Engineer concerned about balloon before crash with train

Man with safety gear near a locomotive.

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Bruce Rogers says that when a hot air balloon with people in it was caught in his train Wednesday evening in southeastern Wisconsin, he felt helpless. “The worst thing is watching it unfold and not being able to do something about it,” Rogers tells Trains News Wire. What Rogers says he saw […]

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Atlas Electro-Motive Division SD26 diesel locomotive

Santa Fe blue-and-yellow warbonnet locomotive

Electro-Motive Division SD26 diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with factory-installed speaker, $189.95 to $199.95 (undecorated, $179.95); with dual-mode ESU LokSound sound decoder, $299.95 to $309.95 (undecorated, $289.95) Era: January 1973 to 2000s (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205, 908-687-0880, shop.atlasrr.com Electro-Motive Division […]

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Athearn N scale 40-foot Pfaudler milk car

green milk car

40-foot Pfaudler milk car Scale: N (1:160) Price: $29.99 Era: 1920s to 1950s Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com Features: Screw-mounted trucks Machined metal wheels with RP-25 contours Body-mounted McHenry couplers Injection-molded plastic body Minimum radius: 11” Available July 2023 Road names: Pfaudler, Alderney Dairy Co., Chicago & North Western, Merkle […]

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FRA announces CRISI grants for 46 rail improvement projects in 32 states

Susquehanna

WASHINGTON – The Federal Railroad Administration on Thursday announced more than $368 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program funds to 46 projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia. The grants were awarded to passenger and freight projects, as well as several technology and safety development programs. The Bipartisan […]

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Florida receives $15.875 million engineering grant for Brightline route

platforms with train in distance

ORLANDO, Fla. — Brightline’s plan to extend its passenger route past the Orlando Convention Center, Disney World, and down the wide median of Interstate 4 to Tampa got a public boost Wednesday with the announcement that the U.S. Department of Transportation would release a $15.875 million Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grant. The […]

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Athearn Genesis HO scale General Electric U50 diesel locomotive

illustration of yellow diesel locomotive

General Electric U50 diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $369.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $469.99 Era: late 1960s to 1970s+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822, 800-338-4639, athearn.com Features: Illuminated truck lights, number boxes, and classification lights All-wheel drive and […]

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U.S. rail traffic declines in May

WASHINGTON – U.S. rail traffic dipped 3.7% in May as both intermodal and carloads slumped compared to last year. U.S. railroads originated 928,742 carloads in May 2022, down 35,821 carloads from May 2021, the Association of American Railroads reported on June 1. U.S. railroads also originated 1,102,558 containers and trailers in May 2022, down 4.3%, […]

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MBTA operators injured in Green Line collision in Boston

A streetcar

BOSTON – Two MBTA Green Line trains collided and derailed near the Government Center station on Wednesday night. Three Green Line operators were injured in the 9:20 p.m. accident and taken to a hospital for treatment. The collision involved a westbound train with 20 to 25 passengers aboard and an empty train that was just […]

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Fire danger pushes back Cumbres & Toltec’s opening day

Two steam locomotives leading train through fall colors

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has pushed back the start of its excursion season by nearly three weeks due to extreme wildfire danger. The 64-mile steam-powered narrow gauge railroad, owned by the states of New Mexico and Colorado, now aims to begin its season on July 1 rather than the previously scheduled June 11 […]

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Trails and Rails volunteers return to Amtrak trains

Man with glasses handing small object to pre-teen girl

WASHINGTON — The National Park Service has relaunched its informative Trails and Rails program on Amtrak trains for summer 2022 after a two-year hiatus, but some previously featured segments will no longer be covered. Volunteers apply through the National Park and National Historic sites that sponsor the lecturers, who board trains and talk to travelers […]

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