BRIDGEPORT, N.J. — SMS Rail Services, perhaps best known to enthusiasts as the operator of a roster of Baldwin diesel locomotives that work on several rail switching operations, is preparing to enter the passenger excursion business on its newest line acquisition. SMS, established in 1994 to serve the large Pureland Industrial Park in Bridgeport, N.J., […]
SANTA PAULA, Calif. — After departing Fillmore in a disagreement over use of a city-owned rail yard there, the Sierra Northern Railway, Ventura Division, has moved its operational headquarters some 9 miles west to the former Santa Paula Hay and Grain facility on 12th Street in Santa Paula. The move was effective as of July […]
WASHINGTON — The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association has recognized a record number of railroads with its annual Jake Safety Awards, announced last week. A total of 364 railroads received awards for performing at or above the industry average for Federal Railroad Administration-reportable injuries, including 332 honored “with distinction” for having no reportable […]
On Aug. 5, 1958, the last Maryland & Pennsylvania train from Baltimore heads north across the trestle at Sharon, Md., shortly before the road abandoned the south half of its 77-mile line between Baltimore & York, Pa. Lawrence W. Sagle photo […]
Railfans festoon the caboose roofs and crowd the Alco diesel switcher’s cab during an excursion on the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloversville in 1950. Edward Theisinger photo […]
NEW HAVEN, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has acquired two Pennsylvania Railroad passenger cars from the Washington, D.C., chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The cars will be used to support the Indiana Rail Experience, a series of excursions with the society’s steam locomotive, Nickel Plate Road No. 765 [see “Indiana […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kaw River Railroad operations in Kansas City now feature two former Union Pacific SD60M’s in a paint scheme reflecting the line’s Watco ownership. The 6032 and 6033 are the first six-axle locomotives on the Kaw River, which operates former Kansas City Terminal Railway trackage in Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, […]
SUMMIT, Ill. — Some projects in Chicago’s CREATE program, which seeks to address rail congestion, bring dramatic changes to the landscape. The Englewood Flyover, the lengthy bridge which raised Metra’s Rock Island District above the Norfolk Southern main line on the city’s South Side, is the classic example. For others, the impact is far more […]
WASHINGTON — An engineer’s failure to operate his train in accordance with restricted speed rules, and his prohibited use of a personal electronic device, were the probable cause of a fatal collision with track maintenance equipment on the Alabama Export Railroad in November 2020, the National Transportation Safety Board said in an accident report issued […]
ALAMOSA, Colo. — The San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad, a 154-mile short line operating a former Denver & Rio Grande Western route in Southern Colorado, is about to be sold by auction as part of the ongoing bankruptcy sale of former Iowa Pacific Holdings properties. Bankruptcy Trustee William A. Brandt Jr. has announced his […]
SILVIS, Ill. — Chinese-built No. 6988, a QJ 2-10-2, traveled the Iowa Interstate Railroad on Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12, 2022, for a final time before its FRA 15-year inspection and rebuilding. Although the locomotive’s certification has expired the FRA granted a one-time extension for the two trips. The QJs — Nos. 6988 […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board has turned down an application from a company seeking to revive a long-dormant portion of the former Northwestern Pacific route in Northern California after the company missed a filing deadline. The North Coast Railroad Co. was seeking to purchase 176 miles of rail line between Willits and Eureka, Calif., […]
