Mikado No. 14 rides the turntable at the narrow-gauge coal hauler’s headquarters of Orbisonia, Pa., in July 1952. The road would shut down in 1956, then partially reopen for tourists in 1960. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
East Broad Top by night
Train Topic: Narrow Gauge & Industrial
Tweetsie Ten-Wheeler
East Tennessee & Western North Carolina 4-6-0 No. 10 heads a mixed train at Hampton, Tenn., in August 1939. The narrow-gauge “Tweetsie” quit 11 years later. L. B. Herrin photo […]
Australian mining railroad reopens after autonomous train collision
KARRATHA, Western Australia — Rio Tinto has fully reopened its mining railroad in Western Australia’s Pilbara region after the collision last week involving two autonomous trains, with the Australian Financial Review reporting the mining company has suspended a procedure known as “on-site override” while investigation into the incident continues. One line of the two-track main […]
Durango & Silverton two-day steam photo charter with ‘Trains’ Magazine set for October
DURANGO, Colo. — Join the editors of Trains Magazine this year aboard a private steam-powered two-day charter Oct. 18 and 19, on Colorado’s Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The train will operate from Silverton to Durango the first day, with multiple photo stops en route. The train will overnight in Silverton, then return to […]
Railmark to develop, operate rail line at Mississippi industrial park
HENDERSON, Ky. — Railmark Industrial Railway Inc. will operate and develop an 11-mile rail line at an industrial park in Mississippi’s Tishomingo County, the company announced today. The line, which interchanges with Norfolk Southern and a barge port on the Tenn-Tom Waterway, was built in 1982 for NASA. Railmark plans to restore and upgrade the infrastructure, […]
Tulsa Port of Inola railroad debuts
INOLA, Okla. — The Port of Inola debuted its new rail line, the 4.4-mile Verdigris Southern Railroad, this week, delivering a shipment of paper products to the port facility of tissue paper manufacturer Sofidel. KJRH-TV reports the $20 million project involved rebuilding existing infrastructure at the port, a 2,500-acre industrial park formerly belonging to the […]
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad to restore two locomotives to operation
PORTLAND, Maine — Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum will partner with Maine Locomotive & Machine Works to restore a pair of 2-foot gauge engines, Monson Railroad No. 4, and Bridgton & Saco River Railroad No. 8, to operation, the museum announced Tuesday. Monson No. 4, an 0-4-4 tank engine, was built in 1918 […]
Cumbres & Toltec names Beaudette as general manager
CHAMA, N.M. — The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has named Ed Beaudette as general manager for the 2024 season, the railroad announced Friday. He replaces Steven Butler, who resigned earlier this month. Beaudette, who worked for many years as the railroad’s manager of engineering and operations, currently serves on the board of the Friends […]
East Broad Top starts rebuilding track south of Rockhill Furnace
ROCKHILL FURNACE, Pa. — A track crew began restoring East Broad Top Railroad’s main line south of here this week, a first step toward reopening the narrow-gauge steam tourist line’s 20-mile route to Robertsdale, Pa., a former mountain mining center that produced the semi-bituminous coal that was EBT’s revenue-freight lifeblood for more than 80 years. […]
Slim Princess, wide valley
Southern Pacific’s narrow-gauge line in the vast Owens Valley of California was known as the “Slim Princess.” Here a single freight car separates engine from caboose near Zurich (Big Pine) in July 1959. William H. Mills photo […]
Durango & Silverton runs its final coal-powered photo snow train
DURANGO, Colo. – Last weekend’s coal-fired photographer’s snow-train special marked the end of an era as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad moves to complete its conversion to recycled motor oil as a fuel for its fleet of a half-dozen active steam locomotives. The all-day excursion was powered by 2-8-2 No. 481 (Baldwin Locomotive […]
NTSB releases final report on Texas switching fatality
WASHINGTON — A conductor entered the “red zone” where there was an increased likelihood of being struck by equipment, and an engineer did not follow operating procedures to stop his train after failing to hear instructions from the conductor, the National Transportation Safety Board said in determining the probable cause of the fatal Oct. 28, […]
