Three holiday trains involved in minor mishaps

The Santa train season is nearing its end — which may be just as well, considering a weekend with minor mishaps involving three such trains, from one side of the country to the other. On Friday, the Polar Express operated by the California State Railroad Museum from its station in Old Sacramento was involved in […]

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Pennsylvania approves $55 million in funding for 30 freight rail projects

Logo of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has approved $55 million in funding for 30 rail freight improvement projects, the agency announced on Wednesday (Dec. 18). The funds, for a mix of railroads and rail customers, are from the state’s Rail Transportation Assistance Program and Rail Freight Assistance Program; PennDOT said they would create […]

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Kansas awards $13 million for rail projects

Woman and two men in high-visibility safety vests with locomotive in background

TOPEKA, Kan. — Fourteen rail projects in Kansas will receive $13 million in funding from the state Department of Transportation’s Rail Service Improvement Program, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Wednesday (Dec. 18). The projects were selected from 22 applications for projects with a total cost of more than $33 million. Projects require a 30% match from […]

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Railfan Road: California’s Central Valley

In the flatlands of California's Central Valley a freight train on the far track overtakes a parked train in the foreground

Railfanning California’s Central Valley offers diverse operations, wide-open vistas, and plenty of action. Even so, the Central Valley gets no respect. Fresno, Bakersfield and even Sacramento are the butt of jokes by Los Angeles and Bay Area citizens. Railfans make trips to Cajon, Donner and Tehachapi passes but seldom celebrate the tabletop-flat topography of the […]

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