ST. LOUIS — After attempting to rectify “ongoing mechanical issues” following the westbound Texas Eagle’s on-time arrival in St. Louis on Saturday evening, Dec. 21, Amtrak decided to cancel the train across the rest of its route to San Antonio, Tex., leaving Texas travelers with a lump of coal. An advisory at 11:50 p.m., more […]
WASHINGTON — A proposed high speed rail line in the Pacific Northwest will receive $49.7 million for the second stage of planning under the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program, a group of Washington state legislators announced Wednesday, Dec. 18. U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, along with six members of the […]
Two Great Northern E7s skirt Puget Sound at Richmond Beach, Wash., with the eastbound Empire Builder in April 1953, two years after its re-equipping. Soon, F units will replace the Es. David W. Salter photo […]
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation, caretakers for Portland-owned steam locomotives Southern Pacific No. 4449 and Spokane, Portland & Seattle No. 700, will purchase Portland-area short line Oregon Pacific Railroad, the foundation has announced. Foundation President Rick Franklin said in a press release that the acquisition “honors Dick Samuels’ remarkable legacy while securing […]
SEATTLE — The big takeaway from this year’s annual Amtrak Board of Directors public meeting is that the company has momentum to keep growing patronage despite any headwinds that might begin blowing when the Trump Administration and an all-Republican Congress take over in January. The session today (Wednesday, Dec. 4) was held at a ballroom […]
SILVANA, Wash. — The engineer was taken to a hospital and one of the two remaining Talgo trainsets in Amtrak Cascades service sustained significant damage Tuesday night, Nov. 19, when it hit a downed tree during a heavy storm in the Pacific Northwest. KGW-TV reports the accident occurred about 7:50 p.m. in Silvana, about 45 […]
Four ballot initiatives with at least some rail transit component all appear to have passed on Tuesday, based on results available this morning (Wednesday, Nov. 6). — In Maricopa County, Ariz., which includes Phoenix, voters appear to have approved an extension of a half-cent sales tax for transit, the Arizona Republic reports. The tax, introduced […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak announced late Friday that its federally mandated annual public Board of Directors meeting will be held in Seattle on Dec. 4, 2024. As in past sessions staged at St. Louis Union Station in 2022 and at Richmond, Va. Main Street Station in 2023, company officials will review operating results from the just-completed […]
WASHINGTON — Elected officials across the country have begun announcing recipients of federal Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement, or CRISI, grants ahead of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement of the full list of grant recipients. Officeholders generally have the opportunity to announce the grants to their constituents ahead of the U.S. DOT announcement. […]
GARIBALDI, Ore. — The world’s only surviving standard gauge Class A Climax locomotive, Cabin Creek Lumber Co. No. 1, has been donated to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad, the railroad announced today (Oct. 24, 2024). The family of the late Victor C. Monahan donated the locomotive, which Oregon Coast Scenic intends to restore to operating […]
Watch as artist Jay Smith, former illustrator (ret.) for Kalmbach Media, concludes backdrop painting efforts on David Popp’s Olympia & Sand Creek On30 display layout. In the course of this video, Jay and David walk you through the entire process, so you can see the amazing visual transition from simple sky colors to majestic mountains. […]
WASHINGTON — A piece of Chicago’s CREATE project and an element of California’s high speed rail construction are among the 11 recipients of Department of Transportation National Infrastructure Project Assistance, or Mega, grants announced today. Also, the same CREATE project and infrastructure improvements on the Paducah & Louisville Railway are among the 36 projects selected […]
