Amtrak issues request for construction qualifications for East River Tunnel rehabilitation

Amtrak logo.

NEW YORK – Amtrak has issued a Request for Qualifications for construction services regarding renewal for two of four tunnels under the East River. The project would work to modernize tunnel infrastructure. Preparatory work is already underway in New York’s Sunnyside Yard with major construction starting in early 2024 and continuing through 2027. The tunnels […]

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CNJ No. 113’s Saturday steam up greets visitors from Port Clinton

Men eating at table on station platform next to steam locomotive

MINERSVILLE, Pa. — The Railroad Historians of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Valley Chapter, National Railway Historical Society sponsored a “rare mileage” excursion on the Reading & Northern Railroad on April 15. Using the regional railroad’s Budd Rail Diesel Cars, the roundtrip departed from Port Clinton to Tremont and Minersville along the former Philadelphia […]

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The Lionel SD40T-2 ‘Tunnel Motor’

Front pilot details on the Southern Pacific Lionel SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor

The Lionel SD40T-2 ‘Tunnel Motor’ is now on the rails. For those of us with a few SD40s and SD40-2s in our collections, this model provides a great variation and a touch of color in a consist. It’s safe to say these are popular engines with hobbyists. Lionel offered the SD40T-2 in its 2022 Volume […]

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Fire chief calls it a ‘miracle’ crew in Maine derailment wasn’t more seriously injured

View of damaged track and derailed train

ROCKWOOD, Maine — A fire chief involved in the response of Saturday’s CPKC derailment in a remote area of northern Maine says it was an ‘absolute miracle’ the three crew members were not more seriously injured. The three crew members were reported to have suffered minor injuries in a derailment and fire involving three locomotives […]

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Tours of Norfolk & Western 611 offered

Black streamlined steam locomotive with red trim

STRASBURG, Pa. — The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Virginia Museum of Transportation, is offering specially designed tours of Norfolk & Western Class J 4-8-4 No. 611. The engine is currently stored at the Museum until it returns to its home base in Roanoke next month. Now through May 14, the Railroad […]

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Three hurt as CPKC train derails in Maine

Aerial view of derailment in Maine

ROCKWOOD, Maine — Three crew members were reported to have suffered minor injuries after a CPKC freight train derailed and caught fire early today (Saturday, April 15) apparently as a result of a track washout, Reuters reports. Maine’s Forest Service said three locomotives and six railcars carrying lumber and electrical wiring derailed north of Rockwood, […]

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Maryland agreements will explore MARC expansion into Delaware, Virginia

MARC_timekeeping_Hartley

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s Department of Transportation has signed agreements with agencies in Delaware and Virginia to explore expansion of MARC commuter rail service into those states, Gov. Wes Moore announced Thursday. The agreements are steps toward potential run-through service sought by MARC to Newark, Del., and Alexandria, Va. Discussions with the Delaware Transit Corp. […]

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MBTA trains had four near-miss incidents with track workers in a month

Maintenance workers watch train pass in subway tunnel

BOSTON — The new general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority received a sampling of the safety issues that have plagued the transit agency on Thursday, taking part in a meeting that revealed four incidents in the last month in which track workers were nearly struck by subway trains. CommonWealth Magazine reports General Manager […]

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PATH to begin use of new railcars

Rapid-transit car with blue paint on front end

HOBOKEN, N.J. — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will begin operating the first of its 72 new PATH rail cars next week, the agency announced Thursday, and showed off some of the new cars. The Kawasaki-built cars, completed at a facility in Yonkers, N.Y., are being added to an existing 350-car […]

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Slide suspends Seattle-Portland ‘Cascades’ service through Friday

Train at station platform

SEATTLE — Amtrak Cascades between Seattle and Portland, Ore., remain suspended through Friday, April 14, while BNSF Railway crews clear a mudslide that has kept passenger trains from operating since Tuesday. Portland-Eugene, Ore., and Seattle-Vancouver, B.C., trains have continued to operate, while the Coast Starlight to and from Los Angeles has been turning at Portland. […]

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The MTH Erie 0-8-8-0 Angus

MTH Erie 0-8-8-0 Angus side view

The MTH Erie 0-8-8-0 Angus models a steam engine in the railroad’s L1 class. Three were built in 1907 and numbered 2600-2602. These were the only articulated camelback locomotives ever made. In that year, this was the largest locomotive in existence. Weighing in at 410,000 lbs., these behemoths could develop 94,000 lbs. tractive effort. This […]

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