NEW YORK — If you have an extra $300,000 to $500,000 burning a hole in your pocket, you can own a piece of transcontinental railroad history. Upon completion the first transcontinental railroad in May 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah, four ceremonial spikes were created: two golden spikes, a silver spike, and a gold, silver, and […]
Cody discusses the nail hole pattern on Atlas code 100 track, and provides insights into the structure of Atlas code 100 track. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of […]
GATINEAU, Quebec — Track that buckled under a train as it was passing — because of “compressive thermal stress” reflecting high temperatures for several days — led to the derailment of a Canadian National train at Pangburn Station, New Brunswick, near Moncton, on Aug. 21, 2021, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said in an […]
WASHINGTON — An operator who “exceeded maximum authorized speed due to his loss of situational awareness” was the probable cause of a July 2021 collision between two Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority light rail vehicles, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released Thursday, Jan. 5. The operator, who told authorities that he may […]
BOSTON — A state legislative committee has proposed shrinking the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as one way to address the agency’s widespread safety issues. Boston.com reports the Massachusett’s legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation has suggested in a report issued earlier this week that the MBTA be relieved of its commuter rail and ferry operations, as […]
BOCA RATON, Fla. — To a degree, the debate over one- or two-person crews is academic for Michael Miller, the president of Genesee & Wyoming’s North American operations. “We don’t have many operations where we would have one-man crews,” Miller said today (Thursday, Jan. 5) during the “fireside chat” closing the first day’s general session […]
BOCA RATON, Fla. — When it comes to capital plans, Norfolk Southern is holding steady. The railroad is at a “steady state” in basics such as rail and tie replacement, Ed Boyle, vice president of engineering, said Thursday at the annual NRC Conference, meaning its goals for 2023 are similar to its achievements in 2022. […]
BOCA RATON, Fla. — Ties are a big topic at the annual NRC Conference — just about every railroad mentions how many ties it will replace in the coming year —so it makes sense that Shane Keller, Union Pacific’s vice president of engineering, wanted to highlight UP’s effort to improve the tie-replacement process. Keller was […]
WASHINGTON — Some Montana Rail Link engineers have raised concerns about a loss or reduction of a range of benefits if regulators approve the early termination of the regional’s lease with BNSF Railway. BNSF has reached agreements with all nine unions that represent MRL employees as part of its plan to resume control of the […]
WASHINGTON – Railroads have filed suit against the Surface Transportation Board’s new rules that are designed to streamline the settlement of rate disputes with shippers. Last month the STB established two new rate reasonableness procedures, including a voluntary arbitration program and a new process called Final Offer Rate Review. Shippers applauded the move, while the […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. rail traffic was down 4.8% in December, capping off a year in which volume fell 2.8% amid broad service problems on the big four U.S. railroads. Total U.S. carload traffic for 2022 was 11,976,283 carloads, down 0.3%, or 34,001 carloads compared to 2021, according to the Association of American Railroads. U.S. railroads […]
Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific were the only major Class I railroads to show volume growth in 2022. UP took the crown among the top six systems, with its overall traffic up 2%. The increase was driven by a 5% gain in carload traffic, including a 9% jump in coal volume. UP’s intermodal traffic was […]
