NTSB releases preliminary report on MRL bridge-collapse derailment

Photo of damaged bridge and tank cars in river

WASHINGTON — Sixteen tank cars, 15 of them carrying hazardous materials, derailed in the Montana Rail Link incident involving the Reed Point bridge collapse on June 24, the National Transportation Safety Board said in its preliminary report on the incident released on Monday. The NTSB’s investigation is only considering the performance of DOT-111 tank cars […]

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Class I power finds its way back into the fold

Two red locomotives leading freight train in flat territory.

The traditional life cycle for new locomotives on a Class I roster would be revenue service, followed by lease return if the railroad leased the power or retirement and sale if they were purchased. In a handful of cases, power that departed a Class I roster will find its way back into its original owner’s […]

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Steam locomotive No. 765 plays host to young campers

Steam engine crosses railroad crossing

PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. — Nickel Plate Road No. 765 was under steam July 13-15 as the centerpiece of the first Indiana Railcamp in Pleasant Lake. Organized by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society under the Indiana Rail Experience banner, this pilot program hosted 20 campers — ranging between ages 13 and 17 — from the […]

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Rare-mileage excursion celebrates Station Inn anniversary

Passenger train with bright red end-cab switch engine

SPROUL, Pa. — The first passenger train over a portion of the former Pennsylvania Railroad Bedford Branch in several decades ran from Hollidaysburg, Pa., to Sproul as a combined railfan charter and public excursion on Sunday, July 16, 2023. The 25-mile round trip capped a weekend-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Station Inn, […]

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Florida Gulf & Atlantic crew members vote to join BLET

Logo of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Train and engine service workers on the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad have voted to join the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the BLET announced Friday. Roughly 75% of employees at the railroad signed authorization cards in April indicating they would like to be represented by the BLET, leading the National […]

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A look at the Lionel 2023 Volume 2 catalog

screenshot of model steam locomotive in catalog

The Lionel 2023 Volume 2 catalog is here! Sometimes Christmas does come twice a year, in the world of toy trains this celebration is typically associated with a catalog drop. For Lionel, that takes place in January and July. I typically can find something in each catalog that gets me excited for what’s to come. […]

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Vermont Rail System recovers from flood damage

Railroad bridge partially under water

Vermont Rail System was hit as hard as its namesake state by storms early this week, but the company is beginning to get a handle on the damage. “I am feeling better today than I did yesterday,” president Selden Houghton said in a a telephone interview today (July 12) with Trains News Wire. VRS received […]

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Young Guns in Preservation: Aaron Farmer

Portrait shot of young railroad worker in front of a steam locomotive.

Rail preservation efforts often can come full circle. For 29-year-old Aaron Farmer, his career has circled back to the Steam Railroading Institute (SRI) in Owosso, Mich. From the beginning as a young volunteer to now being employed as the Master Mechanic of Rolling Stock for the non-profit organization, his journey involves understanding the value of […]

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