As the caboose of a Maine Central train passes, the operator resets the ball signals at the Maine Central/Boston & Maine crossing at Whitefield, N.H., in 1979. This was the last surviving ball signal in commercial use on a U.S. railroad. Ben Bachman photo […]
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has called on Congress to impose the terms of a tentative agreement between railroads and unions, which would prevent a strike that could come as soon as Dec. 9. Biden said he was calling for legislation to be passed “immediately … to avert a potentially crippling national rail shutdown.” House […]
WASHINGTON — With a Dec. 9 deadline looming, a coalition of more than 400 business groups today urged Congress to prevent a national railroad strike that would cripple the economy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, along with trade groups representing manufacturers and retailers, said a strike would have major economic impacts as railroads curtail shipments […]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation is awaiting regulatory approval to become the first railroad to use Trip Optimizer’s Zero-to-Zero function, which allows the advanced cruise control system to automatically start and stop freight trains. The goal, CSX says, is to save fuel as part of the railroad’s effort to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by […]
Athearn Genesis General Electric AC4400CW diesel locomotive Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: Direct-current model with 21-pin NEM connector, $269.99; with dual-mode SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound decoder, $369.99 Era: 1995+ (varies depending on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Athearn Trains, 2904 Research Rd., Champaign, IL 61822; 800-338-4639; athearn.com General Electric AC4400CW features: Light-Emitting Diode lighting including illuminated number boards, ground lights, […]
BEGUSARAI, India — Thieves in the state of Bihar stole an entire diesel locomotive, piece by piece, by digging a tunnel into a rail yard and removing parts from the unit awaiting repairs, police said last week. The Hindu newspaper reports three people were arrested and 13 sacks of locomotive parts were recovered at a […]
WASHINGTON — Consistent sellouts on Amtrak trains before and after Thanksgiving never get the same media play as TV reporters provide with stand-ups at the airport or on a highway overpass, and 2022 was no exception. The ability to efficiently move masses of travelers is a story that needs to be told. What was different […]
VANCOUVER, Wash. — The 33-mile Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, owned by Clark County, Wash., and leased to two operators, will receive $4.7 million in state funding for line rehabilitation work, the Columbian newspaper reports. The first $1.5 million will improve the 14-mile section between Vancouver and Battle Ground, Wash., leased to the Portland Vancouver Junction Railroad, […]
OTTAWA — Transport Canada is now accepting applications for up to C$10.5 million in rail projects to be funded under the Climate Change and Adaptation to Extreme Weather Infrastructure Initiative, part of the Rail Safety Improvement Program. Applications are being accepted through Jan. 6, 2023; information the program and application process is available here. “We […]
The Budd Co. of Philadelphia introduced its self-propelled Rail Diesel Car in 1949. The RDC came in five versions with different arrangements of passenger, baggage, and mail compartments. Here, a train of Baltimore & Ohio Speedliners, as B&O called its RDC’s, is stopped at Cumberland, Md., during a westbound run in the early 1950s. B&O […]
AURORA, Colo. — A Regional Transportation District light rail train that derailed in September was going almost 40 miles an hour as it entered a 10-mph curve, according to a newly released report. The Sept. 21 accident in Aurora sent three people to the hospital, led to on-scene examination of more than 20 others, and […]
WASHINGTON AND MONTREAL — U.S. and Canadian national passenger rail operators are joining the Black Friday markdown blitz for travel beginning as early as next week and as late as June 30, 2023, depending upon the route. For both Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada, the deals are available only through Monday, Nov. 29, at midnight. […]
