News Archive: 1st quarter 2006

Feb. 8 — More CRM news today. US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta yesterday announced $1.5 Billion in budget recomendations for transit programs, including a funding for Oregon's proposed Wilsonville-Beaverton Commuter Rail project, which will use CRM's DMUs to provide service. The Government's announcement can be read here. An article by the Oregonian newspaper can be found here.

According to an article in the Beaverton Valley Times last November and referenced in last quarter's News Items, the new service will utilize three CRM DMUs and two trailers, providing intitial service between the two Portland suburbs once every 30 minutes. Service is scheduled to begin as early as 2008.

Feb. 2 — According to the West Coast Railway Association's Railway News page Rocky Mountainer is having two former UP GP40's upgraded to GP40-2 specs for use on the new Whistler Mountaineer service between Vancouver and Whistler, BC.

The site says that former Union Pacific GP40's 9960 and 9963 are being upgraded by National Railway Equipment in Capreol, Ont. According to the Utah Rails All-Time UP Roster, the 9960 is former UP 678/MKT 243, originally Penn Central 3133 and the 9963 is former UP 681/MKT 246 , orig. PC 3152. No word about possible renumbering to get the units in line with the other units in RMV's roster, numbers 8011-8015.

This new Whistler Mountaineer service will operate in conjunction with the new Rocky Mountaineer Fraser Discovery route between Whistler and Jasper, AB via Prince George, BC (with an overnight stop at Quesnell, BC.) The first Whistler Mountaineer train will depart Vancouver on May 1, 2006, while the first Fraser Discovery train will depart Whistler on May 2. RMV's original two routes will begin service on April 18.

Jan. 29 — Thanks to the folks at Trainweb for bumping up this site's storage space yet again. As a result, I can now offer several photo features, including long-overdue tours of the new double decker DMU TRCX 703 and commuter trailer TRCX 7001, and a few shots of the pair on the way to the APTA show in Dallas.

Also, I've posted a sizeable feature on the projects going on at CRM from last week's visit, which essentially shows the car building process from start to finish. You can find them all on the Photo Features page.

Jan. 28 — Florida DOT's new double decker DMU (TRCX 703) and double decker coach (TRCX 7001) departed Ft. Lupton en route to Florida for delivery to Tri-Rail. The pair was spoted on the back of a BNSF freight in Kansas City, KS this afternoon.

Jan. 17 — Remember the planned refurbishing of Alaska Railroad's former Florida Fun Train single level domes last year? Well, it's being done over the winter. While new fleet additions ARR 555 and 556 are taking shape on the Ft. Lupton construction floor, ARR 551, 552, 553 and 554 are getting all new interiors, including new carpet, tables, seats and lighting. John's Alaska Railroad site has the scoop, along with several photos of an unidentified car in process.

Jan. 11 — Well, it has happened again. Due to the number of photos on this site, I have maxed out my available space. But not to fear. As with the last time, I have sent the wonderful folks at Trainweb a request for a little more disk space, and should be able to provide more updates in a week or so. Good thing, too, because I have some stuff I am just dying to share! Stay tuned...

Jan. 10 — Happy New Year! (OK, it's just a little late. But that "New Year" smell hasn't worn off yet, so it's OK, right?)

There are plenty of updates from my recent visit to Colorado Railcar's plant, including roster photos of: Rocky Mountaineer 9525, 9527 and 9529, Alaska RR 555 and 556, and Princess Tours 7084, 7085, 7086, 7087, 7088 and 7089. There will be plenty more to come in the next few days.