December 2005 – Railfanning.org

The “Fast Mail”: A History of the U.S. Railway Mail Service

December 31, 2005 Fred Romanski

The “Fast Mail”: A History of the U.S. Railway Mail Service By Fred J. Romanski · Prologue, Fall 2005, Vol. 37, No. 3 The railroad station attendant at Mishawaka, Indiana, hurried to tie the morning mail pouch to a crane aside the tracks of the station, in anticipation of the morning passing of the “20th Century Limited,” the premier train on the New York Central System, then quickly approaching the small station. As the “Century” entered a gentle curve leading to the station, a clerk in the door of its railway post office car surveyed the passing landscape, looking for

Hartwell Railroad

December 31, 2005 Railfanning.org

NYC Subway Strike Over

December 22, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK – The Transit Worker’s Union on Dec. 22 ended its strike. MTA employees were asked to return to work for their next shift. The MTA said Dec. 22 it would need between 10 and 18 hours after workers show up to get the system up to full capacity; it was expected that buses would be running later in the evening on Dec. 22 For three days, more than 7 million riders had no choice but to find another means of transportation as 33,000 New York City transit workers were on strike. Even though the strike has ended, the

Spitzer: Hold Union Leaders in Contempt

December 21, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK – State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer on Dec. 21 asked a judge to hold the leadership of a transit union in contempt of court. “Hopefully, these cumulative sanctions will result in a termination of the strike,” Spitzer said in a statement. “If not, my office will be back in court seeking additional penalties until this strike is ended.” More than 7 million riders have no choice but to find another means of transportation as 33,000 New York City transit workers are on strike. The transit agency and its 33,000 workers are fighting over wages and pension contributions; the

Dozens Injured in Italian Train Wreck

December 20, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

ROME, Italy – As many as 50 people were injured Dec. 20 when two passenger trains collided near the Italian town of Roccasecca, located about 80 miles of Rome. A train traveling from Rome to Campobasso crashed into a parked train in the station at Roccasecca. The stationary train was traveling from Rome to Cassino. Crews spent some time freeing people who were trapped in the wreckage. Everyone was freed within hours of the 3:20 p.m. collision. No one was killed in the wreck, according to published news reports. In January, 17 people were killed when a passenger train and

NYC MTA Workers on Strike

December 20, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK – Transit workers on Dec. 20 went on strike, forcing millions of city residents to find another way to commute to work. "The morning rush hour was unlike anything this City has experienced in 25 years," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "For a lot of New Yorkers, it was not an easy commute and getting home tonight won’t be easy either. The good news is New Yorkers are following the strike contingency plan we developed and put into effect early this morning." The strike is the first since an 11-day strike in 1980. The transit strike is illegal under

NYC Subways Still Running for Rush Hour

December 16, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK – Commuters went to work Dec. 16 under the threat of a strike by the city’s transit workers, but New York’s subway system remained open for morning rush hour. “A strike would be more than just illegal and inconvenient; it will threaten public safety and severely disrupt our City and its economy,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said previously. “Our contingency plan is designed to move as many people as possible using alternative means of transportation and to make sure that our streets remain passable for emergency vehicles.” City officials previously outlined a plan to address a transit disruption by reducing

Trucker Killed in Crash With Amtrak Train

December 15, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

SALT LAKE CITY – A truck driver was killed Dec. 14 after an Amtrak train struck the truck he was driving, according to various published reports. The truck, according to an Associated Press report, tried to cross the tracks in front of the approaching California Zephyr. It took one-half mile for the train to stop. The crossing does not have gates. Five of the train’s 119 passengers were injured in the crash. None of the injuries, according to published reports, appeared to be life threatening. The lead engine’s front wheel derailed in the wreck. The Federal Railroad Administration will investigate

NYC Subway Strike Looms

December 15, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

NEW YORK – A strike on the city’s subway system was looming late Dec. 15. “The City is prepared for the worst case scenario with a robust contingency plan,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. “A strike would be more than just illegal and inconvenient; it will threaten public safety and severely disrupt our City and its economy,” Bloomberg said. “Our contingency plan is designed to move as many people as possible using alternative means of transportation and to make sure that our streets remain passable for emergency vehicles.” In the event of a labor action by New York City Transit unions TWU

Metro proposes no fare increase, new buses and rail cars in FY ’07

December 14, 2005 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – Metro is proposing no fare increase as part of next fiscal year’s budget for the second year in a row. Metro General Manager-CEO Richard A. White in early December outlined the authority’s $1.8 billion fiscal 2007 operating and capital budget proposal today before the Metro Board Budget Committee, which includes new buses, rail cars for eight-car trains and other expanded services. The more than $1 billion operating budget would provide for a traditional 1 percent increase in bus service to relieve overcrowding and improve on time performance. Managers also would like to fund another 2 percent increase in