INDIANA, Pa. — “The East Broad Top is sleeping,” Joe Kovalchick says. Indeed, it’s been five years since the legendary narrow gauge railroad has operated for the public. The famed narrow-gauge coal hauler’s modern-day owner, Kovalchick, says he’s trying to find someone, some group or agency to buy the 33-mile railroad. “I want to keep […]
Section: News & Reviews
METRA seeks to “break silence” on suicide by train NEWSWIRE
CHICAGO — Officials at Chicago’s Metra say it’s time to tackle a topic that many in the rail industry have long considered taboo: death by train. The commuter rail agency, in partnership with Amtrak and Chicago-area safety advocates, sponsored a daylong symposium entitled “Breaking the Silence.” The session Wednesday at Chicago Union Station was intended […]
NY judge sides with railroad in trail case NEWSWIRE
An Adirondack Scenic Railroad passenger train to Thendara, N.Y., prepares to depart the station at Big Moose, N.Y. The four-car train is powered by RS18 No. 1845, built by Montreal Locomotive Works in 1958. This line was previously the New York Central’s Adirondack Division, and saw as many as 10 passenger trains a day. Alex […]
Video: ScaleTrainscom HO scale SD40-2
This HO scale SD40-2 from ScaleTrains.com is part of the firm’s Rivet Counter series. Our Norfolk Southern version features an admiral cab and bristles with other roadname-specific detail. The HO scale diesel locomotive also came factory equipped with an ESU LokSound decoder. Follow along as senior editor Dana Kawala uses the SD40-2 to work a […]
Reading & Northern to chop high-hood noses on ex-Southern GP38s NEWSWIRE
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern continues to add to its locomotive roster to keep up with growing business on the 320-mile northeastern Pennsylvania short line. The railroad’s latest acquisitions are three EMD GP38-2s, purchased at a Norfolk Southern equipment action in Roanoke, Va. Ranging from 38- to 43-years old, NS Nos. 5139, 5184, […]
CTA flagger hospitalized after touching third rail NEWSWIRE
CHICAGO — A Chicago Transit Authority track worker is recovering after she made contact with the track’s electrified third rail, the Chicago Sun Times reports. The track flagger was holding a metal object near the Wilson station on the agency’s Red and Purple Line when she accidentally touched the third rail, a CTA representative tells […]
Drone pilot weaves through freight train on video NEWSWIRE
RENO, Nev. — Flying low, through a truss bridge, under a Union Pacific train, and even in a boxcar are just a few of the stunts a drone pilot shows off in a YouTube video while a UP mixed freight is in motion. The video, embedded above, went live on Sept. 20 and has already […]
Traffic picks up on former Clinchfield mainline NEWSWIRE
ST. PAUL, Va. — Portions of the CSX Transportation’s former Clinchfield Railroad mainline are seeing an uptick in traffic as the railroad is using the famed coal line as a reliever route. Trains‘ Tishia Boggs caught CSX AC440CW-H No. 516 leading empty unit coal train W103-20 headed northbound over a crossover with Norfolk Southern at […]
GE Transportation builds its 10,000th GEVO NEWSWIRE
An Indian Railways GEVO ES43ACmi No. 49002 at Erie, Pa., in June 2017. Railroads around the world use GEVO locomotives. CHICAGO — Years after introducing the first model of its Evolution Series locomotive, General Electric has built the 10,000th locomotive in the series, GE officials say. All Class I railroads in the U.S. use Evolution […]
Forecast: Intermodal growth trend to continue next year NEWSWIRE
Crews work to place trailers on flatcars in Denver in March 2017. Trailers, or TOFC, made an unexpected rebound in volume so far in 2017. TRAINS: Steve Sweeney INDIANAPOLIS – Intermodal traffic, which has come back nicely after a rare down year in 2016, likely will continue to gain ground in 2018 as truck capacity […]
Museum moves a Porter tank engine for cosmetic restoration NEWSWIRE
Workers prepare Porter-built 0-4-0t for transport to the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Wash., on Thursday, Sept. 21. Northwest Railway Museum SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Today, the H.K. Porter steam locomotive located at Bloedel-Donovan Park in Bellingham, Wash., will be re-purposed, restored, and eventually placed on public display at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie. The […]
Maine two-foot gauge steamer inches closer to restoration NEWSWIRE
Bridgton & Saco River 2-4-4T No. 7 in Alna, Maine. Jay Monty ALNA, Maine — One of the largest surviving Maine two-foot gauge steam locomotives took one step closer to returning to steam this week. Volunteers from the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. and Museum and contractors with Maine Locomotive and Machine Works in Alna […]
