GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The contract worker killed in a maintenance-of-way accident earlier this month on state-owned tracks operated by the Housatonic Railroad has been identified as Rodolfo G. Rocha, 51, of Los Fresnos, Texas, the Berkshire Eagle newspaper reports. Survivors include a wife and son. Rocha was hit by track equipment while working in […]
Zone & Region: Northeast
LGB Norfolk Southern Rescue Train now available
LGB Norfolk Southern Rescue Train Scale: 1:22.5 Price: $2,000 Manufacturer: LGB (Märklin, Inc.), 800-321-8811, lgb.com Features: Three-piece set includes diesel locomotive, tank car, and boxcar. Locomotive includes an mfx/Digital Command Control decoder with various light and sound functions and two Bühler motors. Running sounds also work in analog. Tank car can be filled with water […]
MBTA plans 16-day shutdown of some Red Line service
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will shut down a 5-mile, 11-station segment of Red Line rail service for 16 days in October to address track maintenance, the agency announced today. The shutdown from Oct. 14 to Oct. 29 will affect the Ashmont Branch between the JFK/UMass and Ashmont stations, as well as the […]
Amtrak long-distance equipment shortage, mechanical challenges continue
CHICAGO — “Unforeseen mechanical issues” resulted in the cancellation of Amtrak’s westbound Cardinal out of New York on Wednesday, Aug. 23, despite the fact that the triweekly train’s equipment had arrived at the Big Apple’s Sunnyside Yard late Sunday. As has been recent custom, this resulted in the cancellation of its eastbound counterpart from Chicago […]
Service on Metro-North’s New Canaan Branch to return Sept. 2
NEW CANAAN, Conn. — Metro-North’s New Canaan Branch, which has been idled since May 30 for track work, will resume operation on Saturday, Sept. 2, the Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced. Work on the electrified 8-mile, single-track branch — which normally sees 41 trains each weekday — has included tie and rail replacement, insulated […]
Brakes on trolley involved in SEPTA derailment had been disabled for repair work
WASHINGTON — A technician who was repositioning a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority trolley at a maintenance facility was unaware its brakes had been disabled to allow for repairs when the vehicle ran away, derailed, and struck an SUV and a historic building in Philadelphia on July 27, according to the preliminary National Transportation Safety Board […]
New ownership for the Choo Choo Barn
New ownership for the Choo Choo Barn Gary Russell of Stevens, Pa. purchased the Choo Choo Barn’s model train layout along with the adjoining Strasburg Train Shop in late April. Russell plans to increase the shop’s online presence, and expand the selection of large-scale trains in the shop. He also plans to upgrade the electronics on […]
NJ Transit plans excursion, heritage equipment display to celebrate 40th anniversary
NEWARK, N.J. — NJ Transit and the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey will celebrate 40 years of NJ Transit rail operations the weekend of Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, with NJ Transit and the URHS partnering on a special excursion Sept. 30 and the transit agency displaying its heritage locomotives at Hoboken Terminal […]
Genesee Valley Transportation adds to its Alco/MLW six-motor locomotive fleet (updated)
SCRANTON, Pa. – Genesee Valley Transportation, the nation’s largest operator of six-motor Alco and Montreal Locomotive Works diesels, has almost doubled its fleet of the rare locomotives with the acquisition of four M636 units from regional railroad Western New York & Pennsylvania. Rebuilt General Electric AC60CWs idled WNYP’s active fleet of six big MLWs in […]
Berkshire Scenic to lease surviving ‘Roger Williams’ equipment, two other RDCs
LENOX, Mass. — The three remaining cars of the Roger Williams, the all-RDC passenger train built for the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad in 1957, are among five Budd Rail Diesel Cars the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum is leasing from the Budd RDC Foundation. Also included in the agreement announced Friday is an […]
Young Guns in Preservation: Andrew Nawn
The importance of a quality guest experience when visiting public rail preservation sites – such as a railroad museum – can sometimes be overlooked by those in the industry, but certainly not for Andrew Nawn, who serves as the founder and leader of the Baltimore Streetcar Museum’s Beautification Committee. With a dedicated team of fellow […]
County official says Wabtec may be preparing to close Erie, Pa., plant as strike drags on
ERIE, Pa. — An official in Erie County says that Wabtec may be preparing to close its locomotive plant in Erie if it does not reach a new labor agreement with 1,400 striking workers. County Executive Brenton Davis said in a statement Wednesday that he had confirmed that “Wabtec was visited by representatives of a […]
