Lionel 1926 Cardinals Train Set review

Lionel 1926 Cardinals Train Set overall view

Lionel’s 1926 Cardinals Train Set was kind of hidden in the pages of the 2021 Lionel Volume I “Big Book” behind the re-release of the 2-10-10-2; the Mohawks and Camelbacks; the Acela sets; and the Asa Packer, New Hope & Ivyland consists. It’s a high-end Legacy outfit that features a newly cataloged 4-6-2 Pacific steam […]

Read More…

Passenger car fluting style references

Passenger car fluting style references Passenger car fluting style references: Looking for a certain article or video? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a […]

Read More…

Railroad Labor Productivity

Men walk with tools along railroad tracks

The 20th century saw a dramatic increase in railroad labor productivity. In 1916, the peak year for U.S. Class I railroad route-miles, those 100-plus carriers employed 1,559,158 people. If we assume 85 percent of those employees, or 1,325,284, were allocated to freight traffic — which totaled almost 339 billion ton-miles — this works out to […]

Read More…

VRE suspends fares for September

Two commuter trains side by side

  ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Rides on Virginia Railway Express (VRE) trains will be free systemwide for the entire month of September, beginning tomorrow, September 1, the commuter railroad has announced. Passengers will not need tickets to ride between any of VRE’s 19 stations. In a statement, the railroad says suspension of fares is designed to […]

Read More…

Amtrak set to resume service to Vancouver, B.C.

Blue and silver road-switcher locomotive on passenger train

Passengers line up at Pacific Central Station the Vancouver, British Columbia, for that afternoon’s Amtrak Cascades departure. The round-trip that includes this train is to be restored at the end of September. (Bob Johnston) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak will resume single daily round-trip Cascades service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sept. 26, two […]

Read More…

DOT agency issues safety directives to MBTA

Rapid-transit train at station. Governor reacts following more close calls on MBTA.

Passengers are seen leaving a Boston Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Orange Line platform. Today, the MBTA received further directives from the Federal Transit Administration regarding additional safety measures to be implemented by the commuter railroad. The MBTA has suffered a number of safety related incidents in recent months that have drawn attention from federal regulators. […]

Read More…

Santa Fe No. 3751 steams for Fullerton event

steam locomotive and Amtrak engine pulling train

FULLERTON, Calif. — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3751 will return to operation for the first time since 2017 when it travels from its home base in Los Angeles to appear at Amtrak’s Track Safety Community Event, scheduled for Sept. 24 and 25 at the Fullerton Transportation Center. The 4-8-4 is owned by the San […]

Read More…

Transport Canada proposes Southwest Ontario passenger rail study

Passenger train on multi-track main line

WINDSOR, Ontario — Admitting that the government’s focus so far has been on corridor rail improvements east of Toronto, Canada’s transport minister announced Tuesday his agency will explore options to “improve passenger rail frequencies, on-time performance, and shorten travel times in Southwestern Ontario.” Minister Omar Alghabra said Transport Canada “will seek an external advisor, who […]

Read More…

Long Island Rail Road opens second section of Third Track project

Electric multiple-unit passenger train on three-track main line

MINEOLA, N.Y. — The second section of the Long Island Railroad’s Third Track project is now in operation. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the 2.5-mile segment between the Merillon Avenue station in Garden City Park and the Mineola station began handling trains on Tuesday, Aug. 30. This joins the 3-mile, Queens Village-Merillion Avenue portion of […]

Read More…

Caltrain electrification substation is energized

Red and white bilevel commuter train cars round curve

SAN JOSE, Calif. — One of the two major power substations for the Caltrain electrification project has been energized for the first time, a milestone that will allow testing of equipment at Caltrain’s San Jose facility and on a portion of the San Jose-San Francisco corridor. The Caltrain Traction Power Substation in San Jose was […]

Read More…

Another Amtrak employee files suit over Chief derailment

Amtrak logo.

KEYTESVILLE, Mo. — A Hemet, Calif., man has become at least the third Amtrak employee to file suit against the passenger carrier over the June derailment of the Southwest Chief. KMIZ-TV reports Matthew Rafferty has filed suit against Amtrak and MS Contracting, owner of the truck that was hit at a grade crossing, derailing the […]

Read More…

Orange Line work more than one-third done, MBTA says

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority logo

BOSTON — Work on rapid-transit Orange Line was 37% complete nine days into its planned month-long shutdown, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority General Manager Steve Poftak said Sunday as Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker visited the site of one project. WBZ-TV reports Baker, Poftak, and other officials visited the State Street station on the Orange Line, the […]

Read More…