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 […]
ENFIELD, N.C. — Four auto racks on Amtrak’s southbound Auto Train derailed Wednesday night, delaying the train and leading to altered schedules for several Amtrak trains through North Carolina. WTVD-TV in Raleigh, N.C., reported the derailment occurred about 11:30 p.m. None of the 394 passengers or crew were injured. The derailed cars remained upright and […]
Three Amtrak GE P42DCs lead the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners’ Chattanooga Limited convention train across the James River near Lynchburg, Va., in September 2012. AAPRCO’s annual convention and mid-year specials are at risk with Amtrak’s new policy. Chase Gunnoe WASHINGTON — The two organizations representing the private-car industry say they’re doing their […]
Nickel Plate Road No. 765 inches closer to the platforms at Metra’s LaSalle Street Station in Chicago on June 17, 2017, as it leads the Joliet Rocket. Organizers are holding off on ticket sales pending clarification of Amtrak’s recent announcements regarding private passenger cars and excursions under Amtrak’s common carrier umbrella. TRAINS: Steve Sweeney FORT […]
The Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society’s 2017 New River Train rolls through Sandstone, W.Va., with 30 private cars in tow. A new Amtrak policy could mean the end of this and all other excursions using the passenger railroad’s equipment. Chase Gunnoe WASHINGTON — Special trains and certain private varnish moves will no longer be […]
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — BNSF Railway announced this week that its 2018 capital expenditure program in California will be approximately $230 million. This year’s plan in California includes several capacity expansion projects in addition to scheduled maintenance projects to ensure BNSF continues to operate a safe and reliable rail network. BNSF operates a 2,000-mile network […]
It is still unclear precisely how railroads will fare amid a trade dispute between the U.S. and China, but railroad executives and analysts say rail traffic benefits from free trade. Last week, the Trump administration said it would impose $60 billion-worth of tariffs on Chinese goods, including electronic products, shoes, and clothing. The measures are […]
CHICAGO — Rising intermodal volumes in Chicago have prompted Canadian Pacific to revive its Schiller Park intermodal terminal for inbound loads. CP consolidated its Chicago intermodal operations at its terminal at Bensenville Yard in 2012. The former Soo Line facility at Schiller Park remained in use as a container storage yard, spokesman Andy Cummings says, […]
Watch as Trains Associate Editor Steve Sweeney takes the engineer’s seat in a steam locomotive for the first time — ever — courtesy of Nevada Northern Railway. The historic Nevada railroad’s Be the Engineer program, is among the best known, but far from the only engineer or fireman program in the United States. Here’s an […]
Every steam locomotive needs special preparation before a day of service. Joins Trains Associate Editor Steve Sweeney for a behind-the-scenes look at how Nevada Northern Railway crews prepare 4-6-0 Baldwin-built No. 40 in East Ely, Nev., in May 2016. Only from Trains! […]
This “Trackside with Trains” photo contest result comes from March 8, 2018. The theme was “To the point.” Trackside with Trains was a regular, periodic contest among Trains website visitors from the earlier 2000s until October 2018. Anyone in the world who wanted to participate, could, and with rare exception, have their images judged […]
National Park Service volunteer Dan Jerome demonstrates Native American traditions through Montana on the Empire Builder in 2008. Bob Johnston WASHINGTON — The National Park Service “Trails and Rails” volunteer lecture program has been cancelled on five Amtrak trains and shorteneed on three others this year. The changes are the result of the result Amtrak’s […]
