BROOKFIELD, Wis. — It wasn’t the trip I wanted. Or planned. But you don’t always get to choose your experiences. And while I’m still tremendously disappointed to have missed the Trains/Special Interest Tours UK Celebration of Steam event — with its four steam excursions and visits to three notable rail museums — I’m trying to […]
CHICAGO — In a change from recent operations, Amtrak was able to put together a makeup trainset to prevent cancellation of the westbound Empire Builder that departed Chicago on Wednesday, Oct. 1. Significant long-distance train delays have often resulted in cascading cancellations for lack of equipment since Amtrak lost nearly complete Superliner sets to devastating […]
GUADALUPE, Calif. — The vehicle driver has died and three passengers were injured in a Wednesday (Oct. 1) collision between Amtrak’s northbound Coast Starlight and a tank truck carrying diesel fuel in rural Santa Barbara County The local website Noozhawk reports the incident occurred about 4:15 p.m., with Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Scott Safechuck […]
Follow Model Railroader Editor Eric White on a journey into the thick of operations on the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Panhandle Division, as replicated on Bill Neale’s HO scale (1:87.1) model railroad! As feature in Great Model Railroads 2010, Bill’s 200-foot multi-level layout captures a vital stretch of mainline serving the coal and steel country of western Pennsylvania […]
WASHINGTON — SEPTA on Wednesday said it would not follow a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation that it pull fire-prone Silverliner IV cars from service. But hours later the Federal Railroad Administration issued an emergency order covering the electric multiple-unit equipment. It orders SEPTA to remove groups of the cars for emergency mechanical assessments. General […]
In this Sidetrack Series departure from the HO scale (1:87.1) East Troy Industrial Park Project Railroad, you’ll learn how to use brass wire and flat bar to create durable, small-diameter brackets and tension wires for the scratchbuilt generator structures. Throughout the demo, Eric shows viewers how to use specialized tools, including wire nippers and metal-bending […]
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is halting reimbursements on nearly $18 billion in federal commitments to two of New York City’s largest infrastructure projects — the Hudson Tunnel and the Second Avenue Subway expansion — pending a review of contracting practices. White House budget director Russell Vought said on Wednesday the move is tied to […]
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday urged the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority to remove its Silverliner IV coaches from service until the Philadelphia-area commuter agency can mitigate fire risk in the fleet. The NTSB concluded that the outdated design of the Silverliner IVs, in combination with SEPTA’s maintenance and operating practices, represents […]
Amtrak push-pull cab control coach No. 9646, in fresh “Phase VII” paint, stops at Windsor Lock, Conn., leading Springfield, Mass.-New Haven train No. 465 on September 28, 2025. Built as Pennsylvania Railroad Metroliner coach No. 813 in 1967, and converted to its current unpowered cab control car configuration during the 1980s, No. 9646 is among […]
Tis the season for trains Checking the list twice for holiday specials Tis the season for winter holiday trains! My advice for holiday planners hoping to have a wonderful winter train ride is to follow Santa’s example: make your list and check it twice. However, if you get a lump of coal, consider that a […]
MIAMI — Beginning Oct. 6, Brightline is making sweeping changes that adjust schedules, capacity, and pricing to capture ridership and revenue for both its Miami-West Palm Beach and South Florida-Orlando clientele. Hourly round trips between Miami and Orlando will be reduced from the current 15 to 10, departing about every two hours, while short-distance frequencies […]
SLOUGH, England — A quick update for those who might be interested: I finally tested negative for COVID on Sunday and again today (Monday, Sept. 29), meeting the requirement that would allow me to rejoin the Trains/Special Interest Tours UK Steam tour. The only problem is that it happened so late there’s no point in […]
