The Mineral Range railroad of Michigan is a family-owned and -operated railroad in the state’s Upper Peninsula. It’s actually the second railroad of the same name. The “original” began as a north-south, 14-mile narrow gauge mineral hauler, connecting the Osceola Mining Co.’s Osceola copper ore mine near Calumet, Mich., and the company’s stamp mill at […]
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U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., has urged the Surface Transportation Board to reject the proposed Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, arguing that the first Class I combination in two decades would stifle competition. “The proposed merger represents a grave threat to competition in the domestic rail industry, which is already highly consolidated,” Porter wrote in […]
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The backers of a $1.5 billion plan to launch passenger service over Canadian Pacific between the Calgary airport and the Rocky Mountain resort community of Banff say they can’t move forward with design work and consultation with lineside communities until Alberta decides whether it will commit $30 million annually to the project. Liricon Capital Managing […]
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Amtrak has reached a settlement with the engineer who was seriously injured in the fatal 2017 derailment of Cascades train No. 501 on a curve in DuPont, Wash. In a lawsuit filed against Amtrak, engineer Steven Brown argued that he was not properly trained. The settlement, compensation for pain and suffering related to the accident, […]
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OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific has lowered its financial expectations for this year in light of rising fuel prices, inflation, and the impact of its sluggish operations. It’s now unlikely that UP will reach an operating ratio of around 55% for the year, Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Hamann told an investor conference on Tuesday. UP […]
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OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific has joined the RailPulse joint venture that will provide customers with real-time location information for freight cars wherever they are on the North American rail network. UP becomes the second Class I railroad to participate in RailPulse, alongside founding member Norfolk Southern. The company’s other partners include shortline holding companies […]
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CHICAGO—Non-powered control unit 90200 isn’t just any former locomotive that lost its prime mover and traction motors when converted to a glorified baggage car with cab controls. Seen here outside Amtrak’s Chicago locomotive shop on June 2, 2022, coupled to an Illinois-owned Siemens SC-44 Charger, the carbody once was number 200. It is the first […]
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Cody explains where to find the color of the ore in this video of Ask Trains. Do you have questions about full-size railroads, or would you like to learn more about model trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a regular video feature of Trains.com for magazine subscribers and Trains.com members, where […]
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Railfan and train-watching safety is key to any successful train-watching trip, whether it be a block away from home or a continent away. One must have situational awareness. Taking the time to know your surroundings, what looks right, what doesn’t look right is essential to ensure you have a great trackside experience. Historically speaking, rail […]
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WASHINGTON—Effective immediately, each departure of the Chicago-Washington, D.C. Capitol Limited is accepting reservations for up to 12 full-size bicycles along the route of a train that parallels popular trails through Maryland, West Virginia, and southern Pennsylvania. Last Friday, Amtrak announced increased capacity through mid-September, “due to high demand.” For $20, passengers can check a bike […]
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Wabtec will modernize Fortescue Metals Group’s 28 C44-9W locomotives into AC44C6Ms, the companies announced on June 5. The first dozen upgraded units, completed at Wabtec’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas, are already en route to the western Australian iron ore railroad. The remaining locomotives will be delivered over the next two years. “While we have […]
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Rail unions negotiating new national contracts with Class I railroads have again requested arbitration as talks remain stalled. Labor and the National Carriers Conference Committee have been working on joint mediated negotiations under the direction of the National Mediation Board. The talks had resulted from the unions’ request to be released from mediation after more […]
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