ABILENE, Kan. — Photographers from around the country came to Abilene to shoot Santa Fe 4-6-2 No. 3415 before the locomotive is slated to be taken out of service for its federally mandated 1,472-day inspection. But they didn’t leave the Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad empty-handed. Organizer Dak Dillion presented the railroad with $10,000 in […]
LUCERNE, Switzerland — We went up another mountain today. Once again, our view from the top was almost completely obscured by clouds. And once again, no one minded much. This time around, the Trains/Special Interest Tours “Majestic Switzerland” tour made its way up the Brienz-Rothorn Bahn, a 7.6-kilometer, 800-mm gauge, steam-powered rack railway (that’s 4.7 […]
Training center in East Palestine EAST PALESTINE, Ohio — Norfolk Southern broke ground Thursday on a training center for first responders in East Palestine. CEO Alan Shaw and East Palestine officials attended a ceremony to mark the start of the construction of a regional safety training center. The new center will provide ongoing, free training […]
Big Boy WASHINGTON — Long before Union Pacific reacquired Big Boy No. 4014, rebuilt it to operation and sent it west to Utah for the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike, Congress considered sending another Big Boy to the celebration. In 2002, Rep. Jim Hansen, a Republican from Utah, and Rep. Nicholas Rahall, a Democrat […]
Urban rail CHICAGO — Representatives from a wide range of U.S. rail operations gathered in the Windy City this week to compare ways in which systems are attempting to capture customers who may have shunned their trains prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Highlights of the three-day confab included a tour of South Shore Line projects […]
From the smallest narrow-gauge locomotive right up to Big Boy, steam locomotives capture the imagination and occupy a significant place in world history. The steam locomotive’s story runs far, wide, and deep. It continues to unfold today through preservation and restoration. Around every curve, there is another facet of the story waiting to be discovered. […]
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration announced today $178 million in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program funding to restore Amtrak service from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala. The funding will help to build a platform for the Mobile end of the service, as well as additional track upgrades. “We’ve been fighting to […]
BOSTON — Safety issues continue to plague the MBTA. The commuter service is now investigating a near miss between a train and workers on the Red Line on Monday and second incident on Monday, Sept. 11, along the same tracks, according to a news story on WCVB-TV. Last week the Federal Transit Administration admonished the […]
Five worst paint schemes When it comes to a diesel locomotive’s paint scheme, I know what I like. I’m also 100 percent sure that no one else who follows the industry will agree with what I think of as the worst modern diesel locomotive paint schemes, and that’s okay. Below is my list of five […]
INTERLAKEN, Switzerland — Lots and lots and lots of trains today — eight in all — to get from Montreux to Interlaken, but that’s because we didn’t take the fast route. We took the high one, instead. On the Trains/Special Interest Tours “Majestic Switzerland” tour, the journey from last night’s hotel to tonight’s was via […]
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to continue their response to the Feb. 3 toxic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, and to ensure that the railroad covers all cleanup costs. “As part of his commitment to the people of East Palestine, President Biden is today issuing […]
WASHINGTON — President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, issued a statement to recognize Rail Safety Week 2023. Spearheaded by Operation Lifesaver, Inc., and collaborated with many organizations and institutions throughout North America, the Sept. 18-24 campaign raises the awareness to the public surrounding railroad safety [See […]
