I must have been 11 or 12 years old when I saw Lionel´s 1938 catalog. I turned to page 16 and saw locomotive 225E at the head of set No. 183E, a three-car freight train, and set No. 182E with three red passenger cars. I fell in love with the locomotive. It wasn’t the Baldwin […]
Mind-blowing facts — New York Central passenger trains We are 50-plus years into the Amtrak era, which began on May 1, 1971. A few Amtrak trains still carry the identity of the conveyances they imitate — California Zephyr, Empire Builder, and Crescent — to mention a few. What lives on today is a contemporary train […]
BEAR, Del. — President Joe Biden announced that 25 Northeast Corridor projects will receive a total of $16.4 billion in funding in an appearance today at Amtrak’s maintenance facility in Bear, Del., near Wilmington. The funding comes from the Federal Railroad Administration’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Pasenger Rail Program. It includes $4.7 billion for the […]
CINCINNATI — Voters in Cincinnati go to the polls this Tuesday, Nov. 7, to determine whether the city should sell its railway to Norfolk Southern, after a campaign that has seen a host of conflicting claims and endorsements. The matter, on the ballot as Issue 22, asks voters to approve the sale of the Cincinnati […]
MOBILE, Ala. — After months of waiting for completion by city of Mobile attorneys, an agreement has been sent to Amtrak for a land lease that would provide a stop for two daily passenger round-trips to New Orleans. The delay in finalizing the agreement, sent to Amtrak last week, is one factor that has pushed […]
LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Port of Long Beach has received a $52.6 million federal grant for its ongoing project to improve its Pier B railyard, which is reconfiguring the 171-acre yard to improve cargo flow, ease road congestion, and decrease air pollution. The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports officials announced the grant on Friday, Nov. […]
AURORA, Colo. — The Denver-area Regional Transportation District will install an Automatic Train Stop safety system at a sharp 90-degree curve that has been the site of two light rail derailments, one of which shut down the RTD’s R Line through Aurora for more than two months, Colorado Public Radio reports. As described in a […]
LOS ANGELES — LA-area commuter rail operator will shut down all service for a four-day period at the end of December to allow for installation of a new signal system and other work. The service suspension is set for Tuesday, Dec. 26, through Friday, Dec. 29, and will cover the entire seven-line, five-county system, including […]
OTTAWA, Ontario — The Canadian government has launched new registration requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods, along with a new database for those who import, transport, or otherwise handle such goods. The regulations cover goods being moved by rail, road, or other means. The new regulations, which went into effect on Friday, Nov. 3, […]
OMAHA, Neb. — BNSF Railway’s profits, revenue, and volume all declined in the third quarter, parent company Berkshire Hathaway reported on Saturday. BNSF’s pre-tax earnings fell 14.6%, to $1.6 billion, as revenue declined 12.4%, to $5.6 billion. The railway’s operating ratio increased 0.7 points to 68.4%. Overall volume declined 4.8% in the quarter, while average […]
Lionel’s 2023 Volume II catalog came out this summer, and several of the new locomotives, pieces of rolling stock, and accessories captured my interest. Let me share the new entries that, from the perspective of a postwar enthusiast, caught my eye. Maybe something in the latest Lionel catalog will speak to you as well. Different […]
In the mid-1950s, in the waning days of steam on the New York Central, Trains Magazine Editor David P. Morgan and his friend, the accomplished photographer Philip R. Hastings, had a memorable encounter with a NYC Class L-3a 4-8-2 Mohawk in Shelby, Ohio. The Mohawk had seen better days and was assigned to a lowly […]
