Huge Rio Grande 2-8-8-2 3615 storms across South Boulder Creek near Pinecliff, Colo., on the climb from Denver to the Moffat Tunnel in July 1941. John W. Maxwell photo […]
Rio Grande mountain power
Zone & Region: Mountain West
Montana Rail Link main line, severed by bridge collapse, won’t reopen this month
WASHINGTON — Montana Rail Link’s main line will remain severed through the end of July, BNSF Railway told federal regulators last week. The former Northern Pacific route has been shut down since the June 24 bridge collapse and hazardous materials derailment in the Yellowstone River in Reed Point, Mont. Bridge construction began once the last […]
Locomotives We Love: Lionel Vision Line Big Boy
Chris Montagna is a Contributing Editor of Classic Toy Trains and operates the Chris’s Trains and Things channel on YouTube. What Toy Train Locomotive Means the Most to You? When I reflect on the locomotives in my collection it’s difficult to pinpoint just one that I love above the rest. I was recently asked this […]
Utah DOT chooses gondola to serve ski resorts
SNOWBIRD, Utah — The Utah Department of Transportation has chosen an 8-mile-long gondola system as the way to serve the Snowbird and Alta ski resorts, ending a lengthy process that also included a cog railway among the options. The Salt Lake Tribune reports UDOT made its final decision public on Wednesday, after releasing a preliminary […]
UP coal train derails in Wyoming
BILL, Wyo. — Twenty-one cars of a Union Pacific coal train derailed today (July 10), blocking UP’s route to ship coal out of the Powder River Basin. Cowboy State Daily reports the derailment occurred about 6:30 a.m. approximately 4 miles southeast of Lusk, Wyo., which is 130 miles north of Cheyenne. No injuries were reported. […]
Montana Rail Link main line still closed, with no estimate for reopening
REED POINT, Mont. — The Montana Rail Line main line remains closed at the site of the June 24 bridge collapse and derailment that sent 10 freight cars into the Yellowstone River, but work is continuing “around the clock” to restore normal operations as soon as possible, according to the latest update from the Unified […]
Norfolk & Western 611 Update
After almost twenty years on static display at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Va., Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 returned to operation in 2015. Her time on the mainline was very brief though, lasting only three years. Since then, new venues have been needed to operate the large engine. Let’s get […]
Big Boy’s story continues
Big Boy’s story We all know the old tried and sometimes true saying, “bigger is better.” Yes, a significantly enlarged bowl of ice cream on a hot summer day is better. Finding out that your car repair bill is larger than anticipated … well, not so good. In the eyes of the Union Pacific Railroad, […]
Denver City Council votes down proposed ordinance on development near rail lines
DENVER — The Denver City Council has voted down a proposed ordinance that would have prohibited development within 100 feet of rail lines without safety measures to address possible derailments. In a Monday meeting, the council voted 7-5 against the proposal by Councilwoman Debbie Ortega. It would have required construction within 100 feet of rail […]
MRL and BNSF detour trains as Yellowstone River bridge derailment cleanup progresses (updated)
REED POINT, Mont. — The Montana Rail Link bridge over the Yellowstone River, which collapsed on Saturday, passed inspections in November 2022 and last month, railroad President Joe Racicot said at a unified command news conference on Monday evening. “We feel confident that this bridge was suitable for stream flows,” Racicot says. A combination of […]
Bridge collapses beneath Montana Rail Link train
COLUMBUS, Mont. — A bridge collapsed beneath a Montana Rail Link train Saturday morning, sending cars carrying asphalt and molten sulphur into the Yellowstone River and creating drinking-water issues downstream. The Billings Gazette reports the accident occurred about 6:45 a.m.; the Stillwater County Department of Emergency Services says three cars of hot asphalt and four […]
D&RGW meet at Tolland, Colo.
Riding the pilot beam of a big 2-8-8-2, the head brakeman on Rio Grande Extra 3602 West waves to the Exposition Flyer as his freight pulls into the siding at Tolland, Colo., to meet the Oakland–Chicago Limited. W.C. Stearns photo […]
