Handsome 4-8-2 No. 4018 marches away from Chicago’s Grand Central Station with Soo Line train 17 for Duluth, Minn., with cars for Minneapolis and Ashland, Wis., in May 1949. Harold Stirton photo […]
Soo Line overnighter leaving Chicago
Tag: Passenger/Transit
Noland, president of South Shore Line commuter agency, to retire
CHESTERTON, Ind. — Mike Noland, president of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District — operator of South Shore Line commuter service — for 11 years, has announced his plans to retire early in 2026. Noland announced his plans at the board’s Nov. 24 meeting, WVPE Radio reports. Noland told the board he had originally planned […]
Bauer named as CEO of Siemens Mobility North America
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Tobias Bauer has been named president and CEO of Siemens Mobility North America. The appointment, announced last week, is effective today (Dec. 1, 2025). Bauer, who has been with Siemens for more than 20 years, will lead more than 4,500 employees in the U.S. and Canada. “We’re delighted to name Tobias Bauer […]
Amtrak weathers Midwest storm, experiences few holiday weekend disruptions nationally (updated)
CHICAGO — While thousands of air travelers were stranded or severely delayed by canceled flights as a wind-swept snowstorm blanketed the Midwest and Great Lakes region, Amtrak’s sold-out trains suffered only a few significant setbacks nationwide over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Only the Floridian was delayed an hour and a half leaving Chicago Saturday (Nov. […]
Trains.com Recommended Reading: From Penn Station to the man in Seat 61
Our latest edition of the occasional Trains.com Recommended Reading feature is spanning the globe, as the old ABC Wide World of Sports intro used to say, to bring you a wide range of rail-related articles: — The New York Times did a spectacular job with the design and graphics for this article on Penn Station […]
Montreal prepares for another transit strike
MONTREAL — The union representing Montreal transit maintenance workers has announced plans for a strike beginning Dec. 9. Buses and the Metro rail system will continue operating, although some services could be affected as the strike goes on. The strike, slated to run through Jan. 11, will see the maintenance workers refuse to work overtime. […]
Kato N Siemens ALC-42 Charger review
In the February 2024 issue of Model Railroader, we reviewed the direct-current version of the Siemens ALC-42 Charger diesel locomotive from Kato USA Inc. Recently, we received a sample of the modern passenger unit equipped with a SoundTraxx Tsunami2 TSU-KN2 sound decoder. Prototype history With an aging fleet of General Electric P40 and P42 diesel […]
Inside GN’s 1951 Empire Builder
The 1951 edition of Great Northern’s flagship train, which the road called the Mid-Century Empire Builder at the time, included a 60-seat coach for short-haul passengers. GN photo […]
Rapido N Budd Rail Diesel Car
Rapido N Budd Rail Diesel Car Scale: N (1:160) Price: Single car — Direct current, $149.95; with DCC and sound, $259.95. Santa Fe two-pack — direct current, $299.90; with DCC and sound, $519.90. Manufacturer: Rapido Trains, 382 High St, Buffalo, NY 14204; 905-474-3314; rapidotrains.com Rapido N Budd Rail Diesel Car features: All-wheel electrical pickup Body-mounted […]
Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road Holiday Lights Trains to make season debut Friday
NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will launch their Holiday Lights Trains this Friday, Nov. 28. The colorfully lit trains will operate through New Year’s and will display special holiday-themed safety messages at selected stations. This year, Metro-North is adding a diesel-powered train for the first time, bringing the holiday […]
FTA reports significant growth in transit-related fatalities, calls for examination of hazards
WASHINGTON — Rail trespassing and suicide fatalities increased by 70% between 2016 and 2025, and now account for 50% of all fatalities reported to the National Transit Database, the Federal Transit Administration said in a safety advisory issued Monday, Nov. 24. Advisory 25-1 calls on state agencies overseeing rail transit operations to direct those operators […]
MBTA, Keolis complete rail replacement on Fairmount Line
BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has completed more than 28 miles of rail replacement on its Fairmount Line, part of work in preparation for the eventual launch of battery-electric train service on the 9.2-mile, nine-station commuter line between South Station and Readville, Mass. Service on the route, which has been modified since the […]
