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WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board today approved Montana Rail Link’s plan to terminate its lease with BNSF Railway, paving the way for BNSF to regain control of the former Northern Pacific main line between Jones Junction, Mont., and Sandpoint, Idaho. Although the STB’s decision is effective on April 7, the date for BNSF to […]
Railroads move a significant volume of crude oil, so it’s no surprise that Tom Danneman frequently frames these extensive unit trains traversing the expansive American West. These big trains and even bigger skies are all part of what makes Tom’s brand of contemporary railfanning so compelling to view – but only as part of the […]
WASHINGTON — Class I railroads are taking several steps to improve their wayside detection systems — including installing an additional 1,000 hot bearing detectors this year — in the aftermath of the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The Association of American Railroads announced a multi-step safety plan this morning, a day […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An empty CSX Transportation coal train struck a rock slide and derailed in Sandstone, W.Va., on Wednesday morning. All four of the train’s locomotives and nine coal hoppers derailed, the railroad said in a statement. The boulders are estimated to be 10 feet high and 25 feet long. “The lead locomotive had […]
The New Hope Valley Railway, part of the North Carolina Railway Museum, offers an hour-long trip through the pine forests south of Raleigh and Durham in central North Carolina. Choices The railway offers 60-minute round trips between Bonsal and New Hill in covered, open-air railcars. The museum features an outdoor exhibit of railroad equipment as […]
PORTLAND, Maine — Alcohol sales on the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority’s Downeasters will be allowed to continue in New Hampshire while the officials work out a “creative solution” to address a state liquor law, the Associated Press reports. That represents a reversal of a plan by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to enforce […]
MONTREAL — Residents of the area near the planned Lac-Mégantic bypass, as well as environmental groups, are asking the Canadian government for an environmental impact study of the planned bypass route, citing concerns on drinking water resources and wetlands. The Canadian Press reports the groups and individuals have made the request in a letter to […]
MIAMI — Brightline has completed work to improve 48 grade crossings in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, a $5.4 million project supported by a $2.3 million federal grant as well as local funding. Federal Railroad Administration funding came in the form of a $2.3 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement, or CRISI, grant […]
WASHINGTON — Pete Claussen, Bruce Flohr, Edward Lewis, and Richard Robey have been selected by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association for induction into the Short Line Railroad Industry Hall of Fame. Induction is set for April 3 at the 2023 ASLRRA Annual Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. Lewis, who died in […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration announced this evening (Tuesday, March 7) that it would conduct a 60-day supplemental safety assessment of Norfolk Southern Railway, joining the National Transportation Safety Board, which has announced its own investigation of NS safety practices. “After a series of derailments and the death of one of its workers, we […]
We are exploring ideas on streamlining steam locomotives. During the deepest darkest days of the Great Depression — the economic shock that impacted most of the world from 1929 to 1939 — industrial and political leaders sought out new products, services, and events. They were looking for a means to create jobs, increase sales, and […]
WASHINGTON – The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a special investigation into Norfolk Southern’s safety practices in light of a spate of recent accidents. “Given the number and significance of recent Norfolk Southern accidents, the NTSB also urges the company to take immediate action today to review and assess its safety practices, with the […]
