CHICAGO — Metra is asking the Surface Transportation Board to resolve a disagreement between the commuter rail agency and Amtrak involving its lease and trackage rights at Chicago Union Station — a dispute that could have ramifications elsewhere. The issue was prompted by the merger last year between Amtrak and Chicago Union Station Co., which […]
BNSF Railway Executive Chairman Matt Rose TRAINS: David Lassen NASHVILLE, Tenn. — BNSF Railway Executive Chairman Matt Rose says Tuesday his company hopes to extract efficiencies out of positive train control implementation, but added that he is not about eliminating crews from cabs. He also says that BNSF is less interested in natural gas as […]
Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449 leads a BNSF Railway videographer special through the Columbia River Gorge on Monday, April 9. Steven Brown Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449 leads a BNSF Railway videographer special through the Columbia River Gorge on Monday, April 9. Steven Brown PORTLAND, Ore. — Southern Pacific No. 4449 is running through the […]
WASHINGTON — “Safety inspector,” “safety specialist,” and “program analyst” are three job classifications Federal Railroad Administration officials say they have more than 100 slots for nationwide to fill as they search for qualified applicants. In a recent statement from the FRA, about 20-percent of the job vacancies to be filled are related to the railroad […]
Kansas City Southern CEO Patrick J. “Pat” Ottensmeyer TRAINS: David Lassen WASHINGTON — Kansas City Southern has enough motive power and train crews to handle anticipated traffic growth this year, but its key route to Mexico has experienced slowdowns over the past five months amid congestion on Union Pacific in the Houston area. “While we […]
A view on the aftermath of a March 18 train crash in Georgetown, Ky. Norfolk Southern is suing two of the railroaders for negligence in the crash that destroyed two locomotives, derailed 13 freight cars, and injured four railroaders. Tyler Hardin LEXINGTON, Ky. — Norfolk Southern is suing one of its own train crews involved […]
The Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami holds one of the nation’s most famous passenger cars, the Ferdinand Magellan. The official private car of Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower was a rolling White House for these leaders. Step inside this unique car to learn more about how it was used and how it was specially […]
Amtrak intends to remove Business Class seating from the Auto Train and Crescent routes, effective May 1. The upgraded class of service was offered on both routes for about two years. The upgrade did not sell well and often resulted in higher base coach fares because, with a fixed number of cars in the train […]
Cummins QSK95 test locomotive No. 1919 uses Selective Catalytic Reduction aftertreatment of its exhaust. The system is located in the wing overhang; a urea and water solution tank is inside the forward portion of the fuel tank below the forward air reservoir. Chris Guss With Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 emission regulations in effect for […]
Q I heard the term “nitrogen blanket” in reference to a tank car. Could you explain what this is and what types of tank cars have these nitrogen blankets? – Mike Riley, Manchester, Mo. A The term “nitrogen blanket” refers to a padding (or a layer) of nitrogen gas put into a tank car to: […]
PRLX SD70ACe No. 4834 featuring Chesapeake & Ohio’s “C&O for Progress” logo leads NS train 36T at Attica, N.Y., on March 29, 2018. The C&O-patched locomotive is a former CSX unit on lease to NS by Progress Rail. BUFFALO, N.Y. – A leased locomotive is roaming Norfolk Southern rails with Chesapeake & Ohio logos this […]
ST. LOUIS – Gary Bensman walks through Continental Fabricators in St. Louis, holding a washout plug for the boiler of Pennsylvania Railroad T1 No. 5550. Bensman grips the plug much like a judge would hold a gavel, as he holds court over the fabrication of the boiler for a locomotive class whose last member of […]
