MOBILE, Ala. — Pending approval from the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak intends to pay for repairs to station platforms to be used by the Gulf Coast service Amtrak plans to launch in 2022. Vice President of Stations and Accessibility Dr. David Handera told members of the Southern Rail Commission, holding their quarterly meeting on Friday, […]
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Kentucky steam group gains ownership of three former Indiana museum pieces
In a landmark deal, the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation has acquired a historic water tender and accompanying former-Pennsylvania Railroad Railway Post Office car from the Indiana Transportation Museum. Both cars, along with a former-Pennsylvania Railroad baggage car, were transported from Indiana to the KSHC property in Irvine, Kentucky, in late 2018. The cars were part […]
All-female steam crew to help Strasburg Rail Road mark International Women’s Day
RONKS, Pa. — Strasburg Rail Road’s first-ever all-female steam engine crew will run all trips for the Pennsylvania tourist line this Saturday, March 6. The assignment coincides with International Women’s Day (March 8) and Women’s History Month. In the cab will be Andrea Biesecker as engineer and Shelley Hall as fireman. They will run the […]
New Hope Valley Railway returns to action with ‘Hop Into Spring’
The North Carolina Railway Museum, which lost most of its 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic, will begin 2021 operations of the New Hope Valley Railway with a new event later in March. The all-volunteer, non-profit railway, will host “Hop into Spring,” with rides Saturday and Sunday, March 27-27. The event will feature socially distant […]
Digest: Schneider to double intermodal operations to address environmental objectives
Schneider plans to double intermodal operations as part of sustainability efforts Intermodal, logistics, and trucking firm Schneider plans to double its intermodal operations by 2030 as part of its Environmental, Social, and Governance objectives, a move the Green Bay, Wis., company says will reduce carbon emissions by an additional 700 million pounds per year. […]
Digest: Railway Interchange postponed to 2023
Railway Interchange trade show and conference postponed to 2023 Railway Interchange, the biennial rail conference and exhibition that is the largest event of its kind in North America, has been postponed to 2023. The event had been set for September 2021 in Indianapolis. In a message on its website, organizers say they have made the […]
The Home Depot looks to boost rail’s role in bulk shipments
The Home Depot is in the midst of a five-year, $1.2 billion expansion of its distribution network that will allow railroads to increase their share of inbound bulk items sold in the retailer’s 2,200 stores. The expansion, which includes larger buildings with more rail spots, is an opportunity for railroads to convert freight from the […]
February rail traffic shows impact of severe weather
WASHINGTON — February’s severe weather across the nation drove rail traffic downward for the month, but traffic showed recovery during the week ending Feb. 27, according to the Association of American Railroads. In a press release, AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray said the weather wrecked “havoc on all forms of transportation, including rail. […]
Tips for better passenger cars: Car height
The height of freight cars can vary tremendously, but passenger car heights were very consistent in late steam/early diesel times. Most heavyweight cars, including the Pullman Co.’s standardized sleepers, measured 14 feet from the rails to the top of the roof. It’s important to me to know that Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe heavyweights were […]
The Indiana & Aurora: A beginner’s HO scale layout from one sheet of plywood
Many model railroaders base their first layouts on 4 x 8 sheets of plywood, for obvious reasons. A flat tabletop is a lot easier to build than L-girder benchwork, and almost any home has room for a 4 x 8 table at one side of a bedroom or den. Great things have been done on […]
How to use a water level on your garden railroad
A water level is a low-tech but precise way of measuring relative elevation in your yard. By using a water level, you can either find out how much elevation there is from one point to another or, if you are trying to make your railway level, it will tell you when you are there if […]
Rail infrastructure gets best mark in Civil Engineers’ report card
It is both the best of times and worst of times for transportation infrastructure in the United States, according to the just-released 2021 report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Rail infrastructure, which for the ASCE’s report includes Class I, II, and III railroads, and Amtrak, gets a B. That’s the best grade […]