June 26, 2009
Welcome to Trackside, The Newsletter; a monthly piece covering the railroad industry. I had thought long and hard about creating a newsletter to go along with the website since American Rails first began but I could never decide what exactly to include in it. After much consideration, though, I finally decided that perhaps the best approach was to fill the newsletter with, well, news! More specifically, however, current news and events which will be broken down into categories keeping you up-to-date on the latest on-goings around the country.
As some may have noticed Trackside has not been published for a few months now. This is because I thought the original format was becoming rather dull and needed to be revamped. The information presented will still be practically the same but with a little different layout and presentation.
The monthly photo will still be shown each month, one of my personal favorite parts of the newsletter. I hope you have enjoyed it as well. Of note, the photos used each month are the property of individual photographers and as such should not be redistributed or used without their permission. In any event, I hope you like the new layout!
This month's photo comes courtesy of Rob Kitchen and depicts the Chessie Steam Special of the late 1970s. In this view Reading Railroad 4-8-4 Northern steam locomotive #2101 takes a break in July 1977 at Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Raritan Central to establish short line at Arkansas industrial park
Electrification evaluation expands
AAR backs 'transportation efficiency' bill
USDOT issues 54 more stimulus grants
North Carolina multi-modal industrial park to add rail line
R.J. Corman completes Railpower Corp. acquisition
New Arizona freight line gets green light
Federal grants signal growing shortline importance
St. Paul Union Depot purchase approved
General Mills to build rail-served distribution center in Georgia
Grants aid repair of damaged Iowa railroad bridges
Rereg cloture vote canceled as Senate seeks compromise
FRA's high-speed rail plan too general, GAO says
Western Pennsylvania needs more passenger-rail service, Shuster says
NJ Transit completes Rutherford Station exterior work, begins interior upgrades
City making progress on railroad tracks deal for V&M Star
Will a Railroad Ever Serve This County?
U.S. Senators back restoration of Lackawanna Cut-Off
Proposal eyes Amtrak service to Green Bay
Amtrak to operate new state-supported route in Virginia
Rail Runner hits 2 million passenger mark in New Mexico
College digitizes railroad photos, documents
Gene Owens: Wallowing in railroad nostalgia
Scenic Colorado railroad only one to cross pass
Harriman Expedition: Railroad magnate documents Alaska
'Railroads of California' explores lines along the Central Coast
Florence was railroad hub for 66 years
Home of railroad magnate marks 50 years as museum
Oral history project brings railroad's San Bernardino heritage to life
With storied past, railroads move into the future
Learn about Ma & Pa Railroad on Sundays
Selectmen approve modified proposal for Railroad Station repairs
Kaleidoscope: Riding to a railroad museum in Northwest Ohio
Foreclosure catches up with Johnson City's railroad depot
NJ Transit to begin construction work on Chatham station
Railroad depot to receive funds (Milwaukee Road)
Local Railroad Enthusiasts Create A "Rolling Museum"
Counties eyeing old railroad line: Trail may cost $5 million
East Stroudsburg Railroad Tower restoration
There are two railroad stations that are in danger of being destroyed. One, located in Detroit is of Michigan Central heritage and a mulit-story structure. A recent effort to keep the Detroit city council from razing the building has begun and you can sign a petition in their efforts if interested. To view their website please click here.
Another is the Kendrick, Idaho depot a Northern Pacific structure. The local city council is also attempting to raze the building. A preservation group has also been formed to save this building and to help their efforts you can write to the council by visiting the group's website here.
History buffs laying tracks for future railroad excursions
New Additions to the Tioga Central Railroad
Scenic railroad ridership down
As Trackside moves forward I will look to include more topics and information within it. Also, be sure and keep up with the latest site updates on Twitter!
In any event, if you have any opinions, ideas, and/or general comments/suggestions for the newsletter please feel free to pass them my way. As with American-Rails.com I am always looking for ways to improve the newsletter to better benefit you, the reader.
Best regards,
Adam Burns
P.S. As always, we are always looking for new members at the forums so if you have any interest in joining in we would be very happy to have you!