Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum WELCOME to the first of my monthly travel investigations, where I’ll explore a great railroad journey, a special destination, or a historic experience. I plan to visit some of the most interesting railroads operating today, while also leading Trains readers down less-traveled paths to seek out the hidden gems of railroading. […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Record on-time performance for carload shipments helped CSX Transportation gain merchandise traffic that contributed to higher first quarter revenue and profits. “With sufficient resources in place, we are able to use the benefits of our scheduled railroading model to deliver improvements in our customer service performance that are driving real, tangible financial […]
WASHINGTON – BNSF Railway has urged federal regulators to reject Navajo Transitional Energy Co.’s requests for an emergency service order, arguing that the Powder River Basin mining company’s desire to take advantage of the hot export coal market does not constitute an emergency. “NTEC’s claim is not about failure of service, but instead about getting […]
ORLANDO, Fla. — Although a firm start date for Brightline’s Miami-Orlando revenue service has yet to be firmed up, the company used a Thursday grand opening event at its Orlando International Airport station to release more details about fares and how trains will operate. Brightline says ticket sales will begin next month and revenue service […]
Carey Tarkman has built a 15 x 20 foot layout that includes both Standard gauge and O gauge. It includes Lionel, MTH, and American Flyer motive power. The elements needed to give life to a display featuring prewar models differ from the norm. They demand different skills and artistry from the builder. He or she […]
OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific’s reportable train derailment rate improved 10% during the first quarter, executives said today while defending the safety record of long trains. “We continue to make great strides on safety,” Eric Gehringer, executive vice president of operations, told investors and analysts on the railroad’s earnings call on Thursday. UP’s goal remains […]
OMAHA, Neb. – Union Pacific’s net profit was flat in a first quarter marked by severe weather and a slowing economy that combined to drive traffic volumes lower. “The story of the past quarter for Union Pacific is one of resiliency,” CEO Lance Fritz told investors and analysts on the railroad’s earnings call on Thursday […]
BLUE ISLAND, Ill. — Thirteen cars of a CSX Transportation train derailed Wednesday night in the Chicago suburb of Blue Island, with the railcars damaging several parked vehicles when they overturned on a sharp curve, WLS-TV reports. No injuries were reported. No hazardous materials were involved, and no cargo was spilled or leaked. CSX said […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has urged federal regulators to investigate the ongoing tardiness of the Sunset Limited, saying the train’s on-time performance this year falls well short of minimum standards. The filing this week with the Surface Transportation Board does not mention Union Pacific, which handles the Sunset over nearly all of the train’s route between […]
EMD’s Triclops locomotives At the beginning of the comfort cab revolution in the United States, EMD constructed its first “North American cab” SD60M for customer Union Pacific. Numbered 6085, it was a similar design to what Canadian National had been using for years, with one visual difference. The new cab featured three front windows instead […]
WASHINGTON – U.S. railroad traffic fell 4.4% for the week ending April 15, the Association of American Railroads reported today. Total carloads for the week ending April 15 were 234,066 carloads, up 5.8% compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 234,131 containers and trailers, down 12.8% compared to 2022. […]
Spectacular scenery on an O gauge layout: When layouts with a New York setting appear in Classic Toy Trains, they typically highlight passenger traffic moving in and out of Grand Central Terminal or freight trains delivering perishables to New York City. On those O gauge railroads, the Pennsylvania RR or the New Haven dominates, especially […]
