WASHINGTON — A bill that would include yardmasters among railroad employees covered by the Hours of Service Act was recently filed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yardmasters often work shifts as long as 16 hours, and more 24-hour shifts are on the rise, according to the bill’s sponsor, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn. Yardmasters […]
Trains Presents: D & I Railroad
Join Trains for a look at the unique D & I Railroad. You’ll see EMD power move heavy stone trains between Dell Rapids, S.D., and Sioux City, Iowa, on this shipper-owned line. Be sure to check out our feature story on the railroad in the September 2017 issue! […]
Charlie’s Trackside Postcards: Charlie’s New Office
When we first met Charlie, his temporary office was located at a metro Seattle airport. Nowadays, he’s happily situated in a new downtown waterfront office with all of the essential creature comforts – including a rooftop view of BNSF freight, Amtrak passenger, and Sound Transit commuter trains. It’s enough to make Drew and many other railfans […]
Amtrak inspection train travels ‘Montrealer’ route NEWSWIRE
ST. ALBANS, Vt. — An Amtrak inspection trip ran today from St. Albans to Montreal over the normally freight only Swanton Subdivision of both New England Central and Canadian National. Montrealer service ended in 1995 and more than two dozen rail and government officials were aboard the consist of Amtrak P42 101, Amcafe 43371 and […]
CSX ordered to pay $3.9 million to family of film worker killed in 2014 NEWSWIRE
SAVANNAH, Ga. — A Georgia jury says that CSX Transportation is partially to blame in the death of Sarah Jones, a 27-year-old camera assistant who was killed by a train while trespassing on a railroad bridge in Georgia, the Associated Press reports. Jones was part of a film crew who was on its first day […]
Talgo retools in Milwaukee NEWSWIRE
A Breda A650 heavy rail vehicle from Los Angeles is among the first of dozens of cars Talgo will rebuild in Milwaukee, Wis., shops. Kevin Keefe MILWAUKEE — Spanish train manufacturer Talgo has entered the U.S. passenger-car overhaul market with a contract to rebuild transit cars for Los Angeles, using a plant it formerly occupied […]
Locomotives’ minimum speed
An ammeter in a GP40-2 with the short-time rating plate below. Note the duplicate time chart listed on the gauge as well. Chris Guss Q Why is it that a D.C. traction locomotive can stay below its continuous full-power minimum speed limit for only 30 minutes while an A.C. traction unit can grind away in […]
Appeals court rejects on-time performance standards NEWSWIRE
Amtrak’s southbound ‘Saluki’ rolls past the Canadian National yard into Champaign, Ill., in Feb., 2015. Bob Johnston ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a U.S. Surface Transportation Board attempt to provide metrics which measure host railroad on-time performance. The action follows a U.S. Supreme Court finding that […]
CSX abolishes several operating rules NEWSWIRE
A conductor watches the reverse move of a pair of locomotives about to couple onto a freight train on CSX’s former Chesapeake & Ohio main line in West Virginia. Chase Gunnoe JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX Transportation is continuing to make changes to its operational structure, especially through a series of recent operating rule abolishments. On […]
UP outlines plans for ‘Nebraska 150 Express’ statewide tour train NEWSWIRE
Union Pacific’s A-B-A set of EMD E9s will supply power to next month’s Whistle Stop train through Nebraska. Union Pacific LINCOLN, Neb. – Union Pacific’s streamlined E9s and a fleet of passenger cars will tour the state of Nebraska early next month as part of a whistle stop tour celebrating Nebraska’s sesquicentennial. Elected officials and […]
USDOT: Amtrak’s proposed 2018 budget includes all available funding NEWSWIRE
WASHINGTON – Senators used words like “concerned,” and “dismayed” as they considered the Trump administration’s proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Transportation during a hearing July 13. Members of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on transportation were looking at an overall budget that’s been cut $2.4 billion from the 2017 DOT budget. If they were […]
Cass Scenic Shay No. 11 to return to steam July 15 NEWSWIRE
Cass Scenic Railroad Shay No. 11 leads a photo freight special in May 2013. Chase Gunnoe CASS, W.Va. – Cass Scenic Railroad Shay No. 11 will return to steam the weekend of July 15-16 after being out of service for nearly three years. The locomotive’s renovations include a Federal Railroad Administration mandated Form IV overhaul […]
