Recent scratchbuilding efforts prompted me to come up with a simple glue applicator that would put a small amount of adhesive precisely where I wanted it. There are many commercial products to do this, but none were exactly what I needed. I took a sewing needle, measured its diameter, and drilled a slightly smaller hole […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn says the company opposes CSX Transportation’s acquisition of New England regional Pan Am Railways, saying the deal in its current form “represents a significant threat to the American traveling public” and “will negatively impact current passenger train service and future routes in Massachusetts and Northern New England.” Amtrak has […]
WAUKESHA, Wis. — Out in the quiet countryside of Arkansaw, Wisconsin, brothers Bo and Ian Afdahl wake up every morning at 5 a.m. to milk and feed the cows on their family’s small dairy farm. After school, they come back home and do it all over again, typically working late into the evening. On the […]
Mississippi station museum director vows to rebuild following fire The executive director of the McComb (Miss.) Railroad Depot Museum says he is “encouraged” by what he has seen after viewing the interior of the station and museum, which was badly damaged by an arson fire on Sunday. WVUE-TV reports that executive director Ralph Price said […]
NEW YORK — Seven track inspectors for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority were suspended for allegedly failing to conduct inspections and falsifying reports, while the agency was criticized for its oversight of the inspectors, according to a report from the MTA’s Inspector General. The suspensions followed an 11-month investigation following incidents in which track debris fell […]
Legislation to create Front Range Passenger Rail District passes Colorado House The effort to create a special district to help fund proposed passenger rail service along Colorado’s Front Range neared success on Thursday as the state’s House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday. Colorado Public Radio reports the state Senate has already approved its […]
Articulated study Pittsburgh & West Virginia 1102, from the first group of 2-6-6-4s, is in as-built condition at Rook, Pa., in May 1940, with footboards and tender booster. The 132-mile railroad had seven such locomotive. Nos. 1100–1102, built 1934, had boosters on rear tender truck, which were removed in 1944. Harold K. Vollrath collection […]
Intermodal is having a moment in the sun thanks to the impact of the pandemic. Consumers are buying goods faster than retailers can refill their shelves and warehouses, so imports are surging and ports are clogged. Parcel shipments are soaring as a decade’s worth of e-commerce growth was crammed into the past year. U.S. […]
CSX Transportation remains confident that it will receive regulatory approval to acquire New England regional Pan Am Railways despite two setbacks at the Surface Transportation Board. “We’re just in the early stages of seeking authority to complete the transaction from the Surface Transportation Board,” CEO Jim Foote told an investor webcast today. “And I’m confident […]
ASLRRA honors 346 railroads for safety with Jake Awards The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has honored 346 member railroads with its “Jake Awards,” recognizing safety performance above the industry average in 2020. Of those, 316 will be honored “with distinction” for injury-free performance based on Federal Railroad Administration standards. The honorees include […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak will restore traditional dining-car service for sleeping-car passengers on its western long-distance routes as of June 23, with chef-prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In a Wednesday press release, the passenger railroad promises “a redesigned menu,” new appetizers, and table service with glassware, cutlery and linen tablecloths, with ceramic dishware to […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Debut of Amtrak’s next-generation Acela trains will be delayed by a year because of modifications needed to make the train compatible with Northeast Corridor infrastructure, the Washington Post reports. The first of the 28 new Alstom trainsets had been expected to enter service this year, but the debut is now projected for […]
