45), (383 SD45-2, SD45T-2) •HORSEPOWER: 3,600 •KNOWN FOR: Angled radiators at the rear on […]

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Locomotive profile: EMD SD70 series locomotives

BNSF Railway SD70 series SD70ACE No. 8762 pulls a Norfolk Southern train in Indiana.

BNSF Railway SD70 series SD70ACE No. 8762 pulls a Norfolk Southern train in Indiana. Jim Wrinn EMD-built SD70 series locomotives •YEARS BUILT: 1993-present •MANUFACTURER: EMD •OPERATED ON: Most North American Class I freight railroads •NAMES: SD70, SD70I, SD70M, SD70MAC, SD75I, SD75M, SD70M-2, SD70ACe, SD70ACe-P4, SD70ACe-P6, SD70ACe-T4, and SD70-ACe-T4P4; nicknames: Big Mac, Mac, Grinstein, Flags, Flares […]

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