TRUCKEE, Calif.— The eastbound California Zephyr arrived in Truckee today (Feb. 20) just after 1 a.m. Pacific Time, 11 hours late. But it won the battle against massive snowdrifts that had shut down parallel Interstate 80 through the Sierra Nevadas. Televised news reports like this one described multiple I-80 closures throughout a week that saw […]
MENDOCINO, Calif. — A California appeals court has reversed the decision of a lower court and has granted the Skunk Train tourist railroad the right of eminent domain — the authority to condemn and acquire private property, according to reports in the Mendocino Voice. The legal battle began in 2020 when Skunk Train owner Mendocino […]
SUISUN CITY, Calif. — The Western Railway Museum is currently evaluating Kennecott Copper No. 407, a rare GE 125-ton center cab electric locomotive, to ascertain if it can be returned to operation. “Based on our initial inspection and the work completed over the last two weekends, 407 is shaping up to be a very solid […]
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Environmental group San Diego Coastkeeper has announced an agreement with BNSF Railway for development of rules for safe transportation of plastic pellets, also known as nurdles — the raw material for the production of almost all plastic products. The agreement, announced Thursday, Feb. 5, also involves the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation […]
WASCO, Calif. — In a ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 3, California Gov. Gavin Newsom marked the completion of the Southern Railhead Facility for the California high-speed rail project. The rail yard at the 150-acre site in Kern County near the community of Wasco will be used to receive, store, and distribute materials for track construction […]
STOCKTON, Calif. — A derailment at Union Pacific’s yard in Stockton initially knocked out power for about 17,000 customers today (Feb. 2), but by midday most had their electricity restored. The Stockton Record reports the derailment occurred about 8 a.m. A Union Pacific spokeswoman said three cars of soybean oil derailed and knocked over an […]
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco Bay Area’s rail operators are gearing up for Super Bowl LX, set for this Sunday, Feb. 8, at the rail-friendly Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. BART, Caltrain, Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority are offering regular or special operations on game day, as well […]
An early-1904s view of the Santa Fe’s big freight yard at Barstow, Calif., shows, at the left side of the photo, war materiel on flatcars. Santa Fe photo […]
FULLERTON, Calif. — Metrolink, the Los Angeles-area commuter rail service, has donated its first locomotive to the Fullerton Train Museum for preservation. The locomotive, No. 851, began life as an EMD F59PH, but was rebuilt to an F59PHR. It was delivered to the museum on Jan. 25, where it will be on static display. The […]
WASHINGTON — The lack of a standardized process for how and where to be positioned when operating a hand brake was the probable cause of a serious injury to a Hulcher Services Inc. employee during a rerailing operation last year at the Port of Stockton, Calif., the National Transportation Safety Board said in a newly […]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Electrified Caltrain operations to San Jose’s Tamien station, suspended since last June because of a bridge project, will resume Jan. 31 when Caltrain introduces a new weekday and weekend schedule. Other than the return of electrified operating, replacing substitute VTA bus service, most schedule changes are minor. The new schedules are […]
OAKLAND, Calif. — Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor service will cancel seven trains for a month beginning today (Jan. 26) because of ongoing equipment issues, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority has announced. Canceled through Feb. 27 are five weekday trains and two on weekends: On weekdays: Sacramento-Oakland trains 531, an 8:53 a.m. departure, and 537, a […]
