Trains return to California’s Santa Clara River Valley

Silver and blue cab-unit diesel on train

FILLMORE, Calif. —  Sierra Northern Railway’s Ventura Division began another step to introduce itself to local communities by operating a photo freight from Fillmore to Santa Paula and return. The train, powered by EMD F7A 100, consisted of a variety of freight cars with a heavyweight coach bringing up the rear. The railroad is aggressively […]

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Reading & Northern buys Nesquehoning, Pa., factory complex

Buildings seen from across railroad tracks

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Reading & Northern Railroad has acquired an industrial complex located near the center of its 400-mile system that has previously been occupied by a fire truck manufacturer. The nine-building, 10-acre complex is in Nesquehoning Borough in Carbon County, adjacent to the town of Jim Thorpe and about 30 miles from […]

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Gulf Coast hearing, week 3: Mobile rail executive outlines train movements; Amtrak witnesses criticize randomized data

Freight train with BNSF engines on one of two mainline tracks

WASHINGTON — Switching details and conflicting traffic modeling assumptions dominated discussions at the Surface Transportation Board’s hearing into Amtrak plans to launch passenger service between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala. The seventh and eighth days of testimony and cross-examination, spread over three weeks, on the dispute over plans for two daily Amtrak round trips precedes […]

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News photo: D&I SD40-2 debuts

Yellow locomotives with black and red trim on freight train

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — D&I Railroad SD40-2 No. 3023, one of five SD40-2s new to the railroad’s roster, leads an eastbound train at Sioux Falls, S.D., on April 13, 2022. Photographer Kevin J. Ryan says it is believed to be the locomotive’s first revenue trip on the railroad. The 138-mile D&I, a wholly owned subsidiary […]

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Ontario short line keeps GM traffic moving after CN snafu

The Ontario Southland Railway helped keep General Motors plants humming when a bridge clearance issue arose after a track project on Canadian National. CN, which handles the majority of traffic in St. Thomas, Ontario, suffered a line outage on the Talbot Spur when a program to fix track in the St. Thomas yard resulted in […]

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News photo: South Shore street running in April 2022

Line of locomotives on a train in a residential neighborhood.

South Shore street running: Bruce Stahl captured an unusually powerful freight train for northwestern Indiana in April. To wit: six locomotives led by South Shore No. 805 haul four grain hoppers down a torn-up street in Michigan City, Indiana. Stahl captured this rapture of motive power on Sunday, April 10, 2022, on “Church” curve. “The […]

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South Shore freight labor deal good for five years

South Shore Freight Logo

MICHIGAN CITY, Imd. – The Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad (CSS) & SMART TD (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers) successfully approved a new five-year contract for the line’s transportation employees. Ratified March 18, 2022, the pact runs from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2026. Currently represented are […]

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Sale of Saratoga & North Creek trackage in jeopardy

SNC

TAHAWAUS, N.Y. — The bankruptcy sale of a portion of the former Saratoga & North Creek Railroad is jeopardy after the buyers failed to submit a deposit in timely fashion, according to the bankruptcy trustee. The Adirondack Explorer news site reports buyers Carol McLean-Wright and John Wright, operating as Doc N Duchess Railway, did not […]

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RDC’s Duggan retires as vice president of operations

Man on back platform of office car

PITTSBURGH — Veteran railroader William J. (Bill) Duggan, has retired from his position as vice president of operations at Railroad Development Corp. Duggan’s career began as a motor car repairman’s helper at Illinois Central and was interrupted only by two tours of duty in Vietnam; he also worked at Iowa Interstate before joining RDC, where […]

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Reading & Northern runs test trip with No. 2102

Steam locomotive blowing out steam

PORT CLINTON, Pa.  — Reading & Northern 4-8-4 No. 2102 made its first mainline run in 31 years today (April 6), as it shoved a short train south 16 miles from Port Clinton to North Reading. The move culminates a 6-year, $1.7 million rebuilding of the former Reading Co. locomotive, built in the railroad’s Reading, Pa., […]

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