WhiteRiverProductions
Amtrak by the Numbers
WELCOME ABOARD… the entire Amtrak fleet!
LIGHT RAIL, TRANSIT, AND COMMUTER RAIL NEWS BY GEORGE M. SMERK Commuter Rail Expansion In Northern Virginia
VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS (VRE) has been providing commuter rail service in the Wash- ington, D.C., region for more than 20 years and is proposing an increase in service to help reduce highway congestion. In northern Vir- ginia, a new terminal in Spotsylvania, south of Fredericksburg, should help meet the transport needs for the fast growing part of the state. The new station, costing $3.4 mil- lion, is part of an effort to double the number of passengers by 2040. In the design phase at present, there is a station at Potomac Shores. Another planned expansion is on the Manas- sas Line is to Haymarket.
Service expansion calls for more trains
This comprehensive roster of Amtrak’s passenger cars and motive power in service during the company’s first 40 years is fully illustrated with a mixture of lineside scenes and roster views. Roster information is presented in a spreadsheet format with introductory text, grouped by major categories such as steam-heated cars, Heritage fleet, Amfleet,
Superliners, diesel locomotives, and electric locomotives.
$79.95
S/H per book: $5 US, $9 Canada, all others, call or email for rates. Order item AMTN
Lehigh & New England
The Lehigh & New England was a bridge carrier stretching from Anthracite country in northeastern Pennsylvania to the gateway yard at Maybrook, New York. This Carstens Classic features rare photos of this anthracite carrier in its final twenty years. Enjoy great photos of Camelbacks and conventional steam, to transition era diesels including Alco FAs and road switchers.
877-787-2467 TOLL-FREE 660-695-4433 NON-US
WhiteRiverProductions.com 20 NOVEMBER 2015 •
RAILFAN.COM
A NORTHEAST CLASSIC! $
13.95
S/H per book: $5 US, $9 Canada, all others, call or email for rates.
Order item CRS-LNE
Order online day or night at
WhiteRiverProductions.com P.O. Box 48, Bucklin, MO 64631 • Toll-free (877) 787-2467
operating more frequently, with expansion of the right-of-way to three or four tracks in places. VRE is also planning to four-track the Long Bridge over the Potomac and add more car-storage space. Northern Virginia is an area of significant growth and relative af- fluence. At present, VRE mo ves about 24,000 riders on a normal weekday, with the hope that it will be near 50,000 by the end of the decade.
Philadelphia Improvements The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transpor-
tation Authority is replacing older equipment with a new futuristic look. A major concern is expected climate change. To this end, there
will be a strengthening of track structures for expected flooding in the future. Pipes will also be installed in the Broad Street Subway to drain off potential flooding and many bridges are to be upgraded as well. Signal systems are to be modernized and hardened against flood- ing, along with electrical systems upgrades. Sometime in the 21st century SEPTA will
extend rail service from the Norristown High- Speed Line to King of Prussia. Planners are reviewing several possible routes for the pro- posed new rail line. Since the end of World War II, King of Prussia has become a major suburban, shopping, and office center. The locations may be chosen before 2017. Many thanks to John Spychalski.
IRM and the Electroliner’s 75th Anniversary
Artist Mitch Markovitz, also an erstwhile engineer and trainman on the NICTD/South Shore Line, has been asked to prepare a post- er to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Electroliner at the Illinois Railway Museum, which is constructing a facility to restore the train for the anniversary. At the beginning, $150,000 was needed to inspect and repair the eight traction motors. Two Electroliners were retired to museums; one went to the Il- linois Railway Museum (P.O. Box 427, Union, IL 60180; 815/923-4399,
www.IRM.org) and the good people at the IRM plan to have their
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 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76