“Diesel Helpers” are two buzzwords associated with today’s mainline steam excursions – from short lines to Class I railroads, and even selected tourist railroads off the national network. The use of one, or lack thereof, differs between railroads, organizations, and their operating preferences. Some are comfortable letting the steam locomotive travel solo. Others would prefer […]
BONNERS FERRY, Idaho — One crew member was taken to the hospital with a wrist injury after a low-speed, head-on collision between two Union Pacific trains on Monday, the Bonners Ferry Herald reports. The trains collided at an estimated 17 mph shortly before noon, Boundary County public information officer Andrew O’Neel told the newspaper. One […]
Modelers David Popp, Brian Schmidt, and Bryson Sleppy begin the scenery process on their T-TRAK modules by looking at photos of the Colorado plains. T-TRAK is a modular N scale railroading system that uses foot-wide boxes plugged together to build tabletop layouts. In this fifth installment, the three modelers explain how to build hills and […]
The Rail Diesel Car (RDC) was the Budd Co.’s answer to declining passenger traffic during the post war. The demonstrator was introduced on Sept. 19, 1949, at Chicago Union Station. As described by Trains’ then-Associate Editor David P. Morgan in the November 1949 issue, this new rail-motor car was a combination of prior self-propelled technology, […]
MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s Transport Ministry this week said it has received five proposals from interested parties to participate in a project to boost passenger service on railroads being developed across the country, Reuters reported. The ministry did not identify which companies had expressed interest, but Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) told Reuters it had filed […]
GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Patriot Rail, a short line company that operates 32 railroads across the United States, is planning to revive passenger service on the Gettysburg & Northern Railroad in 2025, to capitalize on the millions of tourists who pour into this Civil War mecca each year. G&N will join two other active Patriot Rail […]
A plethora of steam locomotives made comebacks in late 2023 after being out of service for extended periods of time. Expect these primed-and-ready locomotives to return to service for the full 2024 season. Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad No. 8419 As a reminder of the twilight of steam locomotive manufacturing in the world, No. 8419 […]
Montreal Locomotive Works DL535E diesel locomotives have proven to be versatile narrow-gauge haulers made famous by a garden railway staple. In 1969, American Locomotive Co. of Schenectady, N.Y., was building seven six-axle, 1,200-hp DL535E diesel locomotives, Nos. 101-107, for the White Pass & Yukon when the builder abruptly shut down its manufacturing operations. […]
Amtrak Superliner cars are derived from the old Santa Fe El Capitan Hi-Level car fleet. The cars, which operate on all Western long-distance plus a few others in the East, had a long gestation period. On July 3, 1973, Roger Lewis, Amtrak’s first president, sent a request for proposals to 13 companies — six engineering […]
WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board’s controversial service-based reciprocal switching proposal faced another round of criticism this week, with many shippers saying it doesn’t go far enough and railroads saying it’s an unworkable, unrealistic rule that goes too far. The proposal, unveiled in September, would allow shippers located in terminal areas to seek access to […]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United States and Canada will work together to develop a common vision for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from locomotives, officials announced today at the United Nations COP28 conference. The nations will create a Rail Decarbonization Task Force, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and […]
MONTREAL — Canada’s largest private-sector union has blasted VIA Rail Canada’s new baggage policy, a complex set of fees which were set to take effect Nov. 18, saying they “inconvenience travelers and complicate [union members’] working conditions.” VIA, however, says it had elected to waive the fees a week prior to their implementation, and the […]
