GATINEAU, Quebec — The first segment of Canada’s planned high-speed rail line will be built between Montreal and Ottawa, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced today (Dec. 12). Construction will begin within four years — half the time that had originally been projected, MacKinnon said during a morning news conference in Gatineau. “This segment represents a […]
During the latter half of the 1920s the single expansion articulated locomotive had evolved into a very capable machine. It could lug a heavy train over mountain grades, and in flat terrain it could run at the same speed as a 2-8-2. But railroad locomotive superintendents grappled with an unanswered question. Could a simple articulated […]
It isn’t much of a stretch to proclaim the 2-8-4 Berkshire-type steam locomotive as the “poster child” of the Super Power era of steam locomotives. “Berkshire,” “Kanawha,” “Big Emma” — regardless of what they were called, the wheel configuration helped advance steam technology through size, speed, and power. The development of the Berkshire all started […]
In 1940, the Chesapeake & Ohio needed new locomotives to meet a burgeoning demand for transportation. Its biggest engines were a fleet of single expansion 2-8-8-2s, purchased in the mid-1920s to haul coal on its line across the Alleghenies, where tunnel clearances prevented the use of anything larger. In the 1930s, C&O embarked on rebuilding […]
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High Speed Rail Authority this week issued a Request For Proposals for the contract to build track and related systems for the 119-mile first segment of the project, between Merced and Bakersfield. The $3.5 billion contract will be one of the nation’s largest for rail infrastructure. Proposals from interested companies […]
A scant three years after Alco introduced the Mallet to America (with the delivery of B&O’s sole 0-6-6-0 in 1904), the Erie took delivery of three camelback 0-8-8-0 Mallets – the first eight-coupled Mallets, also built by Alco – and put them to work as helpers on Gulf Summit in New York state. In 1909, […]
In 1928, the Northern Pacific went shopping for a locomotive that could eliminate doubleheading on the eastern end of its Yellowstone Division between Mandan, N.Dak., and Glendive, Mont. NP’s line through the Badlands had a series of long grades in both directions that made helpers impracticable and had long been one of the railroad’s operational […]
LONDON — Eurostar’s long run as the sole operator of rail service through the Channel Tunnel between England and France is likely to end following a decision today (Oct. 30, 2025) by the UK regulatory Office of Rail and Road to allow Virgin Trains access to the only servicing facility on the high-speed route between […]
The Sunset Models Amtrak NextGen Acela (Acela II) was announced at the York Train Fair, hosted by the Eastern Division of the Train Collectors Association in late October. The O scale train, based on prototypes that operate in the Northeast Corridor, will be offered in two- and three-rail versions. The Acela II will be available […]
LONDON — Eurostar, operator of the high speed passenger service between London and Europe via the Channel Tunnel, will spend €2 billion ($2.32 billion) on a fleet of up to 50 new double-decker trains to be built by Alstom. The agreement announced today (Oct. 22, 2025) includes a confirmed order for 30 trains, with an […]
WASHINGTON — Brightline West is seeking a $6 billion government loan to address increased construction costs for its planned route between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nev. A Department of Transportation document indicates the company behind the project, DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC, applied for the loan under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, which dates […]
SEATTLE—Though most state-supported and long distance trains across Amtrak’s far-flung network have been operating with minimal delays, a number of significant disruptions occurred over the weekend which continue to underscore the shortage of sufficient serviceable equipment Pacific Northwest cancellations Problems for Amtrak’s Cascades began Friday afternoon, Sept. 19, when Portland, Ore., to Vancouver, B.C. train […]
