Sound Transit has named David H. Wright as Chief Safety Officer, filling a position created as a result scrutiny stemming from the fatal December 2017 wreck of an Amtrak Cascades train on a rail line owned by the agency. His career includes 16 years in safety roles at the Chicago Transit Authority, including a key […]
One person is reported dead and passengers and crew were injured after the westbound Amtrak Empire Builder hit a John Deere sprayer tractor east of Wolf Point, Mont., shortly before 11 a.m. today. The Billings Gazette reports the accident occurred near Bainville at an ungated grade crossing, and that the operator of the tractor was […]
Wednesday morning preservation and railfan news: Northwest Railway Museum fires up Northern Pacific 0-6-0 The Northwest Railway Museum has fired up Northern Pacific No. 924, an 0-6-0 built in 1899 by Rogers Locomotive Works for the St. Paul & Duluth Railroad. The locomotive returned to steam on May 18, operating under its own power in […]
DURANGO, Colo. — American Heritage Railways said today it will close the Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum in Elbe, Wash., and cease operations there for the foreseeable future. The AHR team will immediately implement a winding-down plan to close the railroad in an orderly manner while the company explores various ownership options with other […]
For this weekend edition of Underground, only MRVideoPlus.com subscribers get to see how David puts the finishing touches on his O scale laser-cut wood kit. All before installing the structure, plus details and a fully loaded gondola, on the Olympia Logging Co. layout. […]
Still more Tuesday rail news in brief: — About 40 homes were evacuated as a precautionary measure when a Buffalo & Pittsburgh train derailed in East Aurora, N.Y., Monday night. The Buffalo News reports that a locomotive and 15 of the train’s 98 cars derailed. The manifest freight included some petroleum products, police said, leading […]
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has ruled that federal regulations preempt a Washington state law aiming to regulate crude-by-rail moves. TRAINS: David Lassen Tuesday morning rail news: — The U.S. Department of Transportation has sided with North Dakota and Montana in a dispute with Washington state over the transport […]
More Wednesday morning rail news: — It would take more than $700 million to restore the former Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway line on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to operating condition suitable for a proposed commuter rail service, and another $600 million to launch such a service, according to a government report issued Tuesday. The Vancouver […]
After checking the bond of the previously glued components, David moves to the next step — building the laser-cut pieces and parts into an O scale structure for the Olympia Logging Co. display-style layout. Along the way, you’ll see that even David has to make do with the tools and materials he has available at […]
David Popp is now working weekends to give MRVideoPlus.com subscribers an exclusive episode from his basement bunker. See how the parts and pieces of the wood kit start to come apart…all to come together again! But even in the midst of offering great tips and tricks, our expert builder must still manage a few unexpected […]
Ready for another Underground update? David Popp hunkers down to take on the challenge of building a fueling stage for his On30 Olympia Logging Co. layout. After a quick overview of his modeling project and the laser-cut wood kit components, you’ll see how David tests and preps parts with stain. […]
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law legislation mandating a minimum of two crew members on passenger and most freight trains operating in the state. The governor did veto a provision declaring the act effective immediately. “Given the complexity of this legislation, the Utilities and Transportation Commission [which has rail-safety oversight duties […]
