Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 306

Tempe Events Celebrate First Arizona Light Rail Opening

September 5, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

TEMPE, Ariz. — The City of Tempe is celebrating the opening of Arizona’s first light rail system with special events from Dec. 27-31. The cities of Phoenix and Mesa will also have parties along the line, creating a 20-mile celebration. Tempe is the only Arizona city to have a light rail system that runs from one city border to the other. The $1.4 billion, 20-mile line joins Tempe with Mesa and Phoenix to create an integrated transportation system connecting rail, buses and bicycles. Downtown Tempe is minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport and Tempe is surrounded by freeways, creating a synergy of travel choices. A bridge across Tempe Town Lake

North Georgia Live Steamers at the GIHP

September 5, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

CONYERS, Ga. — A new railroad will soon be laying track at the Georgia International Horse Park, the new home of the North Georgia Live Steamers. Formed in 1977, the North Georgia Live Steamers is a club composed of individuals interested in promoting the live steam hobby and assisting others interested in the construction of scale steam engines, diesel locomotives and railroad equipment. The group previously constructed and conducted “open run” weekends where the public was invited to ride on the 7.5 inch gauge, 1.5 inch scale railroad at their former location at the Southeastern Rail and Transportation Museum in Duluth, Georgia. In its new location, the North Georgia Live

Japan’s Shinkansen Loses Power After Lightning Strike

September 3, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

TOKYO — A Shinkansen lost power following a lighting strike, according to media reports. The power blackout was temporary and authorities found a small hole on the roof of one of the Shinkansen’s cars. Authorities believe lightning may have caused the hole. Also, the train’s engineer said he heard sound before the power failure. The East Japan Railway Co. train — No. 263 — was pulling in at Oyama Station in Tochigi Prefecture at the time of the blackout.

Service Alert: Amtrak Prepares for Hurricane Hanna

September 3, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

In preparation for Hurricane Hanna, which is expected to make landfall in Florida later this week, Amtrak has cancelled some service in Florida, beginning Sept. 3, 2008. Silver Star Train 91, the Silver Star, scheduled to depart from New York Thursday morning, September 4, will terminate in Tampa on Friday with no alternate transportation between Tampa and Miami. Silver Meteor Train 97, the Silver Meteor, scheduled to depart New York Thursday afternoon, September 4, will terminate in Orlando on Friday with no alternate transportation between Orlando and Miami. Affected passengers with confirmed reservations are currently being contacted. Amtrak will continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Hanna and make other

Service Alert: Hurricane Gustav: City of New Orleans, Crescent, Sunset Limited Service Affected

September 3, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

Amtrak has temporarily suspended service to and from New Orleans following the landfall of Hurricane Gustav. Inspections and any repairs needed to Amtrak-owned property are underway. Amtrak is also working with other railroads in the affected area in order to restore service. Amtrak train equipment currently in Memphis is available to federal and state authorities as a national transportation asset in accordance with a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contract. All passengers who have travel plans through the affected areas on routes of the Chicago-Memphis-New Orleans Amtrak City of New Orleans; New York-Atlanta-New Orleans Amtrak Crescent; and the Los Angeles-San Antonio-New Orleans route of the Amtrak Sunset Limited are urged

CSX Reports on Track Inspections Following Gustav

September 3, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation (CSXT) has completed its initial inspection of track and terminals in the Gulf Coast region impacted by Hurricane Gustav. Though no significant damage occurred to any of CSXT’s bridges or terminals, the company has identified at least 21 miles of track with substantial impact. Repairs to the track damage, which begins about 10 miles east of New Orleans, will require at least two weeks. As a result, a daily average of 7-10 trains will continue to be rerouted through alternative gateways at Memphis, Tenn.; Birmingham, Ala.; and East St. Louis, Ill. Due to traffic routed over alternate gateways, some customers may experience slightly longer transit

Legendary Steam Locomotive Represents Historical Whistle-Stop Tours

September 1, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

Union Pacific Railroad’s No. 844, the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific, has brought many people trackside along Colorado’s Front Range as the locomotive made its way from Cheyenne to Denver and back, to celebrate railroad history and heritage during the Democratic National Convention (Aug. 25-28). “We are proud to have No. 844 on display during the convention because of our historical connection to the campaign trail,” said Bob Turner, Union Pacific’s senior vice president – Corporate Relations. “Long before candidates traveled via planes or automobiles, rail offered candidates a way to deliver themselves and their platforms to far-flung voters from one end of this country to the other.”

Norfolk Southern Says NTSB’s Finding on 2006 Train Accident is Erroneous

August 29, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — In a formal petition filed with the National Transportation Safety Board, Norfolk Southern Railway Company presented documentation and analysis, including new evidence, clearly establishing good cause for the NTSB to reexamine and amend its conclusion regarding the cause of an Oct. 20, 2006, derailment in New Brighton, Pa. The NTSB’s assertion that the accident was caused by an “inadequate rail inspection and maintenance program” is contrary to both the new and previously available evidence provided to the agency during its original investigation, NS said. The immediate cause of the New Brighton accident was a rail fracture that occurred when an eastbound freight train passed over the track.

STB’s Buttrey Leaving Government

August 29, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Surface Transportation Board Commissioner W. Douglas Buttrey announced that he plans to leave government service upon the completion of the Board’s work on several pending matters. Buttrey was nominated to serve on the Board by President George W. Bush on Nov. 17, 2003, for a five-year term expiring Dec. 31. He served as the agency’s Chairman from Jan. 5, 2006 until Aug. 14, 2006. Pursuant to the Board’s governing statute, a Board Member may continue to serve for up to one year after the termination of the Member’s term, unless a successor is appointed. Buttrey stated, in a letter to Board Chairman Charles D. Nottingham, that he considers

FRA Grant Supports Continued Research into PTC Wireless Communication Systems

August 29, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is issuing a $1.4 million grant to the Railroad Research Foundation to continue development and testing of wireless communications devices and systems for use with Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) technology. CBTC is a form of Positive Train Control (PTC) that can automatically control train speed and movements to ensure safe movements should a locomotive engineer fail to take appropriate action. In addition to advancing technical development of such technologies, grant funds will be used to: continue work on a portable remote operation device so employees on the ground can authorize a PTC-equipped train to enter a work zone with speed restrictions; design