Durable roadbed for garden railroads, as a topic, developed for me after retirement. For many years, I was an “armchair” garden railroad enthusiast. With plenty of time on my hands I began focusing on building the railroad. Having more time did not make things easier because, being a rookie, I agonized over which method should […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As of today (Jan. 3, 2021), Amtrak’s Missouri River Runner service between St. Louis and Kansas City has been cut from two round daily trips to one. The move comes after the state failed to provide sufficient funding to continue to the twice-daily round trips and federal coronavirus relief funding, which […]
WASHINGTON — Although airlines cancelled thousands of flights, resulting in horror stories for stranded travelers, Amtrak was mostly able to keep its trains running during the Christmas-New Year holiday period. There were some cancellations, though. While booked passengers were asked via email or text to choose a different train or travel another day and no […]
DUBUQUE, Iowa — The City of Dubuque has become the latest to voice concerns over traffic increases that could result from the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger, writing in a letter to the Surface Transportation Board that it seeks nine forms of mitigation — including construction of a $20 million overpass — if it is […]
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. — Damage from what has subsequently been identified as a small tornado halted CSX Transportation traffic on New Year’s Day in Hopkinsville, the second time in less than a month that a tornado has affected the railroad’s operations in the area. WZTV in Nashville reports the damage, initially attributed to high winds, was […]
ROMULUS, Mich. — Efforts to clean up the derailment of a CSX train early on New Year’s Day knocked out power in the area, the Romulus Fire Department reports. The train carrying steel derailed about 1:37 a.m., near Eureka Road and Interstate 275, according to a fire department Facebook post; WWJ Radio reports about 15 […]
CLEBURNE, Texas — The remodeled and expanded Cleburne Railroad Museum is set to open Jan. 13, the Cleburne Times-Review reports. The museum traces a railroading history that dates to 1881 and includes more than a century when the Santa Fe Railway was the community’s largest employer, thanks to a major shop facility. The expanded museum […]
LA GRANGE, Ill. — Progress Rail has sold 88 acres of the former Electro-Motive Division property in La Grange, the company informed La Grange-based employees in a December email. The land was bought by Bridge Industrial, which specializes in acquisition and development of industrial properties, and will be redeveloped. Progress will maintain its existing offices […]
Union Pacific’s 4-6-6-4 Challengers were too long for the turntable at North Platte, Nebr., but they could still use it. Wedges were clamped to the table’s rails at one end, then a 4-6-6-4 was backed on, leaving the rear four wheels of the tender hanging in mid-air. Art Stensvad photo […]
The Battle for Kansas City Southern, culminating in Canadian Pacific’s triumph over Canadian National, is Trains’ top railroading story of the year. (Editor’s note: This may have seemed like a foregone conclusion, but balloting was close, with this story receiving just one more first-place vote and nine more points than the No. 2 story.) Stage […]
BALTIMORE — No injuries have been reported after an explosion Thursday morning at a CSX coal silo in South Baltimore’s Curtis Bay. The facility sustained significant damage after the blast that residents reported feeling miles away. The explosion occurred about 11:30 a.m. The Baltimore Sun reports the explosion occurred on a conveyer belt and resulted […]
WASHINGTON — The infrastructure bill signed into law in November opens the door for the possibility of more rail funding than Amtrak and states sponsoring intercity passenger service have ever received at one time. The challenge now will be to get money out that door and spend it wisely. How much funding? More than $66 […]
