Cut-glass partitions with imagery representing the mining and timber industries decorate the interior of a 36-seat dining car built for Great Northern’s Empire Builder in 1950. Great Northern photo […]
Empire Builder diner
Tag: Rolling Stock
Amtrak seeks carbuilder interest in new long-distance fleet: Analysis
WASHINGTON — Replacement of Amtrak’s long-distance passenger cars has been included in forward-looking fleet plans for more than a decade, but the company announced Thursday it contacted carbuilders in December as “a first formal step” to re-equip the 14 overnight routes of the long-distance network. The request for expressions of interest “was sent to potential […]
Short consists constrain Capitol Limited while empty Superliners run on Midwest route: Analysis
CHICAGO — It’s no surprise travelers attempting to book Amtrak’s Capitol Limited in January either face sold-out trips or are confronted with record high fares for a coach seat or sleeping accommodation. Inventory is scarce, pushing prices up for what little capacity remains. Trailing two P42 locomotives on the Capitol into Chicago on Jan. 15 […]
News report describes ‘toxic environment’ at CRRC factory manufacturing MBTA cars
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Massachusetts factory where China’s CRRC is building rapid-transit cars for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is a “toxic environment” where equipment is advanced on the assembly line despite missing parts and workers often wait months for parts to arrive because suppliers have not been paid, according to a Boston Globe report. […]
Modeling Amtrak’s “rainbow” fleet
What is Amtrak’s “rainbow” fleet? Amtrak began operations on May 1, 1971, and at the time had only one piece of equipment sporting Amtrak’s first logo, E8 No. 4316. This engine is currently offered by Rapido. All of the passenger equipment came from the railroads that joined to form Amtrak, including over 400 from the […]
United Railroad Historical Society announces Hudson River excursions, 20th Century anniversary trip to Chicago
BOONTON, N.J. — The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey has scheduled 48 departures for its Hudson River Rail Excursions between February and November, including the addition of special trips tied to Valentine’s Day and the 75th anniversary of the 1948 edition of the 20th Century Limited. The 48 trips is double the 2022 […]
MBTA looks at returning older Orange Line equipment to operation
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority may return some of its older Orange Line trainsets to operation to address an equipment shortage as it continues to inspect and repair new equipment for the latest in a series of defects, Boston.com reports. At least nine of the new Orange Line cars built in Massachusetts by […]
MBTA letter blasts CRRC for manufacturing issues
BOSTON — Days before the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority removed some of its newest rapid transit cars from service for the latest in a series of mechanical issues, the agency claimed in a letter that the manufacturer of those cars “has completely abandoned its core responsibilities and commitment to lead, monitor, and support quality management,” […]
MBTA sidelines some Orange Line equipment over defect, decreasing service
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has removed some of its newest equipment from Orange Line service because of power-cable issues found on nine cars, leading to longer wait times for trains on the rapid-transit line, the Boston Globe reports. Wait times between trains increased to 13 to 21 minutes during Friday’s morning rush […]
Top 10 stories of 2022, No. 4: Amtrak cutbacks and service issues
Although transportation demand surged during 2022, Amtrak was unable to accommodate much of it outside the Northeast Corridor. Long-distance frequencies cut Attributing cancellations to a surge in the COVID-19 Omicron variant in early January, management began cutbacks that constricted the ability of travelers to include Amtrak in their plans. Most significant was suspension of the […]
Top 10 stories of 2022: No. 7, Railroading Heritage of Midwest America makes its mark in Silvis
At the beginning of 2022, no one would have considered Silvis, Ill. a center of the railroad preservation community. The massive former Rock Island shop facility had just been downgraded by owner National Railway Equipment. It was closed in March 2021 as part of a plan to consolidate NRE rail operations to its shops in […]
Canadian railcar manufacturer fined $140,000 over worker death
HAMILTON, Ontario — Railcar manufacturer National Steel Car has been fined C$140,000 in a case involving the death of a crane operator in 2020, Global News reports. A worker later identified by the United Steelworkers Local 7135 as 51-year-old Fraser Cowan was killed in a Sept. 2, 2020, incident in which an object fell on […]
