Class I ‘bandit’: Milwaukee Road painted locomotive Locomotive rosters are constantly in a state of flux. Power is being returned off lease, sold, or scrapped in house. CPKC did the latter recently with a group of locomotives stored at its St. Paul, Minn., diesel shop. The group included the last Milwaukee Road “bandit”-painted locomotive on […]
WASHINGTON — A California congressman wants to end further federal funding for the state’s high speed rail project on the grounds that it has yet to lay any rail. U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Santa Clarita) announced last week that he has introduced H.R. 9308, which he has dubbed the “No Frankenrail Act.” Officially introduced Aug. […]
ARCADE, N.Y. — The Arcade & Attica Railroad will begin offering steam operations this month with its 1920 Alco 2-8-0 for the first time since the locomotive was sidelined for repairs in 2018. The railroad announced today (Aug. 13) in a Facebook post that locomotive No. 18 has passed inspection and will begin excursion service […]
WILLIAMS, Ariz. — In stark contrast to the maxed-out trains of 15 cars in June and July, steam locomotive No. 4960’s operations on the Grand Canyon Railway Aug. 3 and Aug. 12 included a more-modest consist. According to chief mechanical officer Eric Hadder, the 2-8-2’s birthday excursion on Aug. 12 had 11 passenger cars, along […]
BOONTON, N.J. — The United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey has expanded the car fleet for its popular Hudson River Rail Excursions, adding a third car, New York Central sleeper-buffet-lounge Swift Stream, built by the Budd Co. in 1949. Tickets for space on this car will go on sale Aug. 27 at 10 a.m. […]
LAS VEGAS — SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson won a second five-year term on Sunday. In uncontested elections, the union delegates also re-elected the largest rail and transit union’s other officers, including National Legislative Director Gregory Hynes, Alternate National Legislative Director Jared Cassity, and six rail rail division vice presidents. Ferguson prevailed over challenger Terry Smith, […]
MONTREAL — Canadian National has begun refusing certain hazardous materials shipments in preparation for an Aug. 22 work stoppage. CN said the decision was made in light of a lack of progress in negotiations with Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, which represents the railway’s engineers and conductors in Canada. “CN has initiated the first step of […]
WASHINGTON — BNSF Railway has told federal regulators that it’s prepared for the upcoming fall grain harvest, but defended its performance last year amid weather-related disruptions to the broader supply chain. Surface Transportation Board Chairman Robert E. Primus requested the update from BNSF, which he said had struggled to handle the fall harvest in recent […]
GLEN ROCK, N.J. — A New Jersey congressman wants Amtrak and NJ Transit passengers to receive full refunds for significantly late trains, as well as those that are canceled. U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Bergen County) on Monday announced plans to introduce the “All Aboard Act.” It would include a Passenger Bill of Rights requiring automatic […]
After a Aug. 10 event involving Gov. Gavin Newsom and other elected officials and VIPs, public service using Caltrain’s electric multiple-unit trainsets began on a limited basis on Sunday, Aug. 11, between San Jose, Calif., and San Francisco [see “Caltrain to place first electric trainsets in service,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 9, 2024]. Two of […]
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific has released the full schedule for the 10-state “Heartland of America” tour by Big Boy No. 4014, to begin Aug. 28 in Cheyenne and return there Oct. 23. As previously announced, public display events are planned for Sunday, Sept. 8, in Rochelle, lll.; Sunday, Oct. 6, in Houston; and Thursday […]
Drones With artificial intelligence growing at breakneck speed, businesses worldwide are experimenting with drone technology. No longer just a topic for science fiction, the use of drones has expanded rapidly over the last decade in a wide range of industries, including railroading. In the 2010s, Class I railroads gradually embraced the use of drones within […]
