Rare images of Reading 2102 on the P&LE

Smoking steam locomotive on curve along river

Of all the mainline steam locomotives running these days — and there is an uncanny amount of them — I can’t think of one with as many distinct transitions as Reading 4-8-4 No. 2102. By my count, she’s a cat with at least five lives, with four more to go, if you believe that sort […]

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Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum to mark 40th anniversary

Aerial view of RDC in front of station

LENOX, Mass. — The Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a celebration on July 27 and and a concert on July 28, the museum has announced. It also is launching a new capital campaign to support its continued operation. “We’re holding these events to celeb rate the work we’ve done and […]

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Extended shutdowns of parts of Green, Red lines on tap for MBTA in August

Men working in subway tunnel

BOSTON — A 10-day shutdown of a portion of the Green Line and a seven-day suspension of service on part of the Red Line lead the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s August plans for maintenance work as it continues work to address a backlog of infrastructure repairs. Also on tap in August are weekend work projects […]

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House subcommittee sets hearing on rail safety

Trains Washington Watch logo

WASHINGTON — A subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure has scheduled a hearing on rail safety for Tuesday, July 23. The Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials will hold the session, “Examining the State of Rail Safety in the Aftermath of the Derailment in East Palestine, Ohio,” at 2 p.m. ET […]

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Spuyten Duyvil panorama

New York Central Railroad at Spuyten Devil

A mid-1940s view from the Henry Hudson Parkway bridge near the north end of New York City shows the converging New York Central lines at Spuyten Duyvil. An electric multiple-unit train out of Grand Central pulls away from Spuyten Duyvil station to head up the main line along the Hudson River. The West Side freight […]

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Reading & Northern adds to coal management team

Green and yellow locomotives on train of hopper cars

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — Reflecting the railroad’s 60% increase in coal business over the last two years, the Reading & Northern Railroad announced it has made changes to its management structure to better deal with that growth. Eric Peters, currently vice president, transportation, will also manage the railroad’s coal fleet. The 2,000 cars, including aluminum […]

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Heat disrupts rail service along Northeast Corridor

Image of crooked rail on rapid transit line

Extreme heat is taking its toll on rail transportation along the Northeast Corridor, with transit agencies and Amtrak all feeling the impact and taking operational measures. Here’s a rundown as of this evening (Tuesday, July 16): — NJ Transit says it is experiencing heat-related equipment issues affecting air condition and other electronic components, which could […]

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FTA orders SEPTA to address safety issues

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority logo

WASHINGTON — The Southeastern Pennyslvania Transportation Authority faces a series of deadlines to address issues regarding its “deteriorating safety record” after the Federal Transit Administration on Monday released its report on a six-month safety assessment of SEPTA practices, and issued a series of directives to both SEPTA and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The assessment […]

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Amtrak awards contract for East River Tunnel repairs

Inside two-bore tunnel

NEW YORK — Amtrak has awarded a construction contract for major rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel, the connection between Manhattan and Queens that sustained major damage from floodwaters during 2012’s Hurricane Sandy. The East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project will demolish all existing tunnel system down to the liner before completely restoring the two tubes […]

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Latest Metro-North anniversary locomotive honors employees

Blue and silver locomotive outside shop building

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Metro-North Railroad’s fifth in a series of specially wrapped locomotives to honor its 40th anniversary has taken a slightly different approach than the first four units, honoring the commuter line’s employees rather than its predecessor railroads. The wrap on PC32AC-DM No. 214 uses a mosaic of photos of past and present […]

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New York begins work to replace aging Albany rail bridge

Steel girder bridge over river

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York state has begun work on a new rail bridge across the Hudson River in Albany to replace a structure with portions dating to 1865, and also awarded funding to tear down a deteriorating, vacant warehouse that led to interruptions of rail service in 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced today. The […]

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