News photo: Amtrak long-distance woes continue

Passengers waiting on platform as passenger train arrives

EMERYVILLE, Calif. — The eastbound California Zephyr is shown above as it pulls into its originating station at Emeryville at 12:13 p.m. Sunday after being serviced at Amtrak’s Oakland Maintenance facility. It departed at 12:31 p.m., more than 3 hours late, after the equipment arrived on its westbound counterpart at 1:57 a.m., 9 hours, 47 […]

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Erickson to lead Ventura County Transportation Commission

Logo of the Ventura County Transportation Commission

VENTURA, Calif. — Martin Erickson has been named as executive director of the Ventura County Transportation Commission, succeeding Darren Kettle, who was named CEO of commuter rail operator Metrolink in July 2021. Erickson, who had been the commission’s public transit director since 2016, was selected after a four-month search, the Ventura County Star reports. The organization, […]

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Reading museum receives $100,000 state grant

HAMBURG, Pa. — The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum has received a $100,000 state grant to be used for outdoor upgrades at the facility, the Reading Eagle reports. The funds will be used to buy ties for the construction of tracks into the museum’s recently completed railcar protection building; materials for construction of a small replica […]

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Model railroad locomotive, freight car, and passenger equipment announcements for January 13, 2022

Athearn Genesis 2.0 HO scale Norfolk Southern General Electric Dash 9-40C no. 8855

Product news Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. Here are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of January 13, 2022. HO scale locomotives Electro-Motive Division SD45-2 diesel locomotive. Atchison, […]

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Norfolk & Western passenger trains

a streamlined passenger train

All through January 2022, Classic Trains editors are celebrating the history and heritage of the Norfolk & Western. Please enjoy this photo gallery of Norfolk & Western passenger trains selected from the image files in Kalmbach Media’s David P. Morgan Library. This gallery was first published in October 2019. […]

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Baltimore, Virginia, Chicago projects highlight busy CSX slate

Aereal view of section of downtown Baltimore

PHOENIX — There is A LOT going on in terms of capital projects for CSX Transportation — enough that Ed Sparks, the railroad’s chief engineer, bridges, design & construction — had no problem running well past his scheduled 25-minute slot Saturday at the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association Conference. Rest assured the audience did […]

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Short line companies outline capital plans

Orange and black locomotives pass color position signal

PHOENIX — Along with participation by six Class I railroads and a number of other entities, the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association Conference that concluded Saturday featured presentations from three major short line companies. Here’s an overview. Genesee & Wyoming The largest of the short line holding companies, with 116 properties in North America […]

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CN begins major work on intramodal facility

Bilevel passenger train on concrete trestle with construction crane behind it

PHOENIX — The start of construction on of a long-delayed intermodal facility will highlight Canadian National capital work in 2022, after the railroad completed several major projects in 2021. Martita Mullen, the railroad’s senior manager, design and construction, provided a review of the 2021 work and preview of 2022 on Friday at the National Railroad […]

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Steam photographer Mike Eagleson dies

three men standing and posing with tracks in background

GLEN RIDGE, N.J. – Famed steam photographer Michael A. Eagleson, who traveled the world in search of steam power as it retreated from service, died of complications of COVID-19 Jan. 6. He was in his late 70s. Eagleson was famous in the railway and steam locomotive enthusiast community, having traveled worldwide to witness and photograph […]

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Tunnel project underscores BNSF’s battle with nature in 2021

Worker on lift inside tunnel

PHOENIX — Extreme weather and natural disasters took a broad toll on railroads in 2021, and BNSF Railway was certainly not exempt. “All of us in the industry,” said Craig Rasmussen, BNSF’s assistant vice president, engineering services and structures, “have realized that Mother Nature is not a nice lady. Sometimes she is really tough to […]

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