WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation will propose a number of new rail safety initiatives on Tuesday in the wake of this month’s fiery derailment of a Norfolk Southern train that was carrying hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio. Trains News Wire has learned that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Feb. 21 will call […]
With the mission of delivering historical, educational and entertaining experiences on an excursion railroad, the Northern Central Railway operates over 10 miles of the previous incarnation that Abraham Lincoln rode on the way to deliver his Gettysburg Address, and also the route of his funeral train two years later. This history is brought to life by […]
The Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad follows Oil Creek through the nation’s first oil patch, where oil was discovered by Edwin L. Drake in 1859. The train passes a number of ghost towns — villages that sprang up during the oil boom and quickly faded after the rush. Choices On the Oil Creek and Titusville […]
The Black River and Western Railroad, which also hauls freight, hosts 90-minute passenger excursions (operated by the nonprofit Black River Railroad Historical Trust) over a short segment of the former Pennsylvania Railroad’s Flemington Branch between Flemington and Ringoes, and the shorter Browne Station local from Ringoes over 2.5 miles of recently reopened track. Choices In […]
In the 20th century, short lines and branches brought forth coal for use nationwide, and one of the primary locations was Stearns, home of the Kentucky & Tennessee short line. The coal is gone now, but the K&T has been reborn as the Big South Fork Scenic Railway. Choices The Big South Fork Scenic Railway […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific has become the second Class I railroad to reach an agreement offering paid sick days to some employees, the railroad has announced. “Union Pacific remains committed to addressing our employees’ concerns and signed a deal with the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO) and Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC),” […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline has received the last of the 10 trainsets for its Florida operation, and the last of the five ordered for its upcoming expansion of service to Orlando. The “Bright Orange 2” train arrived at the company’s Vehicle Maintenance Facility in Orlando on Sunday, Feb. 19, after a 10-day trip from the […]
The Bluegrass Scenic Railroad and Museum offer 90-minute, 11-mile round-trip excursions over the former Southern Railway through the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass region. Choices On the Bluegrass Scenic Railroad and Museum, the diesel-powered trains are made up of vintage coaches from the 1920s and 1930s. Accommodations include four commuter-style coaches with vinyl bench seating and […]
FRONTENAC, Quebec — The town of Frontenac has voted in resounding fashion against the planned bypass to remove Canadian Pacific’s rail line from Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, but the results of the referendum apparently will not change the plans for the project. The CBC reports 92% of those in the community of 1,600 who cast ballots in […]
Genset locomotive Everything has an origin. For the modern genset it is Union Pacific UPY 2005. Coming in a variety of designs and sizes, gensets are designed around the concept of “power on demand.” With few exceptions, humming under their long hoods are multiple diesel truck engines — usually two or three. These engines are […]
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — East Broad Top Railroad’s freshly restored 2-8-2 Mikado locomotive No. 16 delighted admirers over the weekend by pulling a full schedule of eight passenger trains and two photo freights for the road’s annual Winter Spectacular. All trains were sold out. The event was a landmark in several ways. First, No. 16 […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will ask Congress to increase the maximum fine for railroad safety violations, Buttigieg said Sunday in a letter to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw. In another development stemming from the Feb. 3 derailment and fire of a NS train in East Palestine, Ohio, the chair of the Senate […]
