MADISON, Wis. — The final design phase of the project to add a second Amtrak passenger train between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul has begun, with public comments now being accepted and public meetings to show plans for the service expected to be held this fall. The design phase for what is known as the Twin […]
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Dr. Roy B. Clarkson, a well-known botanist and forest biologist at West Virginia University and author of two books dealing with West Virginia lumber railroads, died Sept. 12, 2022. He was 95. Clarkson, originally from Cass, W.Va., published many books, articles, and papers during his career in science, but is known in […]
Club cars from the Illini Chapter of the Professional Car Society Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $23.98 plus shipping (one car, $9.45; multiple cars, $10.35 to USA addresses; $22.10 for foreign orders of any size) Era: Varies depending on car type Manufacturer: Produced by Accurail, available from Illini Chapter PCS, 918 W. Colfax St., Palatine, IL […]
Electro-Motive Division SW9/SW900/SW1200 diesel locomotives Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with Next18 plug, $199.98; with dual-mode ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder, $299.98. Era: 1954 to 1990s (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Wm. K. Walthers Inc., 5601 W. Florist Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53218; 414-527-0770; walthers.com Electro-Motive Division SW9, SW900, and SW1200 diesel locomotives features: Road-specific details Detailed cab interior with […]
MONTICELLO, Ill. — The Monticello Railway Museum hosted its annual Railroad Days event Friday and Saturday, Sept. 17-18, 2022, drawing hundreds of people to the museum in central Illinois. The event featured Southern Railway Consolidation No. 401 pulling a coach passenger train; Wabash F7 No. 1189 pulling a three-car train; a caboose hop powered by […]
Lehigh Stone three-bay offset-side hopper Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Kit, $30; assembled with Kadee couplers, $35. Add $6 shipping per car. Manufacturer: Produced by Accurail, available from Kankakee Model Railroad Club, 197 S. East Ave., Kankakee, IL 60901 Features: Injection-molded plastic kit Plastic wheelsets Steel weight(s) Release Date: Available now Road name: Lehigh Stone (red […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation expected train crew availability to improve at its Selkirk, N.Y., hub after Labor Day as the summer vacation season wound down. But it appears crew shortages at Selkirk and elsewhere on the former Water Level Route across New York are getting worse, not better. In system notices sent last week, […]
Parts of an Electro-Motive Division F40PH diesel locomotive The Electro-Motive Division (EMD) F40PH diesel locomotive was the backbone of Amtrak’s fleet for many years. The four-axle unit earned its keep on several commuter lines, too. GO Transit (Toronto), Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (Boston), Metra (Chicago), and NJ Transit were just some of the places the […]
CHICAGO — With the threat of a national railroad work stoppage prompting travelers to make alternate plans, many long-distance trains that are normally sold out for at least a portion of their journeys had space available as service resumed. Trains that had been suspended Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 13-15, all returned as scheduled Friday [see […]
NORTH FREEDOM, Wis. — Mid-Continent Railway Museum will restore Montana Western gas-electric railcar No. 31 — built in 1925 by Electro-Motive Corp. — to operating condition, the museum has announced. The car, one of the oldest surviving pieces of equipment built by Electro-Motive, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in August, was built for Great Northern […]
WASHINGTON — Ratification of the tentative agreement between railroads and a dozen unions remains in limbo while final contact language is being formalized, according to a message from one of the operating unions to its members. A final version of the tentative agreement not expected until sometime this week at the earliest, the International Association […]
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Union Pacific has adjusted the revision of its locomotive paint scheme, changing the American flag decal at the front of the locomotive to a design based on the one introduced on the long hood of the locomotive 20 years ago. UP announced the revision earlier this year, returning “Union Pacific” […]
