ATLANTA — A proposed Atlanta-area commuter rail line is likely to be scrapped after Norfolk Southern told the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority it would not share its rail line with the passenger operation. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the planned line would run from MARTA’s East Point station southwest of downtown Atlanta to the Clayton […]
SEATTLE — Union Pacific will pay more than $80,000 in penalties, along with reimbursement of cleanup costs, in a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over a 2016 derailment that spilled crude oil in the Columbia River Gorge near Mosier, Ore. The June 3, 2016, derailment saw 16 cars of a train with 96 […]
WASHINGTON — Lagging intermodal traffic again dropped weekly U.S. rail traffic figures below 2020 levels, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. Figures for the week ending Sept. 11 saw U.S. railroads move a total of 468,610 carloads and intermodal units, a 1.3% decrease from the corresponding week in 2020. It […]
San Francisco Overland Future excursion locomotive UP 844, having just taken over for an SP locomotive, departs Ogden Union Station with the San Francisco Overland on June 18, 1950. The Fairbanks-Morse “Erie-built” diesels at right will follow with the Los Angeles Limited. Don Sims photo […]
CHICAGO — Metra’s board of directors on Wednesday gave CEO/Executive Director James Derwinski a 10% annual salary raise along with additional compensation, arguing that it must “stay competitive” with the rest of the rail industry. Metra Chair Romayne Brown lauded Derwinski as a “strong leader and innovator,” and several other board members echoed that sentiment. […]
Visit Steve Albee’s dual-level O gauge layout that fits in a spare room! This layout is one of many with plans that appears in the fall 2021 CTT special publication Toy train layouts for small spaces. Get your print or digital version here! There are freight trains and subways bringing light, action, and sound to […]
Visit Steve Albee’s dual-level O gauge layout that fits in a spare room! This layout is one of many with plans that appears in the fall 2021 CTT special publication Toy train layouts for small spaces. Get your print or digital version here! There are freight trains and subways bringing light, action, and sound to […]
Water is the enemy of toy trains. But we have tools to fight back. In fact, they might already be in your train box, and if they’re not, they should be. You can prevent rust and mold with silica gel. Science to the rescue What I have here is a locomotive that sat in a […]
PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak has reached agreement with developer Plenary Infrastructure Philadelphia on a lease and development agreement for restoration and renovation of its main station in Philadelphia, the William H. Gray III 30th Street Station. Under the agreement, Plenary will refurbish and improve the nearly century-old building, finance the improvements, and maintain the station for […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The four-month battle for Kansas City Southern is officially over. KCS and Canadian National ripped up their $33.6 billion merger agreement today, 15 days after the Surface Transportation Board denied CN’s request to place KCS into an independent voting trust. Canadian Pacific and KCS, with voting trust approval already in […]
WASHINGTON — An audit of the DC Metrorail system’s maintenance practices has found those who perform railcar repairs and inspections do not keep organized records or follow safety procedures, according to the independent agency charged with monitoring DC Metro safety. The Washington Post reports the 44-page document from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission identified 12 […]
LOS ANGELES — Commuter rail operator Metrolink is joining the California Department of Transportation and U.S. Geological Survey for a pilot warning system that could slow and stop trains in the event of an earthquake. The Earthquake Early Warning System will be deployed between Perris and Riverside on Metrolink’s 91/Perris Valley Line. It will use […]
