News article. No pictures. Thought maybe someone would be interested when I happened to run across it while reading the financial news.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/amtraks-next-generation-acela-cars-taking-shape-2019-05-12

I live next  the old IC (now CN) mainline.  It's cool and raining today, I'm sitting at my desk reading this month's Running Extra when I heard a very loud slow moving train go by.  Got up an looked out the window but I couldn't see a lot as the leaves are on the trees between the house and the tracks.  Got in the truck and headed down to the crossing just south of town to wait for it.

It was a Loram rail grinding train.  This would be an interesting model and fun to automate with lights to simulate the sparks. Not my era though.

A trip to The Netherlands visiting the spring flower expo's (read Tulips) and a stop at Mini World in Rotterdam.

A most enjoyable layout. Well build and operated. Lots of details and a typical 'Holland' scene.

Enjoy the photo's.

Was going to post this as a reply under another post but decided this would be an interesting subject to discuss.

”What happened to the everyday public face of railroading?”  

Not too many years ago rail-fans could easily interact with train crews and other employees along the line.  “I still remember as a kid in the 70s, seeing dad many times walk-up to a stopped locomotive to talk to the crew and ask about trains scheduled to pass.