UP train derails near Lordsburg, N.M., disrupting Sunset Limited No injuries were reported when about 50 cars of a Union Pacific intermodal train derailed Monday afternoon near Lordsburg, N.M. The Grant County Beat website reports the accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. local time. Sunset Limited service in both directions was disrupted, with trains holding in […]
In the railroad industry, different locomotive models and manufacturers can be found in any train consist operating in different directions from one another. The ability to achieve this is due to a set of uniform standards for both pneumatic and electrical connections adopted by all manufacturers and can be found on almost all freight and […]
Iron mule An unseen “iron mule” between the rails propels a coal car, with a brakeman aboard, toward a dumper at Newport News, Va. The C&O, along with rivals Norfolk & Western and Virginian, moved millions of tons of coal to be transloaded to ships in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Chesapeake & Ohio […]
Canadian government announces $21 million in funding for rail safety projects The Canadian government announced it would spend more tha C$21 million to help fund 135 projects across Canada under the Rail Safety Improvement Program — Infrastructure, Technology, and Research. The funds will address grade crossing improvements, small projects such as fencing and pedestrian crossings, […]
Illinois steam survivor Wabash 2-6-0 576 creeps west across the Illinois River at Meredosia, Ill., in September 1954. The bridge famously limited the use of diesel locomotives on the railroad’s branch to Keokuk, making this operation a late era Midwest steam outpost. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
CALGARY, Alberta – Canadian Pacific CEO Keith Creel says that if rival Canadian National acquires Kansas City Southern, the merger will destabilize the North American rail network and make CP a target for acquisition by another Class I railroad. CP today made a last-ditch effort to convince the KCS board to abandon its agreement to […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has determined Thursday the failure of a BNSF Railway train crew to operate an intermodal train within restricted speed requirements caused the fatal, June 5, 2018, collision between the intermodal train and a work train, near Kingman, Ariz. The collision occurred when a westbound BNSF intermodal train, operating […]
CSX Transportation’s acquisition of bulk liquid chemicals trucking firm Quality Carriers is a bold and smart move that should help boost the railroad’s carload traffic. The deal, announced last week, matches CSX’s chemicals business — the largest in the East — with the nation’s biggest fleet of truck tankers. The idea is that CSX can team […]
Metra returns to pre-pandemic Saturday schedules on seven lines May 29 Metra will restore full Saturday service on seven of its 11 lines as of May 29. Returning to pre-pandemic levels, in place of the current schedule used on both Saturdays and Sundays, will be the BNSF, Milwaukee North and West lines; Rock Island District; […]
Full restoration of state-supported Amtrak routes in Illinois set for July 19 The state of Illinois announced plans to restore all service on its four state-supported Amtrak lines as of July 19 as part of the Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The restoration of full schedules on the Chicago-Quincy, Chicago-Carbondale, and Chicago-St. Louis routes in July […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. railroads continue to show significant traffic increases over pandemic-depressed figures from 2020, according to the latest figures from the Association of American Railroads. Statistics for the week ending May 15 show U.S. railroads moved 242,806 carloads, a 31.6% increase over the corresponding week in 2020, and 291,066 containers and trailers, a 25.6% […]
Intermodal engineering Wood planks were common for building piggyback ramps. Large planks formed rub rails (well-used judging by the scars) along the edges, with a notch for the flatcar coupler and a steel bridge plate on the right. Classic Trains magazine collection […]
