Trans-Siberian Railway: a view from Moscow to Vladivostok – a photo essay

Received via email

Trans-Siberian Railway: a view from Moscow to Vladivostok – a photo essay

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/ng-interactive/2016/dec/27/trans-siberian-railway-moscow-vladivostok-in-pictures

Ashtabula RR Bridge Tragedy: 140 years ago, on December 29th

December 29 will mark the 140th anniversary of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway's 1876 Ashtabula River Bridge collapse, known in some historical accounts as 'The Ashtabula Horror'. Nearly 100 people perished that frigid night, making it the highest-fatality railway accident in the country, a grim record that stood clear up into time of WWI. 

The story of the crushing destruction of a luxury passenger train and its ensuing consumption by fire revolves around the failure of the wrought iron bridge over the frozen river, which caused The Pacific Express and its wooden cars to plunge 70 feet into the gorge and onto the ice-covered stream during a raging blizzard...just a mere 100 yards from making a station stop at Ashtabula. Every metal bridge built anywhere, thereafter, and the science of Metallurgy, itself, would be forever influenced by lessons coming from the investigations and inquests following this northeast Ohio tragedy. A massive earthen fill and masonry arches now carry CSX Transportation's Boston - Chicago main line over the site.

I am not aware of any official memorial on Thursday to mark the occasion... 

   http://www.engineeringtragedy.com/blog1

     http://www.engineeringtragedy.com/?lightbox=image_az8

       http://www.engineeringtragedy.com/disaster-photos?lightbox=dataItem-ihmeh7cb

 

---Nate

Received via email

December 23, 2016

FIRST TRAIN RUNS THROUGH NEW VIRGINIA AVENUE TUNNEL CSX Double-Stack Clears Rail Corridors Between Mid-Atlantic Ports and Midwest Destinations WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 23, 2016 – CSX (Nasdaq: CSX) today announced the on-time completion of the first phase of the new Virginia Avenue Tunnel project in Washington, D.C., clearing the way for trains to transport double-stacked intermodal freight between Mid-Atlantic seaports and the Midwest on CSX’s railroad network. The Virginia Avenue Tunnel is the last of 61 clearance projects that comprise the $850 million National Gateway Initiative, an innovative public-private partnership announced in 2008 to create more-efficient pathways for rail freight between key U.S. markets through investment in critical transportation infrastructure. The first CSX freight train passed through the new southern tunnel of the two-tunnel project at 8 a.m. today, carrying double-stacked intermodal freight containers between Portsmouth, Va., and North Baltimore, Ohio. Work on the northern tunnel has already begun, and the entire project is expected to be completed on schedule in mid-2018. “Clearing the National Gateway for double-stack freight creates more efficient, more environmentally friendly routes to move the essential goods that fuel today’s economy,” said Michael J. Ward, CSX chairman and chief executive officer. “Thanks to the support of our federal and state partners over the past eight years and the commitment of CSX’s shareholders to invest in the company’s future, the double-stack-cleared National Gateway will allow CSX to better meet the needs of consumers and businesses throughout the eastern U.S. for decades to come.” When both tunnels are complete, the Virginia Avenue Tunnel project will relieve a significant Mid-Atlantic rail bottleneck that impacts freight and passenger service in the region as the growing volume of rail traffic has consumed the capacity of the existing infrastructure. In addition, truck traffic, carbon emissions and wear-and-tear on the region’s highways will be reduced as shippers take advantage of the more-efficient and environmentally friendly rail service made possible by the project. The project is replacing an existing tunnel, portions of which were first constructed in 1870, that does not provide sufficient vertical clearance for double-stack intermodal containers and is not wide enough to allow a two-track rail configuration. Nationally, the award-winning National Gateway Initiative is expected to create more than 50,000 jobs and deliver a host of benefits including reduced fuel consumption, lower emissions, improved safety, lower highway maintenance costs and reduced shipping costs. The project is expected to deliver more than $10 billion in public benefits in its first 30 years of operations – a return of $36 in public benefits for every $1 of public money invested. The National Gateway Initiative has been supported by the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, as well as a diverse group of 336 public and private-sector organizations and individuals, including Big Lots!, UPS and The Limited. On December 15, Maryland submitted an application for a U.S. Department of Transportation FASTLANE grant to double-stack clear the Howard Street Tunnel and ten highway/rail crossings in Baltimore, which would remove the final impediments to a fully double-stack cleared rail corridor between Florida and New York. The Howard Street Tunnel project, if funded, will generate competitive advantages for the Port of Baltimore, remove additional trucks from the nation’s highways and create more than $640 million in benefits to 25 eastern states. CSX has committed to contribute $145 million of the funding required to complete the project.  About CSX CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company.  It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products.  For nearly 190 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation’s economic expansion and industrial development.  Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation’s population resides.  It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike.  More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX). Contact:  Rob Doolittle  (202) 626-4939

Along the Anthracite Road

Well, its been a while since we did the "blog" thing.  Finding time lately to do anything is at a premium as I've been working on the railroad to get some of our cars out of storage and productive again.  Of course, as we all know, railroad traffic is down, coal is almost non-existent compared to years ago, thanks to Washington policies.  Like the railroads, coal made the country what it is today and I predict, will make a return in a big way, to keep the lights on tomorrow.  Do we need solar and wind and natural gas and all those other things...of course, but coal will make us energy independent for the next 100 years and energy independence can go a long way in today's world.  Now back to railroading.

As I said, I have been trying to get about 800 rail cars back into service and they require a complete inspection and while I was inspecting the side bearings on a particular car I saw a shadow across my face.  Now there are lots of hazards inspecting cars, climbing, footing and just the fact that they are heavy but this is a hazard I hope to never encounter again.

Meet my new best friend...Joe NoShoulders.  He missed my by the hair on my beard and was coiling back up to give me a little peck on the cheek.  Who said railroading is fun...
    

Throughout the month though, my encounters on old railroad rights of way were all pleasant, following the tracks of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad from Sayre to Pittston.  Amazingly, the station at Sayre is still magnificent and it is worth stopping when the museum is open.  Imagine, a building that is 125 years old (this year) still stands and has borne witness to progress in 3 centuries...Truly amazing and these structures, you must remember, were akin to to the airline terminals of today, moving people and passengers over increasingly greater distances.  Further down the line though the structures are remnants of their former selves.

Of course, anthracite hasn't disappeared all together and is a major part of clean coal technology.  You can still buy anthracite coal in 40 lb bags in coal country and most people burn it in a well ventilated fireplace but be careful of the grates as anthracite is still a very high BTU value fuel, with an 80+ carbon content.  America's largest anthracite carrier today is the Reading & Northern Railroad, whose track occupies a lot of former anthracite carriers in eastern Pennsylvania.  Love the Johnny Cash Black.

Well, this is almost the of the line for today's blog.  I will make the commitment of producing one at least every Sunday from now on.  The blog is so late since I took over I received the following flyer a while back and it was buried in the pile of information that I use for the blog. It's too bad I missed this one as I would have loved to win one of the prizes for riding this train.

Maybe I should go through this stuff more often. 

Enjoy Hallowe'en as the Jersey Central notes and don't miss our blog train next Sunday.  (SHAMELESS PLUG) We are now open 6 days a week and offer many scale trains from anthracite roads.  Come and take a look at our Anthracite Road cars manufactured by Funaro & Carmelango in HO Scale and we remind you that we are the exclusive Tangent Scale Models dealer in the State of New Jersey.  If you are looking for something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, we have taken thousands of pieces in from train collections and there are some really obscure HO cars and locomotives in these collections.  Ask when you walk in the door.  Happy Halloween to you and yours and after eating all that candy may the dental profession treat you with the respect and dignity you deserve for paying for their summer home.

Joe   

Rain "No Game"

Where I live, heavy rains have curtailed most outdoor activities today so I am indoors catching up on things that I have postponed...like the latest Archer episodes and other mindless pursuits.  I did plan to start a MofW kit but when I reached into the closet I found a pile of blotters instead.  If you don't know what a blotter is let me harken to the days when the Sisters of St. Joseph walked into the classroom and said, Kennedy's been shot, the Cubans are invading...get home.   All I could picture was getting to Princeton Ave, and dodging the Cubans on the way home but I digress. Blotters were used to control the flow of ink from your fountain or cartridge pen...back in the days when we wrote letters with real ink and real paper.  Businesses, taking advantage of this phenomena; advertised their service, the railroad industry being no exception.  Take a look at one of my favorite blotters from the early part of the 20th century.

 Of course, I am an old tank car guy so I like seeing these Standard Tank Car blotters and there were a lot of them.  For real railroads, they advertised their service, both passenger and freight, as follows:

It is sad that not one of the connecting railroads exists today, but the Alton and Southern still exists as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad.  Finally, remember when there were passenger trains...before Amtrak.  Here is one of the forgotten railroads when it was still a "player"

Alas sweet name trains, I knew them well to quote a famous English author...

Speaking of passenger trains, The Heritage Explorer Train, sponsored by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area, operated from Steamtown National historic sight in Scranton to Carbondale PA on August 20.  If you missed it, it is an annual excursion to the City of Carbondale’s Ethnic Heritage Festival.  While this a unique opportunity for young people to learn about the pleasure of train travel, once a year is not enough in my opinion and wouldn't it be nice once more to get on a train and travel everywhere.   Take a good look at the handsome F unit leading the consist and thanks to Tom Horvath for sending this along...

Speaking of F unit locomotives, we have taken in a couple of large collections of Lionel Trains at the Big Little Railroad Shop.  Lionel made a good living selling F units and continues today to re-issue the ever popular EMDs.  Stop by to take a look at our used trains and if you have been looking for a particular train for a long time, we probably will come across it sooner or later.  We also carry lots of the latest trains issued by the Lionel, MTH, Athearn, F&C and also have the latest in Division Point Brass including exclusive L&HR and CNJ RS3s.  Look no further than Somerville NJ to meet all of your hobby needs.

Stay Safe Out There...

Joe 

Efficiency, Paint Schemes and Rock and Roll

All across the nation, there are record numbers of 90+ degree days with no real relief in sight.  This makes it tough for railroads and railfans alike.  So, find some water and take it with you just like real railroaders if you're out their "fanning".  Speaking of real railroads, check out this report from Norfolk Southern which addresses efficiency.  We all know that the railroads are an efficient form of land transportation, if not the most efficient, but efficiency takes all sorts of forms in the corporate world as you will see in this report.   http://nssustainability.com/,  Railroads are more than just a paint scheme!

Of course, the competition also has a lot more to crow about as  CSX continues to grow its business in Lebanon, Indiana,  The Lebanon Industrial Park received a CSX Select Site designation. To receive this designation, the location must meet a rigorous list of criteria, including infrastructure and utility availability, environmental reviews, appropriate zoning and entitlement, rail serviceability, proximity to highways or interstates, and other attributes.  For more information see the following,
https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/about-us/media/press-releases/csx-select-site-designation-awarded-to-duke-realty-s-lebanon-business-park/

Finally, if you really want to escape the 90+ degree weather and watch trains at the same time I would suggest North Dakota.  The daytime highs average in the 80s and nightime lows average in the mid 50s.  While working in New Town ND I caught this Wabash Tribute locomotive coming from the oil fields and headed to the east coast with 100 cars in tow and a buffer on each end.  Speaking of buffer cars, (shameless plug to follow) we received our new Tangent Models order and their buffer cars are really nice and mirror the protoype exactly.

By the way, for you rail historians, when the song Wabash Cannonball was originally published, the Wabash Railway did not have a "Cannonball" name train.  The original music was published in 1882; the real train however did not appear until 1949, as a Detroit to St. Louis daytime express.  The song, by the way, is part of the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll...How about that.  

The Dog Days

So, here we are in the dog days of summer but do you have any idea how the dog days of summer came about.  Sirius,(not the satellite radio) is also known as the Dog Star, because it is the chief star in the constellation Canis Major, the Big Dog.  Sirius, in late summer, appears in the east before sunrise close to the sun so when the early astronomers saw this very bright star and the sun rising at the same time, they imagined that this was the cause of hot weather of August, thus the dog days of summer. Speaking of Sirius XM, the dog in their logo does have a name.  Do you know the name of the dog?  Give the correct answer and we will draw at the end of the month for the PEZ dispenser of your choice.   The winner will be posted on the blog in early September. 

As hot as the weather as been in the central NJ area, you are a better person than I am if you are out watching the railroad.  The railroads have figured out that if you paint the roof of the cab white, it lowers the cab temperature by 20 degrees but its still hot out there.  Me personally, I'd rather be indoors reading a book about railroading and if you are so inclined, take a look at some of the books we have for sale on Alibris at http://www.alibris.com/stores/tblrrs63?slr_ref=tblrrs63  I am certain that something will appeal to you and you can pick it up at the store if you're close by. We have taken in hundreds of books and are just a little slow getting them all listed. 

Our photo today comes from Kermit Geary Jr.  The last time I saw Kermit was at Parsons Yard, Columbus, OH when I was still working for FRA.  I admire Kermit for his dogged determination on photographing every single locomotive in the country, even the ones that aren't running anymore.
Here is a big "FRISCO" Northern in Tulsa OK when Kermit was getting his kicks on Route 66.

Stay Safe

Joe
 

In Search of Short Lines Day 2 part 2

Arrived Bruceton to find two of the G&W painted locos and 2 of the old KWT 
engines, Some CSXT, and a real find...A PURE L&N side dump car!!!  Not 
wishing to waste daylight, headed on to Dyersburg, TN and shot the TennKen 
at their shop as well as the GTW/CN unit that was the IC's switcher.  On to 
Blytheville, AR for the night.

Kermit

In Search of Short Lines Day 2 Part 1

Back at it bright and early to try and catch the Tennessee Southern.  After 
securing remission at Mt Pleasant and shooting some equipment around the 
shops, caught the in-bound train from Lawrenceburg with 3 ex ATSF GP-9's. 
Nice that the one honoring my birth year was on the point!!!  Headed over to 
the South Central Tennessee and wasted a couple of hours trying to find the 
train before finally throwing in the towel and headed for Dickson, TN...only 
to find the train tied down for the last 3 hours...shot the engine and 
headed west towards Bruceton and the KWT.  Shot CSXT 4 in a siding at 
Waverly, TN awaiting an opposing train.  It would be a long wait as I saw 
the eastbound about 30 miles west...

Kermit 

Speeders to East Stroudsburg and beyond!

On June 19th the Mid-Atlantic Motorcar Association ran a 'speeder' trip from Scranton to Point of Gap. In talking with one of the speeders owner, I was told there was thirty-one speeders signed up for this trip. According to the Association's description of this trip's route, it was described this way "... as we must leave by 8:00AM. We will head east on the D&L through beautiful countryside, along the river, through at least one tunnel, past many restored stations through places with names like Tobyhanna, Gouldsboro, Moscow as we head for the Delaware Water Gap. We will make a lunch stop at Stroudsburg, and have been told that the Stroudsburg Tower will be opened for us. We will make our turn at Point of Gap, and return again through the breathtaking Pennsylvania countryside traveling the route of the "Phoebe Snow". Truly a great day on the rails that awaits us!"

Photo 1: Shows some of the speeders passing through the Analomink Street grade crossing in East Stroudsburg. Here they will stop for lunch and have a 1:45 departure time for the next leg of their trip to Point of Gap where the speeders will be turned. 

Photo 2: One of the speeders showing the interior. This one had the markings of being a former CN Rail speeder.

Photo 3: Departing from East Stroudsburg, some of the speeders are seen passing beneath the I-80 overpass while others are approaching the Forge Road grade crossing.

In search of Shortlines day 1

In search of Short Lines....After attending the NS's Safety Train awareness 
training class at Oak Island,  went home, packed the vehicle, and left for 
parts unknown.  Driving I-81 south through blinding rain storms in Maryland 
and northern Virginia, the weather cleared to a beautiful day.  First stop 
was to check on the Franklin Mineral Industrial railroad...found one unit 
playing peek-a-boo at the loader and others buried deep in the compound. 
New owners discourage photography...take all the pictures you want....from 
outside the front gate. Oh well...  On to the Caney Fork & Western.  Found 
two units sunning themselves at the shops in McMinnville, TN.  Nice paint 
scheme, much different from what I had shot back in the 1980's.  Travelling 
through Tullahoma, TN found a CSX slug set, then on to the Walking Horse & 
Eastern.  Lots of stored hopper cars and this bedraggled F-unit.  Following 
the line , found a ex PRSL GP-38 at Wartrace, TN.  On to Columbia, TN for 
the night.   to be continued.

Kermit Geary, JR

MARC GP-39H-2 #70, Gaithersburg, MD

caught a photo of Marc r/n 70, not the usual locomotive expected, on a train at Gaithersburg, MD.

Choo Choo

CSX Corporation Announces Dates For Earnings Release and Second-Quarter Earnings Call

CSX Express

June 16, 2016

CSX Corporation Announces Dates For Earnings Release and Second-Quarter Earnings Call JACKSONVILLE, Fla., (June 16, 2016) – CSX Corporation (Nasdaq: CSX) will release second-quarter financial and operating results on Wednesday, July 13, 2016, after the market close. The company will host an earnings conference call from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, July 14, 2016 via teleconference and a live audio webcast. Those interested in participating via teleconference may dial 1-888-327-6279 (1-888-EARN-CSX) and ask for the CSX earnings call. Callers outside the U.S. dial 1-773-756-0199.  Participants should dial in 10 minutes prior to the call. Presentation materials and access to the audio webcast will be available on the company’s website athttp://investors.csx.com. Following the earnings call, a webcast replay and an MP3 audio file will be archived on the company’s website.

Orange Juice on the Lehigh Line!

Due to Monday's derailment of CSX's Q373, a Philadelphia to Cumberland (MD) general merchandise train, in Baltimore's Howard Street Tunnel. It was reported that ten of Q373's 124 cars derailed in the tunnel. That resulted in some CSX trains being re-routed over NS's Lehigh Line. One such train was Tropicano's "Juice Train" seen here approaching the Kiceniuk Road grade crossing just west of Stanton Station around 6:12 on Tuesday. Definitely a different sight from what one normally sees traveling this line.

Still another CSX Re-route over NS's Lehigh Line

CSX’s Q034-13 is eastbound at Lehigh Line MP 68.8 in Bloomsbury (NJ) on June 15, 2016 at 8:35 AM. Motive power for this Jacksonville, FL to North Bergen, NJ intermodal was CSX 428 (AC44CW) and CSX 743 (ES44AC-H). CSX’s “Juice Train” also was re-routed over the Lehigh Line. These re-routes was the result of CSX’s Q373 derailment of thirteen cars of a 124 car Philadelphia (PA) to Cumberland (MD) freight train inside Baltimore’s (MD) Howard Street Tunnel at 5:45 AM on June 13.

NS Safety Train

was part of the consist on NS 18G as it passed through Hillsborough (NJ) at 8:47 on June 10. NS's Safety Train provides training for emergency responders in eighteen states to help communities across the NS network prepare for and safely respond to potential incidents involving rail transport of hazardous materials. These classes will be held at NS's Oak Island facility on June 14 through June 16. Seen here is NS 5642 (GP38-2), one of the three tank cars used in this educational program and one of the two boxcars that serves as a classroom for participants.

Norfolk Southern to present at Citi 2016 Industrials Conference on June 15

Norfolk Southern to present at Citi 2016 Industrials Conference on June 15

NORFOLK, Va., June 8, 2016 – Norfolk Southern Corp. (NYSE: NSC) Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Marta Stewart will make a presentation at the Citi 2016 Industrials Conference.

What:                  Citi 2016 Industrials Conference

When:                 Wednesday, June 15, 2 p.m. ET

Where:               Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Boston

Webcast URL:    http://www.veracast.com/webcasts/citigroup/industrials2016/84209295994.cfm

The presentation will be posted at www.norfolksouthern.com in the Investors section.

About Norfolk Southern

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial products.

CSX Corporation Chief Financial Officer to Address Citi 2016 Industrials Conference

CSX Express

June 8, 2016

CSX Corporation Chief Financial Officer to Address Citi 2016 Industrials Conference JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – June 8, 2016 – Frank Lonegro, CSX Corporation (Nasdaq: CSX) executive vice president and chief financial officer, will address the Citi 2016 Industrials conference in Boston on Wednesday, June 15, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time. The webcast will be accessible through http://investors.csx.com. A replay and accompanying audio will be available following the conclusion of this event. This announcement, as well as additional financial information, is available on the company’s website athttp://investors.csx.com. About CSX and its Disclosures CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company.  It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products.  For nearly 190 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation's economic expansion and industrial development.  Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation's population resides.  It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike.

Invitation to Northeast Rail Scenes

NYSME will be hosting rail historian Victor Zolinsky as he comes to speak about rail operations in the Northeast. Victor will be showing slides of the New Haven, Boston and Albany, New York Central and other lines from New England. All photos were taken by Victor who started shooting photos in his youth in the 1940s. He continued his photography while actually working on the railroad.
Victor would be hired on as a towerman on the New Haven and worked his way up to trainmaster, working at Grand Central Terminal. This is the third time that Victor has come to present. 

All are astonished by the wealth of information that Victor is! Vic's encyclopedic knowledge of railroads and their operations make it quite a learning experience for all those who are in attendance. 
This event will take place at 

Rutherford Ambulance Corp second floor meeting room 

at 44 Ames Ave. Rutherford, NJ (One mile from MetLife Stadium)

This Friday June 10, 2016 Doors open at 7:30pm

As always, the event is FREE

All are welcome - Feel free to pass this on.

See our Facebook page for additional info and map

Northeast Rail Scenes from Years Past

Northeast Rail Scenes from Years Past

BR&W Steam Photo Freight and Night Photo Saturday June 25th

This Photo Freight will feature the BR&W #60, NJ’s oldest operating steam locomotive! The train will be made up of passenger equipment, freight cars & a caboose. 

The day's last scheduled train will head from Flemington to Three Bridges. We'll follow this train & be given the chance to take some very rare photos of #60 & the train.

After the train returns to Flemington we'll board for a trip to the end of in service track at Boss Road. All day the train will stop several times for photo run-bys.

An extra fee Night Photo session will be held in Ringoes. A variety of scenes will be set up featuring the #60. The night photo session tickets are limited to only 30 people.

You can choose to ride in coach for $40, Club Car for $60 or in the Caboose for $50. A Night Photo 'combo' ticket is $55 for coach, $65 for Caboose  & $75 for Club Car. 

Full information & Tickets: visit http://www.vratrips.org/brw-photo-freight-night-photo.html 

Mike O'Toole

Vratrips.org webmaster

Storytime Express & Summer Excursions

Storytime Express this Saturday!  Our first Storytime Express of 2016 will be this Saturday June 4, departing Ringoes Station at 10:45 AM! Tickets are now available - visit our website for details and tickets! This train features a magic act, singing, story-telling, and the kids get a book to take home! Geared towards our younger pre-school aged guests, this train is the perfect way to introduce them to BR&W. Share Share LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORYTIME EXPRESS Introducing Locomotive #438  This weekend's Summer Excursions will feature locomotive #438! 438 is the first locomotive owned by BRRHT, and this will be her first full weekend of excursion service! This diesel-electric SW-9 locomotive was built by GM Electro-Motive in April 1952 and generates 1,200 horsepower. Since acquiring it, BRRHT has made several repairs and improvements to ensure the locomotive is in perfect operating condition for years to come! We need your help! Thanks to the support of our patrons and donors like you, our volunteers have been able to clear almost the entire line from Ringoes to Lambertville, and have rehabilitated over 1 mile of track! The photo above shows some of the results of our first track-work session of 2016 with our rebuilt tie-inserter. With your support we can get further faster and bring the train back to Lambertville! To learn more and donate today, visit us at www.lambertvillerail.com. By the way - this is the "before" view of that piece of railroad our volunteers just rebuilt this weekend! It's amazing what they can get done with your help! To learn more and donate today, visit us at www.lambertvillerail.com.