Hi,
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.
Now in every issue Trackside features a "Photo of the Month" and just as a general note these photos used 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 Doug Kroll and depicts the Lehigh Valley's priority freight "Apollo 1" heading westbound through Depew, New York on April 26, 1973. On the point are GP38-2's #315, #317, and #320.
Notable News
If you have been receiving Trackside for at least the last few months I have been trying to keep fresh updates on the rebirth of the Grafton & Upton Railroad in New England. Below is the latest news.
Tracking a Rebirth
General Rail News
Officials: Railroad key to future in Mississippi
Stored equipment fleet continues to shrink
Short line: Brookville CoGeneration locomotive exceeds expectations
High-speed rail spending to be a boon to freight rail companies
Railroads see a steep climb to stronger economy
CN taps EMD, GE for 70 new high-horsepower locomotives
Sauk City, WI seeks more input on rail bridge proposal
New operator takes control of Salem County, New Jersey's short line railroad; grant sought for infrastructure improvements
National Gateway gains support; Jacksonville port lands federal grant
Jacksonville, FL Port gets $6M for Blount railroad system
US Freight Railroads Wary Of High-Speed Passenger Push
East Texas towns study adding railroad spurs
Railinc launches Umler™ system for freight rail industry
Railroad discontinues service to PdS United Cooperative plant
Fast Freight: Railroads target $140M for northern route
Tracking a Rebirth (Grafton & Upton Railroad)
Norfolk Southern preparing to abandon rail line in Georgia
Passenger Rail/LRT News
Weighing The Future Of High Speed Rail In America
Amtrak Plans Wi-Fi Internet Access on Acela Trains
Amtrak Loss Comes To $32 Per Passenger: Study
New York/New Jersey port lets PATH signal contracts; Hampton Roads Transit awards light-rail station work
Next stop: low-cost diesel rail?
Amtrak agrees to run SoCal commuter trains
Honolulu awards light-rail system design-build contract to Kiewit Pacific
The ‘Infrastructure Condo’ That Could Help Make High-Speed Rail Happen
Connecticut's first new M-8 trains to arrive by late November
FRA forges preliminary 'National Rail Plan'
VRE proposes to switch service providers from Amtrak to Keolis
All aboard for commuter rail (Houston, TX)
Norman, Oklahoma's light rail hopes get boost
Tom Downs: What our highway culture really costs
Gov. Rell: Bids for Connecticut yard facility beat estimates
Amtrak upgrades northeast corridor substations
Missouri proposes a regional commuter-rail system
Amtrak posts second-best ridership
Cost, ridership questions need answers before Amtrak restores service in Oregon, Sen. Wyden says
Siemens delivers first two light rail cars to Norfolk
North Carolina Railroad to study proposed commuter-rail line's potential
Improved railroad service boosted; Would reduce delays at Buffalo airport
N.J. gets $8 million in federal funds to improve mass transit
$50B in high-speed rail applications submitted
NY seeks big bucks for rail
Fast trains on horizon in Michigan
Florida seeking $2.5 billion stimulus for bullet train
Wisconsin Governor Doyle: Submits application for high-speed rail line to federal Railroad Administration
North Carolina DOT lands eight FRA grants for rail projects
New Hampshire bows out of HSR funding scramble
State reveals detailed high-speed train plans from San Francisco to San Jose
Railroad History
Celebrating the railroad and the journey west
Where Clackety-Clack Is Lullaby of Choice
Daylight Savings Time 2009: When and Why We Fall Back
Rolling Lincoln exhibit begins state-wide trip
Biking Coal Country’s Tracks and Tunnels
Experience the rail deal (B&O's Silver Spring, MD Depot)
JACOBS: Railroad chugging back into town? (Temecula, CA)
When railroads ruled the S.F. waterfront
Historical railway topic of local book
Arcade and Attica Railroad Featured in New Book
Bridge is a remnant of bygone era
Travelin' in Time: Castle Crags was once a lively railroad town (Castella, CA)
Carbondale railroad marks 180 years
The Granddaddy of Them All, The Cosmopolitan Hotel
Thousands expected on Walkway today after big debut
Preservation
Former Virginian caboose on its way to Princeton, WV
RailPark unveils restored railcar
Deadwood, SD puts engine house on auction block
Council hears about ATSF 2-10-2 steam locomotive
They’ve been working on the railroad
Railroad Museum sells assets
Visitor park sought for Thomas Viaduct
MTA/LIRR to Deliver Two Locomotives to Railroad Museum Yard
Station/Depot News
Spruce-up effort possible for Franklin Street Station in Reading, PA
Pascagoula, Florida Depot Ghost
Council, resident happy to see Chenoa, Illinois depot demolished
Investigators Waiting To Determine Cause Of Campbellsburg, KY Depot Fire
Dansbury, PA Depot fire remains under investigation
8-year-old wants to restore Point of Rocks train station
Victor woman makes home of old train station
A ride through history: Attleboro, MA
Maybe This Time: Pressure Mounts to Save Detroit's Michigan Central Station
Railroad gets depot site (Blissfield, Michigan)
Klir offers open house at old Fort Jennings, OH train depot
Salem, Oregon Depot may join historic registry
Aiken depot needs donations to finish project
Elmer takes another step toward bringing old train station back to borough
Group works to save Wells depot
Historic preservation rewarded (Traverse City, MI)
What's next for Richmond, Indiana's dilapidated buildings?
New Jersey agency advances station restoration and transit center projects, revamps Web site
The L&N Depot turns 100
Freight Depot restoration reveals treasures from city’s railroad past
MnDOT seeking $135M for St. Paul Union Depot
Depot celebration seeks memories of Norman landmark
Train Excursions/Museums
Railroad museum's caboose lands in downtown Truckee
Warren County deficit threatens continuity of railroad line
Now open: Casey Jones Museum
Museum gets historic railroad pic
Museum offers historical program about the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Railroad museum to offer virtual tours of historic cars
Western Maryland Scenic Railroad keeping expenses down as it heads to slow months
Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum on right track at Central Station
Carter Railroad Museum announces logo contest
Railroad excursion to help the hungry
As Trackside moves forward I will look to include more topics and information within it. 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
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