PARIS — French rail unions Sud Rail, CGT, and CFDT have called for a national strike by rail workers on July 6, Reuters reports. The unions said in a joint statement that workers “are sharply hit by exploding inflation. We must act to obtain wage increases.” The French call for a strike came as most […]
Georgia community seeks funds for park with railfan, model railroading facilities
COHUTTA, Ga. — The small town of Cohutta, just southeast of Chattanooga, Tenn., is seeking $2 million in funding to develop railroad-themed park to attract tourism. The Daily Citizen of Dalton, Ga., reports the town has applied for grant from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to turn a 5-acre lot adjacent to a Norfolk […]
Amtrak Cardinal day trip to Clifton Forge
An Amtrak Cardinal day trip to Clifton Forge is well within reach! Don’t let Amtrak’s three-day-a-week schedule on the Cardinal route deter you from a scenic Amtrak day trip through the Appalachia Mountains of southern West Virginia and Virginia along CSX Transportation’s route through the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. This passenger rail […]
Digital or film railroad photography?
Digital or film railroad photography? Before the advent of digital technology, the photographic standard of our hobby was transparency, or slide film. While multiple manufacturers guaranteed the user the desired color temperature and punchiness, the preferred emulsions were the various flavors of Kodachrome and Fujichrome. The former was prized for its “pop,” particularly on bright, […]
Amtrak, local officials dedicate fully accessible Homewood, Ill., station
HOMEWOOD, IIl. — Bringing Amtrak’s more than 500 stations into compliance with 1990’s Americans with Disabilities Act has been on Amtrak’s to-do list since the legislation was passed, but only with recent, specifically designated funding has the company prioritized the transformations. One such project was celebrated Saturday, June 25, in Homewood, Ill., with Amtrak brass […]
News Photo: Bicentennial SD45-2 on the move
Former Santa Fe bicentennial diesel No. 5704 is on its way to its new home in California. Photographer William Tollett caught the SD45-2, restored to its mid-1970s paint scheme earlier this year, on Thursday, June 23, at Panhandle, Texas, on BNSF Railway train ZPLKLAC6-22. The locomotive was donated to the Southern California Railroad Museum in […]
Changing a locomotive headlight
Changing a locomotive headlight: Everything we do on the railroad is guided by FRA standards and practices. According to the portion of federal law that governs railroads – 49 CFR § 229.125 – every lead locomotive used in road service shall illuminate its headlight while the locomotive is in use. If a road unit is […]
BNSF aims to prevent a Fourth of July meltdown by limiting traffic bound for California
FORT WORTH, Texas — BNSF Railway’s decision to meter a broad range of carload traffic bound for California beginning next week is aimed at preventing congestion from worsening on the busy Southern Transcon during the Fourth of July holiday period when many crews mark off. The west end of the Southern Transcon, which carries 80 […]
Amtrak’s City of New Orleans at Chebanse
Join me in early mid-March, beside Amtrak City of New Orleans at Chebanse, Ill., a few weeks ahead of farmer’s spring planting — about 70 miles south of Chicago. It’s a breezy, crisp early morning before sunrise. The camera’s ISO is notched up to 2500. A lamp brightens the interior of the Chebanse depot, but […]
Canadian National launches second train pair serving Port of Halifax
MONTREAL – Canadian National has added a second pair of intermodal trains linking the Port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with points in Eastern Canada and the U.S. Midwest. The railway launched trains Q122 and Q123 this month, joining existing trains Q120 and Q121 that serve Atlantic Canada’s busiest containerport. “Working with our partner PSA, this […]
Four arrested for alleged Amtrak health-care fraud
NEWARK, N.J. — Four people have been arrested and charged for their roles in a health-care fraud scheme that resulted in Amtrak paying at least $9 million in medical claims to those associated with the scheme. A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey says Muhammad Mirza, 50, of […]
Silence on railfan photo lines
Silence on railfan photo lines is growing in importance as technology evolves and we find new, exciting ways to capture the essence of railroading when participating in rail photography charters. Those of us more enamored with still photography than videography may need to dial in on our photo line etiquette in consideration of how these […]
