Locomotive controls Locomotive controls remained fairly standardized since diesels first invaded the roundhouses of America’s railroads in the 1930s. There’s a throttle, a reverser (to determine direction), a handle to control the locomotive’s independent brake, and an automatic brake handle to slow or stop the movement using the air brakes of the entire train. Since […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline will resume 110 mph on two sections of its route to Orlando this week, including the segment in Martin County that includes St. Lucie River bridge that has become a point of concern for the passenger operator’s service plans. Testing at speeds up to 110 mph is scheduled to resume in […]
CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra has launched a survey on proposed fare changes for 2024 that would reduce the number of fare zones from 10 to four and change some of the fare options available. Metra also announced plans for information tables at its four primary downtown stations to provide information and answer questions […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — RideKC, operator of the Kansas City streetcar, reports “significant progress” in repairs to track damage that has shut down the system since July 4, and anticipates providing information on the return of service later this week. A Sunday update reported that weekend work on the Main Street bridge across Interstate 670 […]
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — With the Saratoga horse racing season having begun last Thursday, Amtrak has announced it will extend Adirondack operations 37 miles beyond Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y., to Saratoga Springs starting Monday, July 24. The New York City-Montreal train was the last state-supported corridor to be restored following nationwide discontinuances in March 2020 as a […]
In 1981, I was a locomotive engineer for the Chicago & North Western Railway based out of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and operating an interdivisional run to Sioux City, Iowa. I made this run many times, but one trip taught me a lesson about troubleshooting a diesel locomotive — and about railroading. Most of the trains […]
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, […]
WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Approximately 16 cars of a CSX Transportation train operating on a Norfolk Southern rail line derailed this morning (July 17) near Philadelphia, CSX said in a statement. The derailment occurred in Whitemarsh Township near the Joshua and Flourtown roads. CSX indicates one car containing hazardous materials is involved, but says there […]
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 […]
LAC-MÉGANTIC, Quebec — Lawyers representing some of the residents whose land will be expropriated by the Canadian government for a planned Lac-Mégantic rail bypass are seeking an injunction to halt the process, the Canadian Press reports. The government announced it would pursue expropriation in February after it was unable to negotiate purchase of the necessary […]
NEW YORK — Increased service to Penn Station and more direct service to Brooklyn’s Atlantic Terminal are part of changes to the Long Island Rail Road schedule planned for Sept. 5, the LIRR announced on Friday. Those changes address two leading concerns voiced by passengers in the wake of the February schedule makeover that accompanied […]
GATINEAU, Quebec — Kathy Fox has been reappointed as chair of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada for a one-year period as the search continues for her successor, the TSB announced on Twitter. The reappointment is effective Aug. 21. Fox has been a member of the board since July 2007. She was first appointed chair […]
