Twin Cities & Western wrapping up track project on Minnesota Prairie Line NEWSWIRE

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NorthShore Track crews work on installation of welded rail on the Minnesota Prairie Line between Winthrop and Gibbon, Minn., in August 2018. The project is scheduled for completion this year. Bryant Kaden GLENCOE, Minn. – The Twin Cities & Western Railroad plans to wrap up a track rebuilding project on its wholly-owned subsidiary Minnesota Prairie […]

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Canadian Pacific, Canadian National locked in Chicago interchange dispute

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WASHINGTON – Canadian Pacific has asked federal regulators to intervene in an interchange dispute with Canadian National, which wants to shift where the railroads exchange traffic in Chicago. CN aims to move the interchange from Spaulding in Bartlett, Ill., not far from CP’s Bensenville Yard, to CN’s Kirk Yard in Gary, Ind., effective May 10. […]

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Falling concrete leads to commuter delays, emergency repairs at Chicago Union Station NEWSWIRE

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Falling concrete closed three tracks at Chicago Union Station on Wednesday. TRAINS: David Lassen CHICAGO — Falling concrete led to the shutdown of three tracks at Chicago Union Station on Wednesday, interfering with some morning commuter operations. Emergency repairs had two of the tracks reopened in time for the afternoon commute. The Chicago Sun-Times reports […]

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Construction set to start on $32 million Chicago-area Argo Connections project NEWSWIRE

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At a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Argo Connections project are (from left) Ian Jeffries, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads; Acting Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman; U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill.; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle; and CSX Transportation General Manager – Midwest William Blanchetti. Richard Wronski CHICAGO — […]

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Amtrak says loss of ‘Hoosier State’ could threaten jobs at Beech Grove NEWSWIRE

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BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Elimination of Amtrak’s Hoosier State could threaten jobs at the passenger railroad’s Beech Grove shops, according to an Amtrak spokesman and workers at the facility. WISH-TV reports that Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said that, if the four-day-a-week train between Indianapolis and Chicago is eliminated, it would limit Amtrak’s ability to ferry […]

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Rally in Beech Grove set as last-ditch effort to save ‘Hoosier State’ NEWSWIRE

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BEECH GROVE, Ind. — Supporters of Amtrak’s Hoosier State will hold a rally today at Amtrak’s Beech Grove shops in a final effort to save the Indianapolis-Chicago train. Supporters are scheduled to gather and speak with elected officials about 2 p.m., arguing for the importance of continuing the four-day-a-week train, according to WLFI-TV in Lafayette, […]

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How far can you travel for 15 cents?

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Railroads like Illinois Terminal, Pennsy, and New York Central sent promotional material to author Matejka, and often returned his 15 cents postage as well. How far can you travel for 15 cents? As a child in the early 1960s, I was traveling all over the country from my St. Louis home, thanks to 15 cents I […]

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NCAA basketball boosts Twin Cities light rail to ridership NEWSWIRE

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MINNEAPOLIS — Metro Transit broke its single-day light rail ridership record on April 8, the day of the NCAA basketball championship game in Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the light rail system recorded more than 130,000 rides on the day Virginia beat Texas Tech for the NCAA title. The 130,896 rides broke the mark […]

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3D Track Plans: HO scale CNW Wisconsin Division to Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Enjoy this unique 3-D rendering of the around-the-wall HO scale model railroad David Popp developed in his multi-part “Designing a layout” planning series for MR Video Plus. […]

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Amtrak rejects ceding Union Station control to Metra NEWSWIRE

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Amtrak’s Ray Lang speaks at Tuesday’s hearing in Chicago on commuter rail issues. To his left is Metra CEO Jim Derwinski. Others are Patricia Caslin of BNSF, John Friedmann of Norfolk Southern, and Mike Matteucci, regional director for Canadian National. Richard Wronski CHICAGO — Amtrak is rejecting a proposal to let Metra take over operations […]

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Indiana Senate shuns amendment to fund ‘Hoosier State’ NEWSWIRE

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INDIANAPOLIS — Odds of saving Amtrak’s Hoosier State continued to fade Tuesday as the Indiana Senate left funding for the train out of its version of the two-year state budget, the Lafayette (Ind.) Journal & Courier reports. State Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette) had said he would offer an amendment to continue the state’s $3 million […]

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