CASS, W.Va. — W. Rex Cassell, longtime Cass Scenic Railroad employee and, most recently, shop foreman, died Aug. 23, 2022, after a brief illness. He was 60 years old. Rex, his preferred name, was one of a long line of family members to work for Cass Scenic Railroad through the years. He was born April […]
Major railroad labor disputes haunted the nation during the latter part of the 19th century, highlighted by the “Great Railroad Strike,” which spread from Maryland to California in 1877 and the Pullman Strike 17 years later. Both of these bitter conflicts led to multiple deaths and costly physical destruction. The Shopmen’s Strike of 1922-23, however, […]
The 20th century saw a dramatic increase in railroad labor productivity. In 1916, the peak year for U.S. Class I railroad route-miles, those 100-plus carriers employed 1,559,158 people. If we assume 85 percent of those employees, or 1,325,284, were allocated to freight traffic — which totaled almost 339 billion ton-miles — this works out to […]
Four events highlight the history of the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railway: two spectacular accidents, a visiting steam locomotive, and a murder. Remarkable is that the TP&W rebounded from the negative incidents to last through 1983, when it was merged into the Santa Fe Railway. After three years, though, Santa Fe wanted out, and the […]
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Rides on Virginia Railway Express (VRE) trains will be free systemwide for the entire month of September, beginning tomorrow, September 1, the commuter railroad has announced. Passengers will not need tickets to ride between any of VRE’s 19 stations. In a statement, the railroad says suspension of fares is designed to […]
Sartore & Sons Electrical Supply Co. Scale: HO (1:87.1) Price: $130 Manufacturer: Rail Scale Models, 514 Angel’s Way Lane, Horse Shoe, NC 28742; 248-421-6276; rail-scale-models.com Sartore & Sons Electrical Supply Co. features: Injection-molded and laser-cut components Two clerestory structures Stair stringer assemblies with assembly jig Styrene strip and basswood for bracing and detailing Styrene tube and piano wire […]
Passengers line up at Pacific Central Station the Vancouver, British Columbia, for that afternoon’s Amtrak Cascades departure. The round-trip that includes this train is to be restored at the end of September. (Bob Johnston) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak will resume single daily round-trip Cascades service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, on Sept. 26, two […]
Passengers are seen leaving a Boston Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Orange Line platform. Today, the MBTA received further directives from the Federal Transit Administration regarding additional safety measures to be implemented by the commuter railroad. The MBTA has suffered a number of safety related incidents in recent months that have drawn attention from federal regulators. […]
FULLERTON, Calif. — Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3751 will return to operation for the first time since 2017 when it travels from its home base in Los Angeles to appear at Amtrak’s Track Safety Community Event, scheduled for Sept. 24 and 25 at the Fullerton Transportation Center. The 4-8-4 is owned by the San […]
John Henry steel refrigerator car Scale: Large scale (1:24) Price: $124.99 Manufacturer: PIKO America LLC, 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Ste. 5, San Diego, CA 92120; piko-america.com Features: Molded ladder and door details Factory-applied brake wheel, running boards, and stirrup steps Plastic wheelsets Hook-and-loop couplers Minimum recommended radius, 23.6” Release date: October 2022 Paint scheme: John Henry […]
RENO, Nev. – Rank-and-file members of railroad labor unions are disappointed with the Presidential Emergency Board’s contract recommendations and overwhelmingly support a strike, according to an online survey conducted by Railroad Workers United. Nearly 83% of those surveyed said the PEB’s recommendations fell short of their expectations. Nearly 8% expressed neutral sentiments, while the remaining […]
Earlier this month, Trains drove alongside BNSF Railway’s Southern Transcon from Barstow, Calif., to Belen, N.M., to see how North America’s busiest freight railroad and intermodal corridor is faring amid the crew shortages that have affected operations. BNSF’s California and Southwest divisions have been among the hardest hit in the country as the big four […]
