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Articles by Todd DeFeo
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Grapevine Vintage Railroad
All photos taken on May 4, 2013, in Fort Worth, Texas.
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Amelia Island Has Trains in Addition to Beaches
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Views of SEPTA
Amtrak
Amtrak’s new ACS-64 locomotives undergoing testing in Colorado
PHILADELPHIA — Amtrak’s next generation of locomotives are undergoing “rigorous” testing before they enter regular service next fall. A pair of the Amtrak Cities Sprinter (ACS-64) electric locomotives are being put through the paces at the Transportation Technology Center (TTC) facility in Pueblo, Colo., while a third locomotive will run field tests on the Northeast and Keystone corridors this summer. A fourth will be tested in a climate-controlled chamber to see how it reacts to the extreme temperatures — both hot and cold — it might see while in service. The new ACS-64 locomotives, built by Siemens Mobility, will replace
Commuter Rail
Atlanta Braves Looking to Build Maglev to Turner Field
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves are looking to add a maglev train connecting Turner Field with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), the city’s mass transit system. According to published reports, the Braves are partnering with a Marietta-based company, American Maglev Technologies, on the proposed connection. Currently, anyone taking public transportation to the Braves’ stadium must transfer from the subway to a bus. While a rail link to Turner Field has been discussed over the years, one has yet to be built, prompting the recent maglev train proposal. “We think this is a huge opportunity to not only solve
Amtrak
Central Florida’s SunRail scheduled to open next year
ORLANDO, Fla. – Work on Central Florida’s first commuter rail line is progressing, and the line is expected to open by next year. Work to convert the corridor for use by SunRail remains ongoing and the headway is quite apparent. For example, new platforms are nearing completion at the Amtrak stations in Orlando and Winter Park; the stations will continue to serve the national passenger railroad once SunRail starts operations. As part of the 12-stop, 32-mile first phase, trains will operate between DeBary, north of Orlando’s city center, and Sand Lake Road in Orlando. When the second phase opens in
Commuter Rail
Tracks are in the Ground for New Atlanta Streetcar Line
ATLANTA — Crews continue to install tracks for a new streetcar line that is set to start operating next spring. When it opens, the 2.7-mile streetcar line will connect with MARTA, the city’s transit system. Future plans call for the new streetcar to tie into the Atlanta BeltLine, a public-private partnership that is building walking paths along a ring of mostly abandoned railroad right-of-ways that circle the city. Workers are expected to install a block of track every three to four weeks. The new line is funded with nearly $100 million – or roughly $37 million per mile – in
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Amtrak
Amtrak CEO: Time for ‘dedicated, multi-year federal operating and capital funding’
Amtrak turned 42 years old this month, and the railroad’s president says it is time for a “dedicated, multi-year federal operating and capital funding for Amtrak and intercity passenger rail.” The national railroad, created as a result of the President Richard Nixon-signed Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, took over passenger service from struggling railroads, and its first train, The Clocker, departed from Union Station in New York at 12:05 a.m. on May 1, 1971. Today, the railroad operates 305 weekday trains across a network of 21,100 rail miles. “With record ridership and strong financial performance, Amtrak is successfully fulfilling