At the turn of the 20th century, the citizens and serving railroads of Kansas City, Mo., yearned to revamp how passengers arrived and disembarked from the growing gateway city along the Mississippi River. The 1878-built Union Depot in the West Bottoms district couldn’t keep up with the thriving rail traffic and local desire to […]
Rail preservation often comes with challenges, and the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation (ORHF) is no exception. Yet despite challenging times, the organization continues to find times for celebration — especially with the continued success of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland and the iconic locomotives it protects. The foundation’s story began in the 1990s […]
DOVER, Del. — Dozens and dozens of steam locomotives have been revived over the past 60-plus years, and many bear the fingerprints, often literally, of Wesley “Wes” Camp, one of the guiding lights of steam engineering and practice, a man who dedicated his professional life to what many thought would be a lost art. That […]
ANDOVER, Mass. — New Hampshire’s Bartlett Roundhouse Preservation Society is the recipient of this year’s H. Albert Webb Memorial Railroad Preservation Award, the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts have announced. The Enthusiasts, who administer the grant created by member Leigh Webb, also have awarded $65,000 to 19 projects as part of their 2025 Railroad Preservation Grants […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. — For the first time in decades, it’s possible to see three Northern Pacific steam locomotives gathered in a roundhouse, thanks to the efforts of the Minnesota Transportation Museum (MTM). The museum is exhibiting two NP 4-6-2s and a 4-6-0 at its former Great Northern Railway Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul. […]
HILL CITY, S.D.— If you had a question, needed a photo, or just wanted to chat about railroading in South Dakota, there was only one person to go to: Rick W. Mills. Mills, who wrote several books on South Dakota railroading and served as the curator of the South Dakota Railroad Museum, died unexpected April […]
The rumble of Canadian Pacific’s 4-6-4 Empress No. 2816 and Union Pacific’s 4-8-8-4 Big Boy No. 4014 echoed across thousands of miles in 2024. What made these journeys truly remarkable and deserving a brighter spotlight? Both locomotives were equipped with fully compliant, standalone Positive Train Control (PTC) systems. This means they can independently navigate their […]
I have a personal connection with a Budd-built Vista-Dome. In November 2018, my old friend and President and co-owner of New Hampshire’s Conway Scenic Railroad, Dave Swirk, called me, “Would you like to join me on a big adventure?” Before I realized what I was getting into, I said “Yes.” The railroad had just […]
FRESNO, Calif. — A Southern Pacific steam locomotive on display in a Fresno park for almost 70 years is about to receive a new home. SP No. 1238, a class S-10 Baldwin 0-6-0 built in 1918, is slated to be moved from Fresno’s Roeding Park to the city of Kingsburg, about 24 miles to the […]
GOLDEN, Colo. — The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club will merge with the Colorado Railroad Museum, the two organizations have announced, allowing the efforts of the club to continue even as it disbands after 87 years. “This merger will formally end the work of the Rocky Club, but our goal is to nurture the continuation of […]
Forty years ago, there was a lot going on in “Train World.” New museums, mainline steam programs, railroad-specific historical societies, and innovative preservation projects spawned a sense that railroad heritage had entered a different, more mature, phase. There were conversations about the emerging “railway heritage movement.” In hindsight, that was a tad optimistic. It had […]
NORTH FREEDOM, Wis. — Dates in May have been set for the move returning Chicago & North Western 4-6-0 No. 1385 to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. The locomotive, out of service for more than a quarter-century and away from the museum since 2013, is slated to be moved by truck from its current location in […]
