Summer season in full steam for Santa Fe No. 3415

Steam locomotive with passenger car and gondola for riders in field with trees in background.

ABILENE, Kan. — Steam locomotive No. 3415 turned in another weekend of successful operations on the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad. This comes after headlining the railroad’s 30th anniversary during Father’s Day weekend, which followed multiple sidelines to the locomotive due to unforeseen repairs in late May and issues with the injector in early June. […]

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NTSB hearing on East Palestine derailment begins with look at first-responder concerns

East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick testifies Thursday, June 22, at the NTSB hearing into the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment. Screenshot from NTSB video

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Concerns about firefighter training, communication between responding agencies, and the ability of first responders to receive information on hazardous materials were a focus of the morning session as National Transportation Safety Board began its hearing into the Feb. 3 derailment of Norfolk Southern train 32N, and the subsequent fire and chemical […]

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Amtrak’s Midwest day-trip services

Amtrak passenger train arriving at station

In the Midwest, Chicago stands tall as the railroading capital. In the heart of the city is Union Station, serving as a major passenger terminus for the Amtrak system. While eight long-distance trains stretch out to all parts of the country, the remaining services out of the Windy City operate as short-distance regionals. Most are […]

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Metra considers significant changes to fare structure

Large number of people waiting to board commuter train

CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra would simplify its fare structure — but replace or eliminate some passes introduced since the COVID-19 pandemic— under a new proposal for 2024. The proposal was unveiled Wednesday, and the commuter operator is now seeking public comment. Metra says the intent of the plan is to create an easily […]

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Norfolk Southern to fund $25 million renovation of East Palestine park

Norfolk Southern logo

EAST PALESTINE — East Palestine’s city council has approved a master plan for revitalizing the city’s main park, a project being funded entirely by Norfolk Southern. The park improvements are expected to cost more than $25 million, bringing the railroad’s total financial commitment to the community since the Feb. 3 derailment to approximately $62 million, […]

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Nickel Plate Road No. 765 celebrates Father’s Day weekend through three states

A steam engine sits waiting for passengers to board

ANGOLA, Ind. — Steam locomotive No. 765 turned in another successful operation during Father’s Day weekend while steaming through Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. Saturday, June 17, introduced the shorter Donuts & Dads and Summer BBQ trains out of Angola, while Sunday saw a repeat of last year’s Tri-State Scenic all-day excursion from Edon, Ohio, to […]

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Santa Fe No. 3415 headlines tourist railroad’s anniversary

Steam locomotive with passenger car and gondola for riders in field with trees in background.

ABILENE, Kan. — In commemoration of the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad’s 30th anniversary, steam locomotive No. 3415 was in full operation on June 17 and 18. The Pacific was sidelined the previous Sunday due to feedwater issues with repairs completed last week in preparation for the Father’s Day weekend. “The feedwater issue last week […]

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NTSB releases witness list for East Palestine hearing

Aerial view of derailment cleanup

WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday released the list of witnesses scheduled to appear at next week’s investigative hearing on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment and hazardous material release in East Palestine, Ohio. That hearing is scheduled for June 22-23 at East Palestine High School and will deal with the decision […]

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NTSB issues final report on CTA employee fatality

Aerial view of downtown Chicago transit station

WASHINGTON — A Chicago Transit Authority customer service assistant fell onto the electrified third rail when attempting to cross the right-of-way at the L’s La Salle/Van Buren station and died by electrocution, the National Transportation Safety Board says in its report on the July 16, 2022, accident. The final accident report was issued Thursday. The […]

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Minnesota highway remains closed from May 31 derailment

Stack of derailed freight cars

LANCASTER, Minn. — A section of U.S. Route 59 remains closed near the Canadian border more than two weeks after the derailment of a CPKC freight train, and clean-up efforts will keep it closed for most of another week. The derailment of 24 cars of the CPKC train took place on May 31 about 9½ […]

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BNSF donates locomotive to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America

Side view of BNSF locomotive

SILVIS, Ill. — BNSF Railway has donated former Santa Fe B40-8W No. 537 to the non-profit Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA). The unit was delivered to the RRHMA shop in Silvis this week. No. 537 was constructed by General Electric for Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe in October 1990 as part of its “Super Fleet” […]

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Spaces to Places IV | Installing the Streets, part 4

Gerry Leone recaps his work on the sandpaper street of Westcott, a town on his new HO scale (1:87.1) model railroad. Now it’s time to add rule, order, and realism to the roadways – by means of basic road markings and subtle weathering. Grab your brush, paint, water-soluble decals, and tools, to join in the […]

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