WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) federal mask mandate for travel on all rail systems, airplanes, in airports, and on buses will be extended through May 3, 15 days after it had been set to expire amid a new coronavirus surge fueled by the BA.2 variant. The two-week extension is from an order by […]
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NJ Transit awards contract to restore tunnel on Lackawanna Cutoff
NEWARK, N.J. — The NJ Transit Board of Directors today approved a contract to rehabilitate the Roseville Tunnel on the Lackawanna Cutoff, part of a plan to restore commuter rail service to Andover, N.J. from Port Morris, N.J. The contract with Schiavone Construction Co. LLC of Secaucus, N.J. includes the final design, construction, and commissioning of the […]
Amtrak, PennDOT to add Keystone Service
PHILADELPHIA – Beginning April 25, Amtrak and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will operate additional Keystone Service trains between New York, Philadelphia, and Harrisburg, Pa. Two new weekday trains will be added, and all pre-pandemic weekend service will be restored. “After a long period of reduced schedules, PennDOT is pleased that Amtrak has been able […]
Ontario Northland wins contract to overhaul GO Transit bilevels
NORTH BAY, Ontario — Ontario Northland Railway has won a $109 million contract to overhaul 56 GO Transit bi-level commuter cars at its shop on North Bay. The cars will receive a complete overhaul that includes stripping down the entire coach, structural work, and renewing or upgrading parts including new seating, washroom upgrades, electrical components, […]
BNSF donates rebuilt SD9 to Minnesota museum
DULUTH, Minn. — BNSF Railway has donated a rebuilt SD9 to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth. BNSF 1550 was built in February 1954 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors for the Great Northern Railway as No. 573. EMD built 515 SD9s between 1954 and 1959. No. 573 worked for many years in Superior, […]
10 tips for beginning layout builders
10 tips for beginning layout builders: Trains.com has thousands of articles, images, and videos. Here, we’ve collected ten links to some of the best stories for people just starting on their layout-building adventure. 1. Learning to use a track template Track planning is an essential step in the construction of a model railroad layout. […]
Logistics expert: PSR shouldn’t shoulder all the blame for rail service problems
BALTIMORE – The blame for ongoing railroad service problems can’t be placed entirely on cutbacks related to Precision Scheduled Railroading. The pandemic, a surge in freight demand, and a labor shortage were a recipe for disruption all on their own. That’s the message that Peter Swan, associate professor of logistics and operations management at Penn […]
Sketching With Steve: Freight car brake details
When I started in this hobby, I chose to model the early 1900s. That was before I knew what models were commercially available in my chosen time frame. (The answer was “not much.”) Since my hobby budget was limited, there was only one manufacturer making car kits appropriate for my era that I could afford. […]
TTD union asks federal regulators to delve into rail service, employment issues
WASHINGTON – The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO has joined the chorus of organizations asking federal regulators to address Class I railroad service problems. “It is clear that a lack of oversight has allowed Class I railroads to operate in a manner that is harmful to shippers, employees, and the American public, and these […]
Union Pacific to begin metering traffic if shippers don’t reduce car inventory
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will start metering traffic on Monday if shippers don’t voluntarily reduce their active freight-car inventories on the railroad, which is bogging down due to a combination of crew and locomotive shortages. “Over the last few weeks, our network has experienced some setbacks – including numerous service interruptions, crew shortages in […]
STB Gulf Coast hearing scrutinizes details of traffic modeling: Analysis
WASHINGTON — Last week’s fourth day of testimony at the Surface Transportation Board’s hearing on Amtrak Gulf Coast service focused on two questions: — “Where did the data used for traffic modeling come from?” — “What constitutes a train that can cause ‘unreasonable impairment’ to freight operations” if two passenger round trips are introduced between […]
Walthers adds modernized 40-foot American Car & Foundry boxcar to Mainline series
Walthers announced that a modernized 40-foot American Car & Foundry boxcar will be joining its popular WalthersMainline series. The HO scale car is scheduled for release in June. Road names in the first release of boxcars will include Erie Lackawanna, Green Bay & Western, Illinois Central, Lehigh Valley, Penn Central, Pennsylvania RR, Reading Co., and […]
