NTSB issues preliminary report on CSX conductor trainee death

Aerial diagram of rail accident site with notations

WASHINGTON — A CSX Transportation conductor trainee was killed when he fell from a railcar during a shoving move and was hit by the train, according National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report on a fatal accident June 26 at the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore. The accident occurred about 8:05 p.m. and involved a yard […]

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No timeline set for reopening of Ottawa light rail line

Red and white light rail trainset in station

OTTAWA, Ontario — No timeline has been set for resuming service on Ottawa’s light rail Confederation Line, officials said during a Tuesday press conference. The line was shut down Monday afternoon because of equipment concerns [see “Ottawa light rail line shut down …,” Trains News Wire, July 18, 2023]. Discovery of a bearing issue on […]

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Track classifications

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Track classifications are among the most basic — and essential — operating considerations in railroading, and an army of workers keep watch over the rails. You’ve seen them out there nearly every day in their hi-rail trucks, motoring quietly up and down the main and not-so-main lines of America. Perhaps you’ve waited for them to […]

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California Zephyr again fares poorly in on-time statistics

Amtrak_Zephyr_Highlands_Lassen

WASHINGTON — The California Zephyr, Empire Builder, and Heartland Flyer all had on-time performance under 40% in the second quarter of 2023 according to statistics released today (July 18) by the Federal Railroad Administration. The Zephyr had a customer on-time performance of just 31% for the quarter, while the Builder and Flyer were both at […]

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Steam locomotive No. 765 plays host to young campers

Steam engine crosses railroad crossing

PLEASANT LAKE, Ind. — Nickel Plate Road No. 765 was under steam July 13-15 as the centerpiece of the first Indiana Railcamp in Pleasant Lake. Organized by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society under the Indiana Rail Experience banner, this pilot program hosted 20 campers — ranging between ages 13 and 17 — from the […]

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Repairing older N scale handrails

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Repairing older N scale handrails: Back in the early days of N scale – the 1970s and ’80s – most N scale diesel locomotives had oversized handrails. In fact, they were often so outlandish we called them stovepipes. N-scalers have always been a clever bunch, and this was just one of the colorful and humorous […]

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