Walter P. Gray III SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Walter P. Gray III, the longtime former director of the California State Railroad Museum and most recently a prominent state parks cultural official, died today in Sacramento after a long battle with cancer. He was 54. A graduate of California State University at Sacramento, Gray was instrumental in […]
The Trains Web site forums have been expanded and split into several discussion forums. The new forum topics will include steam and preservation, locmotives, transit, and passenger. These discussion pages will allow participants a broader opportunity to discuss these specialized topics with more depth than they could in our general discussion pages. General discussion will […]
Alan Siegwarth SUNOL, Calif. – The Golden Gate Railroad Museum has announced that its Southern Pacific 4-6-2 No. 2472 has been successfully steam-tested as mandated by federal regulations under the 1,472-day inspection rules. Locomotive reassembly is continuing, and the group expects the locomotive to be complete in the near future. The Golden Gate Railroad Museum […]
Running side by side, SP 4449 and UP 8444 enter Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal for LAUPT’s 50th Anniversary celebration on May 5, 1989. The two locomotives will doublehead next month in Washington State. Steve Glischinski ALBANY, Ore. – Former Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449 arrived in Albany on April 4 for wheel repairs at […]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City Southern source confirmed to Trains News Wire on Friday that the railroad’s new EMD SD70ACe locomotives that are on order will be painted in a variation of the railroad’s historic red, yellow, and Brunswick (extremely dark) green passenger-train livery. A version of those colors is worn by KCS’s […]
Ohio Central 2-8-0 No. 33 is running like gangbusters on the point of a coal train at Adams Mills, Ohio, on Dec. 13, 2006. The former Lake Superior & Ishpeming locomotive pulled the train (including three shut-down diesels) from Coshocton to Trinway, Ohio. John B. Corns COSHOCTON, Ohio – Ohio Central Rail System used its […]
HACKENSACK, N.J. – Funeral services were held in Hackensack today for well-known video producer Marc S. Balkin, 58, who died of pneumonia on Dec. 3 while hospitalized. Balkin headed up his own video production company, Mark I Video, which produced railroad videos primarily of steam locomotives. Balkin was known for innovative production techniques, being among […]
NEW YORK – Dining on Amtrak trains is sometimes wonderful and sometimes it’s awful. However, according to the New York Times Magazine, one Amtrak food item is winning universal praise: bratwurst. The hickory-smoked pork sausage is seasoned with onion, garlic, and spices and isn’t emulsified like many other brats, so “you get more meat flavor,” […]
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Great Northern Railway Historical Society recently completed a project to repaint Great Northern SD45 No. 400, the “Hustle Muscle.” Built in May 1966, No. 400 was the first production SD45 built by Electro-Motive Division; it received the Hustle Muscle moniker by GN when the company purchased the unit. It continued […]
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Gary O. Marino, co-founder and former chairman, president, and CEO of RailAmerica, Inc. has formed Patriot Rail Corp. to acquire short-line and regional freight railroads. The new company last week announced its first acquisition, the 118-mile Tennessee Southern Railroad. The TSRR, based in Mt. Pleasant, Tenn., operates in middle Tennessee and […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville is set to become the 18th North American metropolitan area to be served by commuter trains (vs. light-rail/trolley and/or heavy-rail/subway) with the inaugural run on Monday, Sept. 18, of the Music City Star. Tickets will be available on-line starting next week, and commuters who plan to purchase monthly tickets should act […]
WASHINGTON and SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The fight between the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern and the Mayo Clinic over DM&E’s effort to expand into Wyoming’s Powder River Basin and route coal trains through Mayo’s home city of Rochester, Minn., grew testy as each side made accusations about the other Thursday. At a news conference at […]
