WASHINGTON — In the latest step for better service for Northeast Corridor passengers, Amtrak officials said in late July that they’ll spend $370 million on new maintenance-of-way equipment over an estimated three-year period. This capital expenditure will accelerate maintenance work, doubling Amtrak engineering work on the Boston to Washington line upon full implementation of the […]
An overview of the Ravenna car shops and rail yard facilities that will become the future site of the Kentucky rail heritage center and home to Chesapeake & Ohio 2-8-4 No. 2716. The Kentucky Steam Heritage Corp. seeks approval from the Surface Transportation Board to operate its own railroad for switching purposes. Kentucky Steam Heritage […]
A successful short line operator in the East is now setting his sights on the Heartland. On Jan. 1, 2019, the Wolf Creek Railroad, at Milan, Tenn., and the Iowa & Middletown Railway near Burlington, Iowa, will join the Raritan Central Railway in Edison, N.J., and Pennsylvania & Southern in Chambersburg, Pa., in the newly […]
Boothbay Railway Village S.D. Warren 0-4-0T No. 2 as it was test-fired on July 30. Submitted photo A view of the firebox of Boothbay Railway Village 0-4-0T No. 2. Submitted photo BOOTHBAY, Maine — A steam locomotive from one of Maine’s most obscure two-foot gauge railroads will return to the rails under its own power […]
N&W No. 611 will run at Spencer, N.C., in September before returning to Roanoke, Va. Trains: Jim Wrinn SPENCER, N.C. — Norfolk & Western Class J 4-8-4 No. 611 isn’t pulling mainline steam trips this year, but it’s got a busy late summer lined up. The streamlined 1950 passenger engine will operate on site at […]
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Progressive Rail, the Lakeview, Minn., short line operator, is poised to assume control of the 31-mile Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay Railroad from its former operator, Iowa Pacific Holdings, according to a petition filed Aug. 1 with the Surface Transportation Board. The petition notes that Iowa Pacific ceased operations in June. […]
Crews unload long rail segments from the Pacific Spike at Stockton, Calif., in this undated photo. David Lustig The Pacific Spike rail ship. This is the ship that was delayed for week in San Francisco Bay. It is unclear why the ship was delayed. David Lustig SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Union Pacific is facing increased costs […]
This bright red caboose and its sister, No. 101, escort special rail loads and are owned by PHN LLC. Timothy J. O’Malley Q Last year I saw a caboose on the tail end of a BNSF Railway train with PHNX reporting marks. Is it escorting the three hopper cars in front of it? Who owns […]
In mid-July, Amtrak announced it had added a hot-meal option to the pre-packaged lunch and dinner service on the Lake Shore Limited and Capitol Limited, where it replaced full dining-car service. The original form of that service, as sampled on the Lake Shore, was examined in “Amtrak debuts cold ‘contemporary’ meals” [“Passenger, September 2018 Trains] […]
A Durango & Silverton locomotive pauses at Silverton, Colo. Soon 2,000-hp diesel locomotives will replace certain 2-8-2 steam locomotives on the historic narrow gauge line. TRAINS: David Lassen DURANGO, Colo. — The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is purchasing two new three-foot gauge diesel locomotives for $3.2 million from Motive Power & Equipment Solutions […]
An Amtrak ACS-64 locomotive in a digital rendering from Dovetail Games Train Sim World. Contributed photo Amtrak wants you to run a train across the Northeast Corridor with an Xbox controller. British video game company Dovetail Games went to the railroad for help creating the route in their game Train Sim World, available on PC, […]
A SunRail train heads north from downtown Orlando. SunRail opens a four-station extension to its route today. TRAINS: David Lassen ORLANDO, Fla. — SunRail, the Orlando-area commuter rail system, will open its four-station, 17.2-mile “Southern Extension” today, expanding the system to 48.9 miles and 16 stations. The four new stations are Poinciana, Kissimmee, Tupperware, and […]
