• HOME
  • NEWS
  • ABOUT
  • SUBSCRIBE
    • Info & Updates
    • Subscribe/Renew with PayPal
    • Subscribe/Renew with Credit Card
    • Back Issues
    • Retrospectives
  • CONTACT US
  • AVAILABLE AT

All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

Cowcatcher Magazine

  • Home
  • News
    • Top News
    • Class 1 Railroads
    • Short Line Railroads
    • Light Rail / Commuter
    • Model Railroading
    • Railroad in Focus
    • Up Close
    • Heritage
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Information & Updates
    • Subscribe or Renew with Paypal
    • Subscribe or Renew with Credit Card
    • Back Issues
    • Retrospectives
  • Contact Us
  • Available At

DART dedicates Orange Line extension to Irving Convention Center

July 27th, 2012

A special DART train with dignitaries and local officials heads in the Irving Convention Center Station before cutting the ribbon that marked the opening of the first phase of the Orange Line expansion that will eventually go to D/FW International Airport.

 By Tim Blackwell/Cowcatcher Magazine

 IRVING, TX — Dallas Area Rapid Transit debuted today the first phase of the 14.3-mile Orange Line expansion that will take light rail to D/FW International Airport during a dedication ceremony before local, state and federal officials at the Irving Convention Center.

 A special train loaded with dignitaries cut through a yellow ribbon at the Convention Center Station to mark completion of the 4.5-mile section of the $1.3 billion project. The section with three stations opens for revenue service on July 30 and will connect the University of Dallas and the Las Colinas Urban Center along the way. A public event is planned for Saturday.

Dignitaries that included U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Congressman Kenny Marchant said the expansion will further embed North Texas on convention and cultural destination maps and change the face of Irving, which has waited for light rail since it began contributing sales tax in 1984. The Orange Line is scheduled to reach Terminal A at the airport by December 2014.

 Hutchison, who has long been a mass transit proponent on Capitol Hill and in 1973 passed the first bill in the Texas Legislature that allows formation of mass transit systems in Texas, said Irving’s patience will pay off in a few years.

 “Irving will not be the same city that it is today, because when that line opens in 2014, and you can come to DFW and get off the airplane and come into Las Colinas, Irving, Dallas and all through the system, we are going to be a convention magnet,” she said. “It’s going to be the most rapidly growing part of the North Texas area, mark my words.”

Construction on the second phase has already reached Belt Line Road and SH 161 on airport property. Testing began earlier in July and will run up to the scheduled Dec. 3 launch. A 5.2-mile stretch from Belt Line Station to Terminal A is currently under construction and will open Dec. 15, 2014.

On the eve of the Summer Olympics, DART President/Executive Director Gary Thomas compared the expansion to a gold medal sprint that should further solidify North Texas light rail in the U.S. With nearly five more miles of track, DART extends its distinction of being the country’s longest light rail network to 78 miles.

“When you talk about transit around the country, Dallas hasn’t always been the first place that pops into people’s minds, but it’s getting there,” Thomas said. “It’s getting there because of the reputation that we’ve developed with projects on time, bringing projects in under budget on a consistent basis.”

DART’s anticipated arrival to Irving has spurred construction of luxury apartment communities throughout the Urban Center, with more than 7,000 units existing or planned, and several transit-oriented developments already in the works. The Orange Line extension has under gone more than 12 years of land-use planning by DART, the city of Irving, the Las Colinas Association and the Dallas County Utilities Reclamation District.

When service begins, Irving will become the only city in DART’s service area to have light rail and commuter rail service. The Trinity Railway Express has operated in South Irving since December 1996 along the former Rock Island Railway line.

Developers see light rail as a catalyst for urban renewal and new residential and commercial opportunities. See Tim Blackwell’s story on Property Management Insider, a Carrollton, TX-based online publication that focuses on residential property management. – Cowcatcher Magazine

  • Light Rail / Commuter
  • Current Issue: Jan/Feb 2023

    Due to printer issues, the January/February issue is running behind. We expect it to be at stores by Jan. 11.

     

     

    INSIDE THIS ISSUE

  • Natural Merger

    The Illinois Chapter of the Mudhens Modular HO Narrow Gauge Society’s layout makes a seamless transition from the mountains and hills of Pennsylvania to the Colorado plains. Through an eye-catching blend of scenery, modules transition from North Carolina’s East Tennessee & Western North Carolina Railroad and Pennsylvania’s Tuscarora Valley and on to the Denver & Rio Grande Western. Highly detailed trees and foliage swallow the terrain; tree leaves seem to jump off the layout in this superb interpretation of portable narrow gauge model railroading.

  • 2023 State of Model Railroading

    Modelers say times are still good in the hobby but they may spend a little less this year because of the economy. The Cowcatcher’s 2023 State of Model Railroading survey polled readers last fall to get their insights on everything from the quality of models to sustaining the future of the hobby. They had a lot to say.

     

  • Railroading in the 1940s

    The railroad industry in the late 1940s hummed as steam transitioned to diesel. Interesting, some things don’t change much. Pat Hiatte reflects on a time when railroads were high-balling across the U.S.

    – DeGolyer Library, SMU/Railroads: Photographs, Manuscripts and Imprints

     

  • PLUS…

    Milwaukee’s Trainfest came back strong in November after being sidelined by the pandemic for two years. More than 20,500 attended one of the nation’s top shows. …

     

    InterMountain Railway Co. and ScaleTrains announced recently that each will produce EMD’s short-lived SDL39, due later this year. …

     

    The sun has set on Fort Worth’s Tower 55, which for decades was the guardian of maybe the busiest railroad junction in the country. …

     

     

    THESE STORIES AND MORE, PLUS A FULL CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS AND THE BUSINESS PULSE OF THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY!

     

  • Order Issue

    PURCHASE THE CURRENT ISSUE TODAY!

    JUST $6.95, includes shipping (U.S. only)!

     

    SPECIAL OFFER! Order this issue or subscribe/renew and receive the Cowcatcher’s 2023 calendar! While supplies last!

     

     

    Allow 3-5 business days for delivery upon placement of order.

     

    ** Email us for international shipping rates**

     

  • Back Issues

    Be sure to check out our Back Issues page for any issues you may have missed. We have expanded descriptions for issues published beginning in 2007. Click here to order.

     

    See our most recent issues and order today!

     

  • Product News & Review

    InterMountain HO ADM Corn Syrup Car

     

    The Cowcatcher reviews InterMountain Railway Co.’s newly released HO-scale Trinity Industries 19,600-gallon corn syrup car. The tank car is one of several in the company’s second release.

     

    More product reviews!

     

    See product news!

     

  • Railroad in Focus

    Cowcatcher Magazine routinely features short lines and regional railroads that roam the Midwest and Southwest. Features include color photographs and maps, but an overview of operations and latest business trends.

     



    Like us on Facebook!  
  • Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad





    UPDATED! Visit the new N-scale Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, the official model railroad of the Cowcatcher Magazine, and track progress. All aboard!
  • Don’t Miss an Issue

    Click here to subscribe to Cowcatcher Magazine, the model railroad magazine and rail enthusiast magazine all about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm, today!
  • Cowcatcher Tracks

    Stay in touch with what’s happening between issues! Cowcatcher subscribers receive our monthly email digest, Cowcatcher Tracks*, which is filled with colorful insights, as well as updates. See a sample copy here!

    * Must provide email address when subscribing.

  • Article & Photo Submissions

    We encourage readers to submit articles and photos. For details, visit our guide here .

© 2022 Cowcatcher Magazine | No content from this site may be copied or re-used without permission | 2023 Cowcatcher Magazine. Site powered by Josh Sims