Owner of railcar repair company sentenced in fraud case

Logo of Wasatch Railroad Contractors

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The owner of a now-defunct railcar repair company has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, and he and the company have been fined for wire fraud and endangering employees at the facility. John Eldon Rimmasch, 47, of Cheyenne, was sentenced in a July 5 hearing by Federal District Court Judge Alan […]

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Vintage NYC subway cars make second summer excursion trip

Dark green vintage subway train in station

NEW YORK — Historic R-1 through R-9 subway cars built for the IND (Independent) line in the 1930s operated to Coney Island on Sunday in the second of three excursions planned for this summer using equipment from the New York Transit Museum. The R-1 through R-9 “City Cars” operated with in combination with the “Standards” […]

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Chief wreck puts further strain on Amtrak capacity woes: Analysis

Bilevel passenger car with no windows and damage to stainless steel body

CHICAGO — When bad CSX track caused the northbound Auto Train to derail 14 of 16 Superliners at Crescent City, Fla., on April 18, 2002, Amtrak strategists scrambled but were able to counteract the resulting equipment shortage. Dealing with a similar shock to the system today — such as the one caused by last week’s […]

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Long Island Rail Road railcars face additional delays

Low-angle front view of electric multiple-unit train equipment

NEW YORK — Completion of an order of new electric multiple unit railcars for the Long Island Rail Road, already 18 months behind schedule, has been pushed back another 17 months, WSHU radio reports. Completion is now projected by September 2023. The order of 202 M9 railcars from Kawasaki reflects “workmanship issues,” as well as […]

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Southwest Chief resumes regular schedule after Missouri derailment

Locomotive switches passenger cars in foreground as train passes in background

CHICAGO — The Southwest Chief that departed Los Angeles Tuesday evening and its westbound counterpart leaving Chicago today (Thursday, June 30) are the first Chiefs to operate over the train’s full route, passing the scene of the fatal derailment in Mendon, Mo., since that accident on Monday. Monday’s westbound Southwest Chief was cancelled, and the […]

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CTA wraps trainsets with vintage designs as part of 75th anniversary celebration

Rapid transit car with creme, green, and orange color scheme

CHICAGO — As part of a celebration of its 75th anniversary, the Chicago Transit Authority is wrapping a number of its railcars with designs recalling paint schemes dating to the 1950s through 1980s, and is planning to operate vintage equipment later this year. A Red Line trainset now displays a green, cream, and orange scheme […]

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Fort Wayne organization acquires two PRR passenger cars

Two stainless steel passenger cars

NEW HAVEN, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has acquired two Pennsylvania Railroad passenger cars from the Washington, D.C., chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The cars will be used to support the Indiana Rail Experience, a series of excursions with the society’s steam locomotive, Nickel Plate Road No. 765 [see “Indiana […]

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MBTA pulls newest cars from service over battery issue

Rapid transit trainset in factory

BOSTON — In the latest setback for its newest rapid-transit equipment, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has pulled its new Orange and Red Line cars from service after what officials called a “battery failure” on one of the cars. Meanwhile, the agency — hit last week by a series of directives from the Federal Transit […]

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Coal and lumber garden railroad

Model lumber company scene in garden railway

The Kettle Valley Railway – Bruce Division is a coal and lumber garden railroad modeled after the Kettle Valley Railway that at one time carried freight and passengers through the Thomson/Okanagan Region of British Columbia. The garden railway was started in 2004 and covers a triangular-shaped hillside on Brian Swanton’s property. The railroad features two […]

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Federal grant will help fund renovation of Cheyenne rail equipment (updated)

WASHINGTON — The city of Cheyenne, Wyo., has received a federal grant for more than $600,000 to support renovation of historic rail equipment. The $618,400 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Agency, is intended to support local tourism. It will be matched by $154,600 in local funds. Cheyenne says the project will […]

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How to build a track cleaning car

How to build a simple track cleaning car – MR contributor Gerry Leone shares instructions for making your own rolling innovation for cleaning the rails of your model railroad! From Gerry’s workbench, you’ll see the tools, materials, and simple techniques needed to shape a railcar and a small patch of Masonite (hardboard) into an unrelenting […]

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How to build a track cleaning car

How to build a simple track cleaning car – MR contributor Gerry Leone shares instructions for making your own rolling innovation for cleaning the rails of your model railroad! From Gerry’s workbench, you’ll see the tools, materials, and simple techniques needed to shape a railcar and a small patch of Masonite (hardboard) into an unrelenting […]

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