A Union Pacific train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire Wednesday morning on a bridge in Tempe, Ariz. Part of the bridge collapsed, sending railcars onto a roadway and an empty park below. CNN reports one person was treated for smoke inhalation; train personnel were not injured. Eight to 10 cars caught fire, according […]
NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern executives are encouraged by the strong rebound in intermodal and automotive traffic, but say it’s uncertain how durable the recovery may be amid rising coronavirus cases and its potential impact on the economy. “Who knows what the rest of the year may hold?” CEO Jim Squires said this morning while […]
More Wednesday morning rail news: City wants ‘Pere Marquette’ route linked with other Michigan trains The St. Joseph (Mich.) City Commission has called for building a connection that would link the routes used by Amtrak’s Pere Marquette, Blue Water, and Wolverine service in New Buffalo, Mich. WJSM radio reports this would allow all the routes […]
Wednesday morning rail news: Amtrak adds business-class reserved seating on Acela Amtrak will offer reserved seating in business class on Acela trains beginning Monday, Aug. 3, expanding the seat-selection program that had previously been available only in first class. The feature also allows passengers a look at the overall occupancy rate of a train. As […]
Tuesday afternoon rail news: Progress Rail announces new battery-powered switcher, to be sold worldwide Progress Rail has introduced a new battery-powered switcher to be available for sale globally. The zero-emission EMD Joule was developed in collaboration with Vale, the mining corporation headquartered in Brazil which operates about 1,200 miles of railroads in Brazil and leases […]
Tuesday morning rail news: NJ Transit approves agreement to replace Portal Bridge, Northeast Corridor trouble spot An agreement to replace New Jersey’s infamous Portal Bridge on the Northeast Corridor is finally in place. NJ.com reports that the NJ Transit board of directors has unanimously approved an agreement with Amtrak, owner of the bridge, to replace […]
CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific is single-tracking and adding centralized traffic control to its main line between Smiths Falls, Ontario, and the Montreal area. The two-year project includes removing 60 miles of double track on the 104.9-mile Winchester Subdivision. “CP is continuously looking for opportunities to improve its track infrastructure,” spokesman Andy Cummings says. “During […]
BNSF Railway and Union Pacific are facing varying degrees of congestion from a spike in domestic intermodal volume in Southern California. The railroads reported significant week-over-week overall intermodal volume increases as of July 18, with UP’s volume up 10% and BNSF’s up 8%, according to their weekly Association of American Railroads carload reports. The surge […]
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — With rehabilitation and restoration of the East Broad Top Railroad under way, the EBT Foundation staff is beginning to deal with the issue of backdating. How far and how much should it change in order to give the property the appearance of its common-carrier days (1870s-1956)? A recent trip through Rockhill […]
Neil Besougloff, editor of Model Railroader from June 2007 to June 2017, passed away on July 26 from complications related to COVID-19. He was 61 years old. Neil was born in Toms River, N.J., and graduated from Toms River High School South. After earning an associate degree from Ocean County College in Toms River, he […]
HO scale locomotives Alco RS-11 diesel locomotive. Burlington Northern (Cascade Green and Northern Pacific patchout); Central Vermont (green with “wet noodle” herald); Delaware & Hudson (gray, yellow, and blue “lightning stripe” scheme); Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific (as-delivered green-and-gold scheme); Maine Central (Pine Green); Portland Terminal (Pine Green, conditional release); New York Central (black); Nickel Plate […]
Monday midday rail news: Metra to add trains on Rock Island, BNSF lines Reflecting increasing ridership as the Chicago area reopens after COVID-19 shutdowns, Metra will add express trains to service on its BNSF and Rock Island lines next week, while schedules will be adjusted on two Electric District train. The new services will include […]
