Wabtec opens facility at Pittsburgh additive manufacturing process
Wabtec has begun operations at Pittsburgh’s Neighborhood 91, becoming the first and anchor tenant for industrial complex devoted to additive manufacturing and 3D printing. The 11,000-square-foot facility will produce brake parts, heat sinks for locomotives, and other components. It is part of a company effort to produce up to 25,000 parts annually through additive production by 2025. “Advances in additive technology are changing the way we design and build the next generation of business-critical, sustainable products for our customers,” Eric Gebhardt, Wabtec’s Chief Technology Officer, said in a press release. “Neighborhood 91 and its one-of-a-kind additive ecosystem will help foster creative solutions to engineering challenges and breakthroughs in 3D printing. Our Neighborhood 91 facility and the other additive labs in Western Pennsylvania will accelerate new innovations that shrink lead times, reduce cost and increase reliability.”
Schenectady mayor, advocacy groups call for restoration of Empire Service schedule
The mayor of Schenectady, N.Y., and several advocacy groups are calling on New York’s Department of Transportation to restore Amtrak Empire Service to pre-pandemic levels. WAMC Radio reports Mayor Gary McCarthy called not only for the restoration of the previous schedule, but additional early and late service to and from New York City. Empire State Passengers Association President Gary Prophet said many of the current Empire Corridor trains are selling out; his organization was joined by the Saratoga Chamber and Schenectady Business Community in calling for existing Empire Service between Albany and New York City to be extended to Schenectady and Saratoga.
Indiana DOT begins highway work to make room for South Shore Double Track project
The Indiana Department of Transportation is preparing to begin a highway reconfiguration project in Gary, Ind., to create room for the South Shore Line’s Double Track project. The Times of Northwest Indiana reports the work on the junction of U.S. Routes 12 and 20 in Gary’s Miller neighborhood could begin as soon as Thursday, and should be done in September. It will allow for an expanded station and parking lots.
Mr. Pins, I share your “trouble with newspeak” (and corporate speak as well). The worst example in the rail context I can think of was the initial public announcement Amtrak made after the head-on collision of Train #91 and a standing CSX train in South Carolina on 2/4/2018. Amtrak stated #91 “made contact” with the CSX freight. Regarding the IN Highway 12/20 junction reconfiguration at Miller, IN, I know it well having ridden the South Shore through there many times and having driven it on the way to/from a day of hiking in the Indiana Dunes State Park. (Yes it would have been nice to take the train to/from the park but it just wasn’t made convenient to overcome the distance between the station and the park entrance, sigh.)
Re South Shore project: Is “preparing to begin” (but not beginning) the same as, say, being “pre-qualified” (but not qualified) or “pre-approved” (but not approved)? I have trouble with newspeak from time to time.