Sluggish intermodal traffic drags US rail volume lower

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus intermodal totals

WASHINGTON — With a significant drop in intermodal traffic dragging down the overall number, U.S. rail traffic for the week ending Feb. 11 showed the biggest decline for any week so far this year, according to statistics from the Association of American Railroads. The overall traffic of 473,972 carloads and intermodal units represented a 6.2% […]

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Reading & Northern to launch Pittston-Jim Thorpe excursions

Green and yellow diesel next to tower in mountains

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reading & Northern will expand its passenger excursion operations in May, launching regular weekend operations between the new Wilkes Barre-Scranton Regional Station in Pittston, Pa., and Jim Thorpe, Pa. The all-day, round-trip excursions will depart Pittston at 9 a.m., making intermediate stops at Penobscot (Mountain Top) and White Haven en route […]

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Brass engine disassembly basics

An image of a model steam locomotive

Brass engine disassembly basics: When I was a kid, I’d go to the local hobby shop and drool over the brass steam locomotives in the glass display case near the cash register. I’d seen most of them in the Pacific Fast Mail advertisements that used to grace the back cover of Model Railroader, and here […]

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NTSB updates preliminary information on East Palestine derailment

Workers and equipment around burned out tank cars

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has updated its preliminary information on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment and fire in East Palestine, Ohio, revising the count of cars that derailed to 38 and providing a link to an Environmental Protection Agency list of what those cars were carrying. In all, the train included […]

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