DC Metro plan to repair wheels of 7000-series cars will take three years, $55 million

Close-up of derailed axle on rapid-transit railcar

WASHINGTON — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will re-press all the wheels on its 7000-series railcars to address a problem with wheel movement, a process that will take as much as three years and cost about $55 million. DC Metro made the announcement Tuesday, saying the plan was based on technical information released that […]

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Conrail models you can buy

Model of blue diesel locomotive

Whether you need more blue on your locomotive roster or want to add Conrail units in other paint schemes to your layout, this is a comprehensive list of Conrail models you can buy. This list just focuses on locomotives and cabooses. Mixing Conrail freight cars into your rolling stock roster will also add some colorful […]

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Managers and minister resign in Spain over trains too big for tunnels

Meter-gauge passenger train in Asturias, Spain

MADRID — Spain’s transportation secretary and the head of national rail operator RENFE have resigned following an order for new regional trains that has become a national scandal. Transportation Secretary Isabel Pardo de Vera and RENFE President Isaías Táboas quit their jobs Feb. 20 in the wake of public and political criticism of a delayed […]

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SEPTA awards contract to Alstom for 130 new trolleys

Illustration of articulated light rail vehicle crossing bridge

PHILADELPHIA — The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority will purchase 130 new light rail vehicles from Alstom under its Trolley Modernization program under a contract approved Thursday by SEPTA’s board. The $714.2 million contract also includes an option for an additional 30 of the low-floor, ADA-compliant vehicles, intended to replace the entire current SEPTA trolley fleet. […]

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New DC Metrorail cars could feature open-gangway design

Interior of subway car with open space, instead of a wall, between cars

WASHINGTON — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is considering a redesign of its planned 8000-series cars for DC Metrorail service to include an open-gangway design that would allow passengers to walk from car to car, the Washington Post reports. General Manager Randy Clarke told a WMATA board meeting that the open-gangway design has “significant […]

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The story behind the Micro-Trains “mystery balloon” car

News & Products for the week of February 20th 2023: an image of a model flat car with mystery balloon load

If you read our online News & Products for the week of February 20, 2023, you saw an announcement for the Micro-Trains Line Co. N scale Department of Defense (DODX) flatcar with “mystery balloon” load. The model was made in response to the balloon that was shot down by an F-22 off the South Carolina […]

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Truck bolster corrosion said to be main concern with VIA’s stainless steel fleet: Analysis

Stripped-down passenger car parked in snow

MONTREAL — Tests to determine the structural soundness of VIA Rail Canada cars manufactured by the Budd Co. from the late 1940s to mid-1950s are ongoing and formal reports have yet to be issued. However, preliminary information shared with Trains News Wire indicates that the while the cars remain fundamentally sound, corrosion may need to […]

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New car for MBTA’s Orange Line is stranded — on side of highway

Subway train at station

CHELMSFORD, Mass. — Things just don’t seem to go right for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s new Orange Line railcars — even when they’re not on rails. One of the cars is stranded along the side of Interstate 495 this morning  (Wednesday, Feb. 22) in Chelmsford, some 24 miles northwest of Boston, WCVB-TV reports. The […]

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Northwest Railway Museum to preserve Talgo Bistro car (updated)

Passenger train along rocky coast line

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — The Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie has acquired a Series VI Talgo Bistro car for preservation, the museum has announced. The museum has announced the car — the last surviving Series VI car — is due to arrive today from a scrap yard in Indianapolis. While the car was donated, with its […]

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Fast-charging technology of Britain’s Vivarail finds buyer

Former London subway equipment converted for intercity use

The insolvency administrators trying to sell Vivarail, the British passenger train re-manufacturing company previously backed by Pittsburgh-based Railroad Development Corp., have succeeded in selling the company’s innovative fast battery-charging system. That system, called FastCharge, which will be tested in passenger service in London later this year. Vivarail was founded in 2013 by British rail industry […]

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East Broad Top steam returns to revenue service

Steam locomotive with four passenger cars and caboose

ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — East Broad Top Railroad’s freshly restored 2-8-2 Mikado locomotive No. 16 delighted admirers over the weekend by pulling a full schedule of eight passenger trains and two photo freights for the road’s annual Winter Spectacular. All trains were sold out. The event was a landmark in several ways. First, No. 16 […]

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PRR car ‘Colonial Crafts’ to take part in Pullman Railroad Days

Three-quarters view of Tuscan red passenger car with gold trim and lettering

CHICAGO — Colonial Crafts, built in 1949 for the Pennsylvania Railroad, has joined the lineup of Pullman-built cars set to appear at Pullman Railroad Days, May 20-21 at the Pullman National Historical Park. The car will appear with New York Central No. 3, a private car built in 1928, and observation car Royal Street, constructed […]

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