My first regular assignment as a brakeman on the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1977 was one that no one else wanted. In accordance with my union’s working agreement, when a job could not be filled voluntarily, the most junior employee was “forced” to work it. The morning after being notified by the crew clerk, […]
WASHINGTON — A subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has scheduled a hearing this Thursday on California regulations that would require zero-emissions locomotives in the state beginning in 2030. The focus of the hearing by the Investigations & Oversight Subcommittee is clear from its title: “Environmentalism Off the Rails: […]
ALTOONA, Pa. — Norfolk Southern introduced a new specially painted locomotive saluting its railroaders at an NS Family Day event at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona on Saturday, June 8. NS CEO Alan Shaw was on hand and spoke, and the railroad’s Southern and Virginian heritage units were also on display. The front of […]
MONTREAL — Beginning June 19, VIA Rail Canada is adding 90 minutes to the westbound schedule of its Montreal-Halifax, N.S. Ocean and 45 minutes to the eastbound train, “to provide passengers with a schedule which better reflects actual travel times,” according to a statement provided by VIA in response to a set of detailed questions […]
PAYSON, Ariz. — Logan “Stan” Garner, rail enthusiast, actor, and supplier of railroad equipment to the entertainment industry, died May 20 in Arizona at the age of 83. Born in Pasadena, Calif., Garner gained initial fame for being a co-founder in 1967 of Short Line Enterprises, where discarded railroad equipment, mostly from Hollywood movie studios, […]
DANBURY, Conn. — The Danbury Railway Museum has added former Amtrak AEM7 electric locomotive No. 917 to its collection, the museum has announced. The locomotive, donated by Rail Propulsion Systems in August 2023, was delivered by the Providence & Worcester to Danbury on Friday, June 7. Former Amtrak locomotive technician and engineer Anthony Raspantini brought […]
Trains Video Producer Kevin’s pick: Summerville Steam Special Name of Train: Summerville Steam Special The route: Chattanooga, Tenn. to Summerville, Ga, roundtrip excursion Duration: 9 hours and about 100 miles round trip The adventure: Departing from the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s Grand Junction depot in Chattanooga, Tenn., this all-day steam excursion takes passengers over a […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner and board chair Anthony Coscia are scheduled to appear before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in a hearing this Wednesday, June 12. The Railroad, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee will hold the hearing, “Amtrak and Intercity Passenger Rail Oversight: Promoting Performance, Safety and Accountability,” […]
KINGSTON, N.Y. — The Catskill Mountain Railroad has converted its locomotives to run on 100% biodiesel fuel and says it is the first heritage railroad in the country to do so, the railroad has announced. The railroad operates with a pair of Alco locomotives. RS1 No. 401 was built in March 1950 for the Illinois […]
DETROIT — The magnificent indoor space at Michigan Central Station that once hosted New York Central passenger trains has been brought back to life in spectacular fashion by the Ford Motor Company. It joins New York’s Grand Central Terminal, union stations in Washington and Chicago, and Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal as well-preserved classics built […]
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Failure of a plug rail joint, installed about a week earlier, likely led to the derailment and fire involving a Canadian Pacific crude oil unit train near Guernsey, Saskatchewan, in February 2020, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada determined in a final investigation report released Friday (June 7). The Feb. 6 incident […]
SILVIS, Ill. — Union Pacific DDA40X Centennial diesel No. 6936 will be on display at a free “Summer of Safety” open house at the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America shops in Silvis, Ill., later this month, while a concurrent event, the “Walk Amongst the Giants Fundraiser,” will offer a chance to view the two UP […]
