OLTEN, Switzerland — Just about every railfan knows what it’s like to have one of those days when you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. So it was for me today in Olten. This is not a city high on the must-see list for most vacationers. It doesn’t even warrant a mention in […]
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POINT CLEAR, Ala. —The launch of two daily Amtrak round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., depends on when design and construction of a pocket track at Mobile is completed and 3 miles of positive train control is installed through CSX’s Gentilly Yard east of New Orleans. But that means service will not come […]
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Q: Way, way back in the 20th century, I think in the 1980s (though I’m probably wrong), Model Railroader ran an article about making your own coupler height gauges in the various scales, including TT scale. Can you advise which issue that was? None are available in TT today, and I could use a couple on […]
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Transit safety NEWARK, N.J. — To start the 2023 school year, NJ Transit has introduced three safety programs for children of various ages and educational needs. “Special SEAT (Safety Education Awareness Training),” “Protecting our Pedestrians (POP),” and “Safety Rules!” These initiatives have different goals and are designed to “foster a culture of safety and vigilance […]
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LAWS, Calif. – Another piece of narrow-gauge steam history may soon come to life in California. The Laws Railroad Museum and Historic Site will conduct a boiler test on Southern Pacific narrow-gauge 4-6-0 No. 9 to determine if it’s feasible to return it to service. The museum is currently renovating the locomotive including paint and […]
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WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety advisory calling on railroads to use wheel impact load detectors to properly identify and replace freight car wheels that could significantly damage track and lead to derailments. The advisory was issued yesterday in response to the Feb. 21 derailment of a Union Pacific coal train […]
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PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has sold former Reading Co. FP7 No. 903 to SMS Rail Lines for use on their Woodstown Central tourist railroad in New Jersey. No. 903 and sister 902, owned by the Reading Co. Technical & Historical Society, have been stored at Steamtown in Scranton, […]
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New Mexico Railroad Days ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Santa Fe No. 2926 will be under steam to attend New Mexico Railroad Days at Albuquerque’s downtown Rail Yards – a former ATSF facility with sections redeveloped for venue purposes, and future home for the restored 4-8-4. Organized by the locomotive’s owner, the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & […]
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Q: I was given an older model of a reefer car that has hatches across the whole roof instead of on each end (see photo above). Is this a special type of reefer for handling a specific cargo? – Wes Barteck A: Though that kind of refrigerated car is more common north of the border […]
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WASHINGTON – A pair of Genesee & Wyoming short lines have detailed their plans to test Parallel Systems’ autonomous, battery-electric intermodal cars in an application filed with the Federal Railroad Administration. Last month G&W and Parallel announced that they were seeking FRA permission to conduct the tests next year on the Heart of Georgia Railroad […]
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PARIS — In an effort to encourage greener travel, Clément Beaune, France’s transport minister, announced a new reduced-price monthly rail pass to be introduced in summer 2024 across the country, according to a story in the Guardian. The pass, modeled after the similar and highly successful program offered in Germany, will cost around €49 (US […]
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – CSX Transportation today named Mike Cory as its chief operating officer, a role he held at Canadian National from 2016 until his retirement in 2019. “Mike Cory is one of the rail industry’s leading operations executives, respected for his wealth of operations knowledge and his success as a leader who understands the […]
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