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 […]
CHICAGO — Metra is bringing back special Saturday summer service it introduced on its Heritage Corridor route last year, offering residents to explore communities and recreational opportunities along the line which normally only sees weekday service. The “Rails, Trails, and Ales” excursions will operate on 10 consecutive Saturdays beginning July 2, with three round trips […]
An A-B-B set of Santa Fe FT diesels rolls a 127-car freight extra west at Galesburg, Ill., in June 1953. R. R. Malinoski photo […]
MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. — While significant preparation work has been in progress since the end of February, officials gathered Monday morning (June 20, 2022) in Michigan City for a groundbreaking ceremony for the South Shore Double Track Project. Inside Indiana Business reports Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb told reporters after the 10 a.m. ceremony that the […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kaw River Railroad operations in Kansas City now feature two former Union Pacific SD60M’s in a paint scheme reflecting the line’s Watco ownership. The 6032 and 6033 are the first six-axle locomotives on the Kaw River, which operates former Kansas City Terminal Railway trackage in Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, […]
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A former Chesapeake & Ohio roundhouse dating to 1927 is facing demolition by CSX Transportation, although nothing is scheduled and a preservation group has been trying to save the building. The Columbus Dispatch reports the brick structure at Parsons Yard on Columbus’ Far South Side, was built as a 27-stall roundhouse but […]
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Cleanup continued through the weekend after more than two dozen cars of a Union Pacific coal train derailed Friday near Lawrence. Initial reports indicated more than 20 cars were involved in the derailment that occurred shortly after 5 p.m., but drone video of the accident from the Lawrence Police Department indicates the […]
WASHINGTON — The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District’s West Lake Corridor Project — to build an 8-mile spur for South Shore Line commuter service between Hammond and Dyer, Ind. — has received a $203.3 million loan as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program. The project will include four […]
SUMMIT, Ill. — Some projects in Chicago’s CREATE program, which seeks to address rail congestion, bring dramatic changes to the landscape. The Englewood Flyover, the lengthy bridge which raised Metra’s Rock Island District above the Norfolk Southern main line on the city’s South Side, is the classic example. For others, the impact is far more […]
Alco RS27 failure: It’s tough when professional engineers create a decent locomotive that builds on successes, and pitfalls, of the past and still nobody really wants it. That was the Alco RS27, also referred to as the DL640. Its 16-cylinder, 251B prime mover pushed out 2,400 hp. Coincidentally, only 27 were built between December 1959 […]
CHICAGO — Commuter rail operator Metra has begun a survey of riders and the public, seeking comment to aid in creation of its next five-year plan. The plan will seek to address long-term funding solutions, challenges in regaining riders and attracting new customers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and addressing changing rider needs. […]
CLARENDON HILLS, Ill. — A truck struck by a Metra commuter train was rotated by the impact, causing substantial damage to the train’s cab car and resulting in the death of a passenger, according to a preliminary report issued Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board. The preliminary report sets out basic facts of the […]
