railfan.com/railnews
Showalter Steam Engines Find New Home
Only July 17, 2015, Shenandoah Valley No. 40 leads ex-Canadian Pacifi c No. 1238 and No. 1286 followed by engine No. 6512 and the southbound freight. The two steam engines were picked up from their storage siding in Verona, Va., to be loaded on heavy duty fl atcars for delivery to the Vintage Locomotive Society, Inc., in Winnipeg, Manitoba. While the engines have been on the market for years, the Jack Showalter estate fi nally brokered a deal that will see them returned to their native land.
PHOTO BY WAYLAND MOORE
ances. This would allow the railroad to directly market the line for intermodal trains NS operates between Chicago and its new intermodal terminal in Mechan- icville, N.Y. The railroad currently does not have any overhead traffic since NS pulled its coal trains a few years ago. WNY&P also plans to install 11 new switches at Olean Yard in New York.
PASSENGER AND COMMUTER OTTO M. VONDRAK
Transition Complete Hoosier State
It’s been a long road for Indiana’s state-sponsored Hoosier State service between Chicago and Indianapolis. The 2008 Passenger Rail Investment and Im- provement Act required the costs of any Amtrak route under 750 miles to be paid for by the affected states, which meant Indiana would be required to fund the Hoosier State service starting in 2013. A $3 million annual funding agreement was reached with Amtrak while alter- native operators were sought. In 2014, Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) began negotiating with Chi- cago-based Corridor Capital to operate the Hoosier State service. Negotiations were terminated in November 2014, and Amtrak continued to operate the train under a series of short-term contract ex- tensions. Just this past March, INDOT an- nounced the Hoosier State service would be terminated as soon as April 1 due to new Federal Railroad Administration regulations requiring the state of In- diana to carry the full obligations of a rail carrier despite owning no tracks or trains. After a successful appeal to the
FRA, operation of the train was extend- ed through the end of April. A new agreement with Iowa Pacific Holdings was announced on April 6 to take over the operation of the Hoosier State on a temporary basis while a long-term agreement was worked out. Dedicated equipment was acquired for the new service, including two second- hand GP40FH-2 diesels, former Santa Fe full length dome Summit View, and two coaches, and would include onboard wi-fi and food services. The transition was to take place July 1, but as late as June 5 FRA and Amtrak inspectors discovered a number of items that needed to be corrected by IPH before the trains could enter service. As this issue went to press, the first Hoosier State train operated by Iowa Pacific departed Chicago on August 2. Operating four days a week, the service will complement Amtrak’s Cardinal. The new contract runs through June 30, 2017.
First Round of Funding Secured for New
Texas High-Speed Rail
A privately-funded project to construct a new high-speed rail line connecting Dal- las and Houston made significant prog- ress in July as Texas Central Partners has secured more than $75 million in its first round of development fundraising. Dallas businessman Tim Keith has been named chief executive officer. “The $75 million in funding moves us into our next phase, which we call the development phase, where we will continue pursuing our permits and approvals from the Texas and federal regulators,” Keith said. The project will need approvals from the Tex-
as Department of Transportation as well as the Federal Railroad Administration before any physical construction work can take place. The proposed high-speed rail project would connect Dallas and Houston with a 90-minute ride aboard trains comparable to Japan’s N700-series Shinkansen. TCP plans to have the 240- mile system in full operation by 2021.
Commuter Rail Begins Year-Long Testing
Denver RTD
Part of Denver Regional Transportation District’s ambitous expansion of rail transit services is a new 23-mile heavy rail commuter line connecting Union Station with the Denver International Airport. Slated to open in 2016, the new route uses electric multiple-unit cars built by Rotem, similar to the Silverline V’s now in use on Philadelphia’s SEPTA system. A year-long program of testing the trains under their own power began in April, including crossing gates and warning devices along the railroad’s 14 at-grade crossings. Testing of the cross- ing signals was completed at the end of July. The trains are also being put through their paces, racking up more than 1000 miles of break-in runs. An open house was held on July 27 inviting the public to tour the new com- muter rail maintenance facility con- structed for the new system. The new shop can maintain, clean, and store up to 80 railcars under its roof. The East Rail Line (“A Line”) to the
airport is expected to open in conjunc- tion with the Gold Rail Line (“G Line”) commuter rail service extending from Union Station to Wheat Ridge, Colo., in the Spring of 2016.
15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68