KINGSPORT, Tenn. — “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,” wrote American humorist Mark Twain in a letter to a news reporter who asked if news of his impending demise were true. The same can be said of the CSX Santa Train. Until Joe Hinrichs was hired by the CSX board of directors as CEO […]
Meet Shawn Viggiano How did I get started in the hobby? I got started into trains at an early age. My dad would set up an old Lionel train set around the Christmas tree every year. When I got older, my dad would set up a layout with buildings and switch tracks in our basement. […]
MINNEAPOLIS — Three people suffered minor injuries Saturday night when a Metro Transit light rail train derailed in downtown Minneapolis, WCCO-TV reports. A concrete object on the tracks caused the derailment between the Nicollet Mall and Warehouse District/Hennepin stations about 8:30 p.m., according to Metro Transit. None of those injured required hospitalization. Replacement buses substituted […]
CHICAGO — Metra has launched use of specially decorated trains for the holidays in regular commuter service, while the Chicago Transit Authority’s Holiday Train is set to begin operation on Nov. 24. The debut of the Metra trains — decorated for already sold-out holiday rides with Santa Claus in December — came on Friday, Nov. […]
Q: I’m interested in modeling a Maine short line in HO scale. What can you tell me about the Belfast & Moosehead Lake RR in the steam era? – Joel Norman A: The Belfast & Moosehead Lake looks like a great subject for someone interested in modeling a Maine short line, especially if you’re intrigued […]
The smallest operating railroads were often born of simple economic necessity. Railroad fever gripped the U.S. in the 19th century and every town wanted to be connected. The only problem was that not every town was on the way to somewhere else. This led to several small railroads being built, often just a few miles […]
General Electric U34CH diesel locomotives helped modernize commuter rail operations in northern New Jersey in the early 1970s. A passenger version of the U36C, the U34CH was built between 1970 and 1973 for the New Jersey Department of Transportation as a commuter locomotive. The 32 units carried Nos. 3351-3382 and operated over Erie […]
CHICAGO — A design problem with the braking for the CTA equipment played a role in Thursday’s collision between a Yellow Line train and a piece of train maintenance machinery, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said today (Saturday, Nov. 18). Homendy was speaking at a press briefing on the investigation into the accident […]
BERN, Switzerland — The Swiss Federal Railways plans to begin operating 31 passenger trains through the Gotthard Base Tunnel on weekends beginning in December, while increasing freight movements during the week, the national rail operator — known by its German initials, SBB — said in an updated plan for operations through the damaged tunnel announced […]
CHICAGO — Most Amtrak Wolverine and Blue Water trains will again be cancelled on Saturday, Nov. 18, but plans are to restore all service on the two routes as of Sunday, Nov. 19, Amtrak has announced. All six Wolverine trains and both directions of the Blue Water were cancelled today (Friday, Nov. 17) after a […]
CALGARY — Canadian Pacific Kansas City says it has agreed to study passenger service on part of its freight network in Mexico, and is reviewing a draft decree by the Mexican government regarding passenger train operations. Reuters reports that companies holding Mexicos’s freight rail concessions — including CPKC de Mexico and Grupo Mexico’s Ferromex, in […]
CHICAGO — It could be up to five days before service resumes on the Chicago Transit Authority’s Yellow Line following Thursday’s collision between a CTA train and a piece of maintenance equipment. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said at a news briefing today (Friday, Nov. 17) that it could take that long for […]
