The caboose Steel caboose No. 3674 was built in 1941 for the former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, originally numbered 90091. It was rebuilt in Grand Rapids’ Wyoming Yard by 1970 and brought up to the railroad’s modern standards, renumbered as 3674. After 16 years along the rugged main line between Russell, Ky., and Huntington, W. […]
ST. GALLEN, Switzerland — You ride the Gotthard Panorama Express for the big attractions: the fantastic scenery, the panoramic cars — almost dome-like — that help you take in that scenery — and the honest-to-goodness sliding-window coach that lets you take pictures without a glass reflection. But SBB, the Swiss Federal Railways, has made sure […]
Climate-friendly train travel BERLIN — People venturing between countries are not only interested in comfort and convenience, but they’re choosing climate-friendly train travel to help reduce their carbon footprint. After a 9-year hiatus, a night train from Berlin to Paris will be returning to service. Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are anticipating […]
SAVANNAH, Ga. – CSX Transportation and the Georgia Ports Authority have teamed up for daily international intermodal service between the Port of Savannah and Rocky Mount, N.C. The railroad and port authority said that the service would enable North Carolina importers and exporters to tap into a faster supply chain through the direct rail connection […]
Norfolk Southern has been fined $77,640 for violations of the Clean Water Act and other regulations stemming from an Oct. 9, 2019, derailment near Kathleen, Ga., according to a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The derailment, on a bridge, caused cars to accordion together with some breaking open. As a result, 50 gallons of diesel […]
WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic slumped 4.3% in August, with both carload and intermodal volume showing declines, according to the Association of American Railroads. “August was the third straight month in which total year-over-year U.S. rail carloads have fallen,” said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. “A major reason why is that other than […]
WASHINGTON — Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General on Wednesday released a report detailing the steps the company says it is taking to use, account for, and report on the $22 billion it is slated to receive directly from Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding [see “Infrastructure bill addresses Amtrak priorities, congressional requirements,” News Wire, […]
CLEWISTON, Fla. — U.S. Sugar has released the schedule for its Sugar Express steam-powered excursion trains for the 2023-2024 season, which runs between October 2023 and January 2024. Trains will mainly be powered by U.S. Sugar’s former Florida East Coast 4-6-2 No. 148. The Pacific was built by American Locomotive Co. in 1920 for FEC. […]
WASHINGTON – Shippers who suffer from inadequate railroad service would be able to gain access to a second carrier under a new reciprocal switching rule that the Surface Transportation Board proposed today. The board unanimously voted to approve the 51-page notice of proposed rulemaking, which it said would provide a streamlined path for access to […]
ELBE, Wash. — Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad has begun offering a limited excursion schedule for September and October as stated on its website. The train trips come at least a year or two ahead of the railroad’s timeline for returning to operation [see “Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad scheduled to reopen by 2025,” Trains, December 2022]. […]
Cabooses (no, not cabeese) were a common occurrence on freight trains throughout most of the 1900s, yet we rarely see them today. Why is that? When did they stop operating? Where did they go? And lastly, how can I model the last days of the caboose on my layout? Why? In one word: technology. Advances […]
MINNEAPOLIS — Chromatic 3D Materials has begun providing 3D-printed components to be used on rail equipment in Europe. A partnership with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) resulted in the production of bellows, grommets, cable glands, and valve covers, according to a recent statement from Chromatic. “At Chromatic, we take pride in the durability of our […]
