Digest: SEPTA to restore service on Chestnut Hill West line in March

SEPTA logo

Additional Friday morning rail news: SEPTA to bring back service on Chestnut Hill West line in March The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will resume operation on its Chestnut Hill West Regional Rail line in March with a “restricted service schedule.” The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the service — suspended last spring when Regional Rail operations were reduced because […]

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Digest: San Diego transit agency to increase trespassing enforcement

Green and blue commuter train

More Thursday morning rail news: Preparing for new, quieter locomotives, North County Transit District to step up trespassing enforcement The San Diego-area North County Transit District will significantly trespassing education and enforcement along its rail line between San Diego and Oceanside beginning Feb. 1 as a prelude to placing five new Siemens Charger locomotives into […]

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New toy-train products for the week of February 4, 2021

Atlas O American Car & Foundry Allied Chemical 11,000-gallon tank car no. 10092

O scale freight cars American Car & Foundry 11,000-gallon tank car. New paint schemes: Allied Chemical (gray and black), Atlantic Refining (gray, red, and white), Dow Canada (green and black), Polysar (black, blue, and white), Smith Douglass (gray, black, and red), and Tidewater Associated (black and orange). New road numbers: Warren (gray, black, and green). […]

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News Photo: Amtrak anniversary engine

Diesel locomotive in station at night

P42DC No. 46 leads the westbound Capitol Limited out of Toledo on Jan. 21, displaying markings commemorating Amtrak’s 50th anniversary, which arrives in May. The locomotive was reportedly going to lead an Inauguration special for Joe Biden, the 46th president, but that was cancelled for security reasons following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. This edition […]

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Digest: OmniTRAX names Piacente as new CEO

OmniTrax CEO Dean Piacente

More Tuesday morning rail news: OmniTRAX names Piacente as new CEO Short line and transportation company OmniTRAX has named Dean Piacente as its new CEO, effective Feb. 1. Piacente has more than 20 years’ experience as a commercial executive at CSX Transportation, and brings more than 30 years of financial planning, analysis, and expertise in […]

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Digest: South Shore to lease gallery cars from Metra

Bilevel, electric passenger rail cars on curve

Tuesday morning rail news:   South Shore to lease cars from Metra to handle planned service increase The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District will lease 26 bilevel gallery cars from Metra to handle the increased South Shore Line commuter service planned under the Double Track and West Lake Corridor expansion projects. The Times of Northwest Indiana […]

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New Siemens ‘Venture’ cars test in Michigan

Passenger train in snow

NILES, Mich. – The new Siemens Venture cars for Amtrak Midwest service made their first test run on Monday, operating from Chicago to Pontiac, Mich., on the schedule of Wolverine Service train No. 350, suspended since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The trainset, with four of the new coaches separated by former heritage sleeper […]

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Digest: New agreement allows BNSF Bismarck bridge project to move forward

Train coming off bridge on broad curve

Still more Monday morning rail news:   New agreement allows BNSF Bismarck bridge project to move forward without final decision on current bridge BNSF Railway’s long-running effort to replace its 138-year-old Bismarck-Mandan Rail Bridge over the Missouri River can continue to move forward after a new agreement between the railroad, the U.S. Coast Guard, and […]

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News Photos: Testing begins for new Amtrak cars (updated)

Passenger train in urban environment

With Charger locomotives on each end, the first over-the-road test of Siemens Venture cars for Midwest service leaves Chicago Monday morning, Jan. 25. The test train, with four coaches separated by former heritage sleeping car Pacific Bend, housing test equipment and personnel, is operating east to Pontiac, Mich., on the schedule of Wolverine Service train no. 350, which has […]

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New toy-train products for January 2021

Atlas O Peavey Co. Pullman-Standard 4,427-cubic-foot capacity low-side three-bay covered hopper

O gauge freight cars Pullman-Standard 4,427-cubic-foot-capacity low-side three-bay covered hopper. New paint schemes: Peavey Co. (blue and white), Archer Daniels Midland (blue and white), Cooperative Marketing Association (brown and black), Gold Kist (yellow and blue), Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Association Inc. (red, white, and blue), Scoular (gray and black), Tabor & Co. (gray and white), […]

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Fleet fillers: Lionel Southern Pacific-style caboose, later version

Lionel O gauge postwar caboose

Cabooses are one of our favorite types of Fleet Filler cars. You need one behind almost every freight train, and really, who doesn’t love to see one bringing up the rear? Many of us are familiar with the Lionel’s postwar O-27 cabooses, the most ubiquitous of which was the SP-style model. This item saw lots […]

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February 2020 new products from Garden Railways magazine

Green train on tracks

Engines & rolling stock Accucraft, 3260 Central Ave, Union City CA 94587 has an Adams Radial Tank 4-4-2T in 1:32 scale. This live-steam engine is butane fired and available in both kit and ready-to-run versions, with a choice of several roadnames Price (kit): $1,945 or (RTR) $2,160. See the website for more information. Website: accucraft.com […]

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