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A worker assembles and wears face shields. Wabtec’s plant in Erie, Pa., will product plastic screens for face shields destined for western Pennsylvania hospitals. Wabtec PITTSBURGH — Wabtec Corporation and Tronix3D are partnering to provide much needed personal protective equipment for Excela Health, a leading health system provider of advanced medical care in Pennsylvania. The […]
More Wednesday morning rail news: — The Alaska Railroad reported a $21.6 million profit in 2019, a 17% improvement over the previous year, thanks to improved freight business. The Anchorage Daily News reports the railroad generated $203.9 million in total revenue, an increase of 7.5%. Freight traffic increased by 9%, leading to $85.3 million in […]
Wednesday morning COVID-19-related rail news: — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will dramatically slash service on Thursday, April 9, suspending service on some of its Regional Rail lines, closing some subway stations, and decreasing bus and trolley frequencies as part of what it is calling “Lifeline Service.” SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards told the Philadelphia […]
In popularity, the postwar Lionel gang car is exceeded by only the trolley car in terms of Auto-Pilot fun on the tinplate rails. Lionel’s release of the 1950s favorite lives up to its reputation. Both the gang car and trolley operate on the same concept. The car runs in one direction until it hits an […]
MTH brings us a B-class switcher. As Al Staufer noted in his book Pennsy Power, few electrified railways could dedicate electric locomotives simply to the task of switching cars. But the Pennsylvania Railroad, with its vast network of yards and terminals under wire, could. In 1926, the Pennsy’s Altoona, Pa., shops began producing these little […]
Cab units are a staple of O gauge model railroading. They are crowd pleasers and are updated every few years with new features or improvements. A corollary of that statement is the increased expectations on the part of hobbyists. The greater the level of detail you see, the more you expect. The better the low-end […]
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law legislation mandating a minimum of two crew members on passenger and most freight trains operating in the state. The governor did veto a provision declaring the act effective immediately. “Given the complexity of this legislation, the Utilities and Transportation Commission [which has rail-safety oversight duties […]
A Metro-North Waterbury Branch train arrives at the Bridgeport, Conn., station in August 2019. The state of Connecticut is expected to approve funding for new coaches for this and other commuter lines in the state. TRAINS: David Lassen More Tuesday morning rail news: — Connecticut is expected to approve $300 million in funding for new […]
Canadian National’s purchase of the CSX Massena line, shown in purple, has been approved. Canadian National WASHINGTON — Federal regulators on Monday approved Canadian National’s acquisition of CSX Transportation’s line linking the Montreal area with Syracuse, N.Y., a deal the railroads say will improve service for cross-border traffic. The U.S. Surface Transportation Board decision, effective […]
The City of New Orleans stops at Hazlehurst, Miss., in May 2018. CN is not allowing the train to stop here when it makes its stop to switch passengers to and from buses further south at McComb, Miss. Bob Johnston CN’s trestle over the Bonnet Carre Spillway, as seen from an Amtrak Thruway bus in […]
A Sounder South commuter train arrives in Tacoma, Wash., in June 2018. Sound Transit will further reduce Sounder South service as of Wednesday. TRAINS: David Lassen Tuesday morning virus-related rail news: — Sound Transit has halted almost all construction because of the COVID-19 outbreak, stalling work on three light rail expansion projects. The Seattle Times […]
Stepping into the “wayback” machine, Lionel’s 0-4-0 steam switcher is a model of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s B6-class 0-6-0. Just before World War II, Lionel made several variations of its B6 switcher, two of which – Nos. 1662 and 1663 – used 0-4-0 instead of 0-6-0 wheel arrangements. The model was in and out of the […]
