Trains Magazine (1940-today) At a chaotic time in history — World War II, atomic bombs, the birth of the Cold War — founder Al Kalmbach published the first issue of Trains Magazine. Many great things were happening in the 1940s alongside the many bad. For instance, the Slinky was also invented around this time. Trains […]
A plethora of steam locomotives made comebacks in late 2023 after being out of service for extended periods of time. Expect these primed-and-ready locomotives to return to service for the full 2024 season. Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad No. 8419 As a reminder of the twilight of steam locomotive manufacturing in the world, No. 8419 […]
Canadian Pacific Kansas City was the only Class I railroad that was able to eke out higher volume last year. CPKC’s traffic was up a scant 0.1% in 2023, which was a down year for North American freight volume. Rail traffic in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico was down a combined 2.1% last year, according […]
WASHINGTON — National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy blasted the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for its “poor safety culture” in a press briefing today (Thursday, Jan. 4) on the final report into the Oct. 12, 2021, derailment of a DC Metrorail train in Arlington, Va., saying the agency’s issues with WMATA include some […]
Trains LIVE — Northern Pacific Slenderella Salad Trains LIVE — 1-4-2023 — Happy New Year and welcome to 2023. Did you know that of the top five New Year’s resolutions made annually, three of them involve fitness, health, and a better diet? Our resolve regarding our resolutions fades quickly, however. In 2022, surveys indicate that […]
New England Sign up for the New England rail tour: Special Interest Tours and Trains Magazine bring you a rail excursion tour like no other. From Oct. 2-9, join rail enthusiasts and Trains Senior Editor David Lassen on a fully private-car adventure. Enjoy spending the colorful 2025 fall season exploring the best of New England’s […]
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bill requiring Florida’s Department of Transportation to preserve a corridor between Orlando and Tampa for future Brightline expansion has been filed for the state legislative session that begins next week. The Brightline requirement, preserving a route along Interstate 4, is just one provision of SB1226, filed by state Sen. Nick DiCeglie […]
PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern saw double-digit growth in both freight and passenger traffic in 2023, the second consecutive year with such increases, the railroad said in a year-end business review. The Pennsylvania regional railroad handled more than 37,000 cars of freight, up from 33,000 in 2022. Growth was boosted in particular by […]
CHICAGO —Metra will close its remaining ticket windows in conjunction with the upcoming revision of its fare structure, the commuter operator has announced. Ticket windows at outlying stations on the BNSF line will close next Monday, Jan. 8; all other ticket windows, including at downtown stations, will close effective Feb. 1, when the new, simplified […]
MESA, Ariz. — Three people — the train’s operator and two passengers — were injured Wednesday when a Valley Metro light train collided with a garbage truck and derailed. The collision occurred about 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of Main Street and Robson in Mesa. Those injured were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, KSAZ-TV reported, citing […]
WATERLOO, Ontario — The Waterloo Central Railway has purchased former Canadian Pacific Railway G5c 4-6-2 No. 1238 and intends to restore the locomotive to operation, according to the Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society, the nonprofit organization that operates the heritage railway. The locomotive was purchased for $150,000 from Vintage Locomotive Society Inc. of Winnipeg, Manitoba, […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. rail traffic declined 2.3% in 2023, with intermodal down 4.9% and carload traffic up 0.7% compared to 2022, the Association of American Railroads reported today. “Total U.S. rail carloads were up 2% in the fourth quarter of 2023 over the fourth quarter of 2022, while U.S. intermodal was up 5.5% over the […]
