Owner of truck seeks stay in lawsuit over Chief derailment

Aerial view of accident site with debris of truck hit by train

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The owner of the dump truck involved in June’s derailment of the Southwest Chief has a federal judge to halt a lawsuit by Amtrak and BNSF Railway, saying the federal investigation of the accident prevents it from responding to allegations. KMBC-TV reports MS Contracting says federal law prevents the company from […]

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Funding dispute continues over Twin Cities commuter rail service

Trains at station with baseball stadium in background

MINNEAPOLIS — A dispute over funding continues for the Twin Cities-area Northstar commuter rail service, which continues to operate on a significantly reduced schedule introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports Anoka County — one of the entities which funds the 40-mile line between Minneapolis and Big Lake — says its $1.95 million […]

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Nocturnal steam at Cincinnati

New York Central Railroad 4-8-4 and Baltimore and Ohio 4-6-2 at Cincinnati Union Terminal

New York Central 4-8-4 6000 (left, the first of NYC’s famous Niagaras) and Baltimore & Ohio 4-6-2 5313 (one of B&O’s famous “President” Pacifics) simmer near Cincinnati Union Terminal one evening in September 1954. Philip R. Hastings photo […]

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Gulf Mobile and Ohio remembered

Overhead view of four Gulf Mobile and Ohio diesel locomotives with freight train on S curve with multiple power lines

Gulf Mobile and Ohio remembered: The “modern merger movement” is often said to have begun in 1957 when Louisville & Nashville absorbed the Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis, in which the L&N had a three-quarters ownership. Some would argue that three similar 1947 mergers — Denver & Salt Lake into Denver & Rio Grande Western; […]

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Wrongful death suit filed in Chief derailment

Aerial view of three Superliner passenger cars on their side after derailment

KEYTESVILLE, Mo. — The family of a woman killed in the June 27 derailment of Amtrak’s Southwest Chief has filed a wrongful death suit in the county where the accident occurred, naming the company whose truck was struck by the train, BNSF Railway, and a BNSF employee as defendants. Rachelle Cook, 58, of De Soto, […]

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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to resume normal operations

Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad logo

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — After a lengthy period of modified operations because of riverbank erosion along its route, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will return to its regular schedule this Saturday, July 16. Since March, the railroad had been running 16-mile trips instead of offering its full 52-mile round trip, and departing only from its Rockside […]

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Lionel Santa Fe F3 is the stuff of legend

Lionel Santa Fe F3 with Roger Carp

The Lionel Santa Fe F3 is a colorful O gauge icon. Roger “Professor” Carp is here to share with you what many consider the greatest post-World War II locomotive, the no. 2333 Santa Fe F3 cab unit. Interestingly, prior to its production, Lionel reached out to the manufacturer, Electric Motive Division of General Motors to […]

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Why I love the 2-8-4 Berkshire locomotive

Berkshire 2-8-4 locomotive: When I was a kid, my dad once showed me his childhood Lionel set. He had a Lionel no. 726RR Berkshire set with a few extra pieces stored in a metal crate. I never got to see it set up or operate, unfortunately. I had no idea what a Berkshire was back […]

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