LAKE VILLA, Ill. — Brand new Canadian National ET44AC No. 3196 leads train M34391-24 through the northern Illinois suburb of Lake Villa. The locomotive was delivered to CN at Memphis, Tennessee by BNSF Railway recently and is making its first revenue trip since being assembled at Wabtec Freight’s Fort Worth, Texas, plant. This locomotive is […]
Why did it take so long to roll out PTC? Because ‘it had never been done before’ NEWSWIRE
When Congress decided in 2008 to mandate the nation’s railroads install positive train control, railroads initially had less than a decade to bring the technology to fruition. But, first, they had to develop it since there was no off-the-shelf solution. “It’s one of those disruptive technologies that some hate and some love,” said Steve Mazur, […]
Adirondack Scenic prepared for spring, summer, and uncertainty with New York State NEWSWIRE
Adirondack Scenic Railroad crew members unload a rail bike in for a tuneup, at the railroad’s yard in Utica, N.Y. UTICA, N.Y. — On a sunny early-spring Thursday, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad Utica facility, located across the platform from Amtrak’s Utica station, was buzzing with activity as the railroad gets ready for a busy season. […]
Adirondack Scenic secures former New York Central diner from Amtrak NEWSWIRE
An Adirondack Scenic locomotive and train. Alex Mayes UTICA, N.Y. — While the threat of losing 34 miles of track enters into long-term planning, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad has a lot on its plate as it readies for the 2019 season, including preparing for its latest acquisition: an Amtrak-donated Heritage Diner car. Amtrak recently notified […]
American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners plans Albuquerque convention NEWSWIRE
Private railcars Sierra Hotel and Puget Sound pass through New Mexico behind the westbound Amtrak Southwest Chief. Thomas Scalf The American Association of Private Railcar Owners will be holding its 42nd annual convention in Albuquerque, N.M., from Sept. 17-19, 2019. The convention’s regular informational sessions will offer the latest in legislative, mechanical, safety, and Amtrak-related […]
Big Boy No. 4004 will see you Saturday NEWSWIRE
Big Boy No. 4004 will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to noon on April 27. Trains: Jim Wrinn CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Cheyenne’s other Big Boy is accepting visitors for a brief time Saturday. For those who planned to watch Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 go west Saturday to Ogden, Utah, a trip […]
Construction set to start on $32 million Chicago-area Argo Connections project NEWSWIRE
At a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Argo Connections project are (from left) Ian Jeffries, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads; Acting Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman; U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill.; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle; and CSX Transportation General Manager – Midwest William Blanchetti. Richard Wronski CHICAGO — […]
VIDEO: New Mexico governor speaks at ‘Southwest Chief’ rally in Las Vegas, N.M. NEWSWIRE
The New Mexico Rail Passengers Coalition held a rally in Las Vegas, N.M., to bring awareness of the importance of the Amtrak Southwest Chief to the local community on April 19, 2019. The rally was held in the recently restored Plaza Hotel, with about 125 people attending. Elected officials from New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas […]
‘Amtrak Joe’ Biden makes a run for 2020
Then-Vice President Joe Biden at the newly renovated Wilmington, Del., Amtrak station dedication in March 2011. Michael T. Burkhart WASHINGTON, D.C. – “Amtrak Joe” is making another run for the White House. Former Vice President Joe Biden announced Thursday he is running for President of the United States in 2020. The campaign is Biden’s third […]
Amtrak says loss of ‘Hoosier State’ could threaten jobs at Beech Grove NEWSWIRE
BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Elimination of Amtrak’s Hoosier State could threaten jobs at the passenger railroad’s Beech Grove shops, according to an Amtrak spokesman and workers at the facility. WISH-TV reports that Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said that, if the four-day-a-week train between Indianapolis and Chicago is eliminated, it would limit Amtrak’s ability to ferry […]
Big Boy No. 4014’s first passenger train will be nine cars long NEWSWIRE
Big Boy No. 4014, shown in November 2013 when the engine was removed from the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, will leave Cheyenne, May 4. Trains: Jim Wrinn CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The consist of the Union Pacific steam special leaving Cheyenne May 4 and heading for Ogden, Utah, and the 150th anniversary of the first transcontinental […]
British Columbia rail museum receives nearly $1 million for preservation projects NEWSWIRE
SEATTLE — West Coast Railway Association in Squamish, B.C., has been awarded a $985,000 grant by the Canadian federal government to buy the former BC Rail shop now used by the group for preservation and restoration projects. The association has been leasing the building for the last 13 years. It’s been “an integral part of […]
