Four appointed to VIA Rail Canada board

VIA Rail Canada logo

OTTAWA, Ontario — Canada’s Transport Minister, Pablo Rodriguez, has reappointed one member and announced new appointments of three others to the VIA Rail Canada board of directors. The VIA appointees announced Wednesday, Aug. 28, were among 26 appointments to 11 transportation-related organizations overseen by the federal government. Others included port authorities in Montreal and Prince […]

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Santa Fe’s celebrity PAs

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Alco and Santa Fe pulled out all the stops when the road bought the first of the builder’s 2,000 h.p. postwar passenger diesels that came to be known as “PAs” (and “PBs” for booster units). Carrying ATSF road number 51, the brand-new three-unit locomotive heads a train down California’s Cajon Pass in October 1946. Santa […]

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Big Boy’s ‘Westward Bound’ recap

Steam locomotive and train round curve in desert landscape

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Union Pacific Railroad‘s Big Boy No. 4014 is en route for its second outing of the 2024 steam season. During its “Heartland of America” tour, the 4-8-8-4 will travel eastbound toward Illinois before pointing its headlight south to Texas. Before looking more into the fall trip, here’s a recap of both the […]

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Caltrain offers first look at all-electric schedules

SAN FRANCISCO — A month before Stadler electric, bilevel multiple-unit trainsets are set to completely transform Caltrain’s 51-mile corridor from downtown San Francisco to San Jose, Calif., commuters are getting their first look at specifics of the schedules to be implemented beginning Sept. 21. Some electric trainsets began operating earlier this month [see “News photos: […]

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A locomotive on fire

man on locomotive that started on fire

A locomotive on fire Since railroading’s very inception, fire has been one of the most frightening things that can occur, and it can happen on any unit from any manufacturer at any time, usually without warning. And thinking about it, why not? You have a constantly vibrating platform with multiple moving parts surrounded by myriad […]

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Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 3751 set for LA appearance in September

Steam locomotive at passenger station with modern building in background

LOS ANGELES — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3751 will make 2024 public debut this September at the Rail Safety: Los Angeles event, the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society has announced. The free, two-day event will be the largest rail safety event hosted in downtown Los Angeles in more than a decade. Taking place at […]

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Caltrain offers F40s for sale in online store

Diesel power commuter train under overhead wire

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Well, you won’t find this on Amazon.com. Currently on the front page of the online store for California commuter operator Caltrain, between the ugly Holiday Sweater, and the limited-edition HO gauge Stadler electric train (sorry, sold out) is … an F40PH-2 locomotive. Not a model, an actual locomotive. Click through, and […]

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News photos: Electrified service begins on Caltrain

Electrified and diesel trainsets meet at station

After a Aug. 10 event involving Gov. Gavin Newsom and other elected officials and VIPs, public service using Caltrain’s electric multiple-unit trainsets began on a limited basis on Sunday, Aug. 11, between San Jose, Calif., and San Francisco [see “Caltrain to place first electric trainsets in service,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 9, 2024]. Two of […]

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Brightline West obtains $1 billion bond offering

Group of people pose for photo behind "Brightline West Groundbreaking" banner

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Trains News Wire has obtained an 1,160-page “Limited Remarketing Memorandum” issued earlier this month announcing the $1 billion availability of bonds by California and Nevada authorities. The financing is part of Brightline West’s quest to secure operating capital for its proposed 218-mile high speed venture between Las Vegas, Nev., and Southern […]

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Caltrain to place first electric trainsets in service

Caltrain electric trainset passes through station

SAN FRANCISCO — Caltrain will begin public operation of its electrified trainsets this Sunday, Aug. 11, the news site SFGate reports. Agency spokesman Dan Lieberman told SFGate that “a couple” of the electric trains will be in operation, but that Caltrain has decided against announcing which specific trains will be operating with the new equipment […]

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